Grand Fondo - MRC Non Race #1

The inaugural Gran Fondo MRC brings Italian cycling culture (yes you will see Top Chef on the new Campagnolo equipped Colnago) to the world's greatest group of riders on Saturday July 9, 2011.Join the Millionaire’s Riding Club on a challenging 100+ mile course from Sand Hill Road to the far reaches of Sullivan County and back in an experience fit for a pro and open only to those that hang with the Mayor. This unprofessionally managed event will feature the excitement of starting in Gardiner, at least four climbs with KOM large format IPAs to the winner of each, beautiful scenery, charming towns and the camaraderie of group cycling. Gran Fondo MRC is an Official Qualifier for 2011 Beer Cross (but participation is not mandatory to qualify for Beer Cross).

Background: Gran Fondo is a challenging, 100+ mile bike race, a concept stemming from Italy. You can think of it as a marathon on bicycles. At Dark Horse NY, there are long-course bike rides, singlespeed-a-paloozas, and 40 mile trail races. Here is where Gran Fondo MRC is different: it is a long-distance challenging ride that appeals to competitive racers and beer swilling cyclists alike. In Italy, a Gran Fondo has 1,000 to 10,000 participants, covers at least 100 miles and goes over challenging terrain. In France and the UK, this style of racing is known as cyclosportives.

Course: The undulating terrain of the course will challenge participants’ strength and stamina with at least 5,000ft/1,524m of climbing. The Gran Fondo MRC course will take participants from Gardiner to Kerhonkson, around the Roundout Reservoir and into the stunning mountains of Sullivan County. After arriving at the Ashokan Reservoir riders will break at one of Top Chef’s favorite haunts for lunch and espresso before tackling the steep side of Peekamoose and finishing off with climb to the Minnewaska State Park entrance. The five-mile climb up 44/55 will serve as the final big climb and make you realize that you have survived. After the high speed descent, riders will regroup and bring it home to Casa de C-Dubs for a well earned BBQ and cold beers.

UCI World Beer Cross World Championship Qualification: Four challenging climbs will count towards the King of Mountain competition and the UCI Amateur Beer Cross World Championship qualification. The top 10% of each Age Group will qualify for the 2011 UWCT World Championship in Belgium.

There is no timing or competition over the whole course. However, athletes have to complete the full course to be eligible for prizes and Beer Cross World Championship Qualification. Race your hearts and guts out on the climbs but enjoy the rest of the ride in international company.

Support: Yellow MAVIC cars will not offer technical support on the course and instead will be supporting the Tour de France. In fact you might get more support from a used jockstrap then you will from the MRC, but hey we're all friends so everyone helps everyone or we slash your tires. At each espresso stop, there will be food, drink, portapotty (that means the bushes). Volunteers will be present on the course at any turn on the course to attempt to send you in the wrong direction. Volunteers on motorbikes will be circling the course as well, ready and push you over and blast exhaust at you on the steepest pitches. Along the route, participants will not enjoy well-stocked rest stops (since there aren’t any). A great post-race party will await participants (would you expect anything less from the NECS) at the finish line. Not feeling it on the day? We won’t have SAG vehicles so suck it up and ride your sorry ass to the finish line like the rest of the peleton.

Prizes: Winners of each of the KOM climb will receive a special large format IPA or growler. The overall KOM will ride home on a new CIPOLLINI PODESTA road bike (yeah right, you will ride home on you own bike, what do you think we are – RICH?). Other prizes may or may not include MAVIC racing wheels, used Sidi shoes, smelly Giro helmets, completely ass worn Specialized saddles and much, much more (mostly the old crap I can't sell). Additionally, raffle prizes will be distributed throughout the awards ceremony.

Entry Fee:The entry fee for each participant is a six pack of beer and some food for the post ride BBQ (we don’t ass rape you like those other Grand Fondos). Included in the entry fee is a custom NECS spoke card, which is mandatory for the event. The event goodie bag, "pacco gara" will contain various products from event sponsors. If you've registered but are unable to participate, you may transfer your spot to someone else for a $50,000 transfer fee by May 31, 2011. NECS fees and credit card processing fees are third party fees, Gran Fondo MRC is not responsible for third party fees.

