Tomorrow, some 800 cyclists will descend on Greene and Ulster Counties for the fourth annual Tour of the Catskills, a three-day road race that spans nearly 200 miles and draws both amateur and professional cyclists from far and wide. The race will kick off tomorrow afternoon from Hunter Mountain with a 12-mile individual time trial.
Event organizers announced recently that so far, they have 22 states represented among the racers already registered. (They're also looking for a few more volunteers, so if you're interested, you can sign up at the volunteer page.)
The video above shows a few of last year's cyclists pushing through the infamous Devil's Kitchen stretch of Platte Clove Road in Saugerties, which was added to the race just last year. It's a notoriously punishing climb, with some stretches over 22% grade; local biking blog Capital District Road Climbs calls it "quite possibly the most hellacious climb in New York State, and one of the most difficult climbs in the Northeast."
And in case you just can't get enough of Catskills cycling, it's just a couple of weeks until the Catskills Ride-N-Peak and Great Catskill Divide Road Race, in the heart of Catskill Park where Delaware meets Ulster County. (Just enough time to rest your aching quads and get ready to take on 33 miles of gritty, grueling back roads.) For more details, check out this blog post by Mike Wentland, a.k.a. the Catskills Cyclist.
