Did you race in the 2010 Tour of the Battenkill pro-am? Have you been scouring the ‘web in search of photos of the race, hoping that you were caught in the action? You’re not alone. We’ve received requests from many racers asking if our photographer, Anthony Jancek, captured them on his media cards. Happily, the answer has often been a resounding YES.

Tony logged plenty of miles himself as he shot the action throughout the day. And what a day! Morning overcast grudgingly gave way to a very welcome sun, but a cold wind rattled bare branches in the hedgerows bordering the 100-kilometer course, and it made spokes sing in the bikes’ wheels as they thrashed the narrow roads of southern Washington County. Racers took the wind and the hills, the dirt and the teeth-jarring potholes in their stride, making this year’s race one to remember. And remembering is made easier by pictures. So here’s a preview from our gallery, starting at the beginning, as many of the racers assembled at Cambridge Central School, which offered a view of the hills they would be climbing within a few hours…

Bikes were lined up against a convenient wall, where a racer gives hers a last minute inspection:

Team Young Medalists warmed up on the sunny south side of an outbuilding before the race:

Veteran racer Jeff King takes a quiet moment only minutes before his group rolls out:

Junior racers, led by the home-grown Farm Team, pour from the iconic Eagleville Covered bridge over the Battenkill River:

Women were well represented. Here, pro women along with Categories 1 and 2 racers speed round the bends on one of the many dirt road segments of the course:

Then the men followed in the ladies’ wake…

There are hills, and there’s dirt, and both are found on Meeting House Road. Gerry Remsen, in the Masters 50+ (1-4) category, musters his resources to climb one of the steeper grades on his elegant Litespeed bike:

And here’s where he’s heading:

Tony’s photo angle exaggerates the slope for effect, but on a bike with about 50 miles of hard pedaling behind you, the road is very like a wall. Here come the Valkeries, hell-bent on grinding that climb down to size:

This is where they came from:

The grade’s steepness is well seen here:

The sharp climb is almost too much for some, but this determined racer made it by switchbacking:

More hills and dirt follow before, mercifully, the finish line looms in the middle of the little village of Cambridge. No wonder racers cross the finish line wearing faces of pride and pleasure…

…immense happiness…

…relief…

…and bone-weariness…

Some won prizes…

But whether or not racers made the final climb to the podium, all are winners, because they dared, they persevered, they rode the Tour of the Battenkill.

A very big thanks to Tony Jancek for devoting so much effort to be everywhere at once over two weekends of racing. His skill and dedication, and that of his helpers, have won him many accolades for his fine work. Kudos, Tony! Stop by Tony’s Zenfolio Tour of the Battenkill Pro-Am Gallery for many more photos, which you can buy as prints or computer wallpapers at reasonable prices. Stay tuned for plenty of pictures from the pro invitational race, too.

 
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