[April 18, 2009] Area cycling shifts into high gear: Tour of Battenkill race draws some top talent to the area Tweet CAMBRIDGE, Apr 18, 2009 (Albany Times Union - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Kyle Pemrick of Colonie gets his bicycle racing fix by riding, watching the Tour de France on TV and reading Velo News on the Internet whenever he can. Once he watched the Giro, an Italian stage race more challenging than the Tour, on an Italian television station he found on the Internet. But he's almost never had the opportunity to watch professional racing close to his home. Which is why he's so excited about the Tour of the Battenkill. The Battenkill begins Saturday with a pro/am race. For the first time in the five-year tour, the race also includes a Sunday ride, 124 miles, with professional teams. Pemrick, vice president of the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club, plans to volunteer at the race. "If somebody's going to bring real racing here, you've got to step up," he said. In team bike racing, members support their mate thought to have the best chance of winning. Thus the star rider drafts other team members to avoid wind resistance, waiting for the time to break away. At the same time, team members try to thwart the efforts of other teams to move ahead -- a rolling chess game at 24 miles per hour. "It's about using your energy at the right time," said Pemrick. "Not until you've ridden 60 miles, and you've got nothing left in your body and 10 or 15 miles to go, do you understand what these guys are going through." The tour was started by local cyclist Dieter Drake, 37. Last year, the race drew 1,200 participants and 15,000 spectators, and brought nearly $500,000 into the southern Washington County area, organizers say. This year is expected to be bigger. Sunday's new race will draw 22 teams from around the nation, including Team Ouch of Oakland, Calif. Ouch counts in its ranks 2008 U.S. Olympian Bobby Lea and world-famous Floyd Landis. Landis, who won the Tour de France in 2006 only to have his yellow jersey stripped away in a doping scandal, has been quietly racing since his two-year suspension was lifted last fall. He could not be reached for comment. But local cycling experts say Landis is only one of many strong contenders for Sunday's race. Others include Team Bissell's Tom Zirbel and also members of Team Planet Energy, made up of Canada's top riders. "There's no guarantee Floyd's going to win," said Nathaniel Ward of Albany, who will be racing Sunday on Team Spooky/NCC/Kenda. "He's a phenomenal athlete, but there are other guys who are even money." No one interviewed for this story had concern about Landis' past. "He's served his suspension," Ward said. "And he's back." The Battenkill presents a challenge unusual to American road-racing -- several miles of dirt roads, reminiscent of the "classic" cobblestone bike races of Europe. "The dirt is definitely a unique challenge," Ward said. "You never known what you're going to get." Sunday's race may help take the Tour to a new level. Founder Drake has sought to have the race sanctioned by the international cycling body, which would have brought in international teams and an even higher element of competition. Officials at USA Cycling, the American arm of the worldwide federation, denied them that chance this year. But officials say they'll be present at this year's race to see how it goes. "We'd certainly revisit for 2010," said Andy Lee, a spokesman for USA Cycling. Alan Wechsler can be reached at 454-5469 or by e-mail at [email protected]. If you go When: Saturday's pro/am race has staggered starts, beginning at 8:45 a.m. The pro team race Sunday begins at 11 a.m. and is expected to last about five and a half hours. Where: Both days of the Tour of the Battenkill begin and end in Cambridge. More information: http://www.tourofthebattenkill.com. To see more of the Albany Times Union, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesunion.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Albany Times Union, N.Y. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]