Travel Booking: Gran Fondo MRC is working with travel agencies in Italy, Germany, UK, Ireland, Australia, France, Spain, Bermuda, South Africa and Toronto. Please check the Gran Fondo MRC blogsite for travel partners. All athletes have the option to register directly and handle their own travel. Or they can book their travel and registration through an official GFMRC travel partner in their region.

Team Competition: If you are cycling for a team in GFMRC, please make sure that each teammate writes the name of the team in the exact same way during the registration process to be easily matched up in our records. A team name can be a cycling team, a him+her team or a tandem bicycle. Tandem bicycle teams are not eligible for competition awards, in fact no teams are eligible for awards or welcome at our event.

Flat Roof Blues - More NECS Alternative Training

He with flat roof must shovel often in heavy snow season.
This is the house and the garage was just as big a job. 3:53 later and I was done. The random spots in the snow are the very cold beer motivators.

Winter Training - NECS Style

With the snows continuing to amass here in the Northeast indoor training is in full swing. We have these exclusive shots of the Raveinator re hydrating after a day of shoveling and snowshoeing.Take note that the Beer Cross Trophy never sleeps.

P(enis)90X

Recently there has been rash of NECS absenteeism from the traditional rides, such as New Year's Day, with most notably Infantile Tom and of course Mikesquatch not making the call. With the Full Monte and MacGyver in full on training mode despite the record snowfall this month, we deployed our investigative reporting division to ply the backwoods of Goshen New York to find out what multiple blackbelt/dojo master/wrist snapping 650B singlespeeder Three Beer Rossi was up to.
Seems the studly physique of MacGyver have been firmly embedded into the mindset of Three Beer and he has come under the cult like influences of Tony Horton and his infamous training program P(enis)90X. The NECS paparazzi caught this shot of Infantile Tom (should we now call him Wossi?) flexing his stuff to the animals of Stewart State Forest.

New Year's Day

With the youth of mountain biking still tucked into bed (or for some a sleeping bag at the Cub Scout camp) the NECS masters (not ass-masters or masterbaters or masters of the universe) rolled into the parking lot of Dark Horse HQ jacked up on coffee, special New Year's Day treats and the anticipation of the first drafts out of the kegerator at the end of the ride.
The snow on the ground was still somewhat fresh and temps had been high enough to ensure that this year's annual New Year's Day ride would not turn into the figure skating spectacular of past years where the special MacGyver home made studded snows were required.
Joining us for a rare guest appearance was Sal Muttonchops, truly the Chinaman, as work has had Sal toiling in the sweatshops of China and Taiwan assuring us of top quality bikes.Of course not joining us, once again, was Mikesquatch (no doubt at Katie Cougar Scouts) and Infantile Tom who had another tent sale (he seems to think waking up with morning wood under the sheets qualifies as a tent sale).
The ride itself was uneventful with the team slogging through the snow like a pack of wolves with the only drool coming from our mouths in anticipation of the arrival at the kegerator.At what most of us thought was the closing stages of the ride, the Mayor threw in the traditional "I am the ruler of Stewart, follow me" move and we sucked it up for an additional 45 minutes. Of course during this time some of us realized that we had left our trail towels at home and almost went into convulsions. Having recovered, we turned our attention to getting back to the giant hero and cold beers. During this dire time, the lack of food and beer had some of us thinking of cannibalism, but one thing that never left our minds - what had become of the "butties" Mike and Tom. Convinced that the whole Cub Scouts and tent sale stories were pure sham our deviant little minds came up with these -

Mike & Tom Holding Hands While Sharing A Post Race BeerThe "Boys" Out DancingMikesquatch In His Sunday Best
Cruisin' For Cub Scouts
New Year's Day Polar Bare Club Meeting