Late April’s chill winds, periodic rain, and overcast skies greeted hundreds of amateur and pro bicycle racers who participated in the fifth annual Tour of the Battenkill 2009. The route covered a 62-mile circuit with over 4,000 feet of climbing and some rough dirt and gravel roads. It was an exciting weekend with a fabulous turnout, and Outside Up North was pleased to have had a photographer on site to cover the race. Tony Jancek and his crew shot a couple hundred photos, a good many of which were cropped to fit our website’s formatting.

We received letters from many racers asking where they could get prints of themselves and of the race, and now, finally, we have galleries of Saturday’s and Sunday’s race photos. Just point your mouse to Outside Up North Photos and browse the galleries. If you need help finding yourself in the photos, just drop us a line with a description of your team kit and bike. We also have video files from which it might be possible to pull still shots, so don’t give up if you don’t find yourself or your teammates in the galleries.

 

 
While you’re at Outside Up North Photos, you might enjoy looking through our other galleries, as well. In the coming months we’ll be adding more photos, so drop by often. Subscribe to RSS or Atom feeds from the Outside Up North Photos site, or stop by here and click on the link in the sidebar.

 

Outside Up North Photo Galleries at Zenfolio

 
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Almost a week ago, the rural community of Cambridge overflowed with bike racers and spectators bracing to ride and watch the Pro Invitational of the fifth annual Tour of the Battenkill 2009. The route covered a 62-mile circuit with over 4,000 feet of climbing and some rough dirt and gravel roads. Outside Up North is pleased to have had a photographer on site to cover the race. Tony Jancek and his crew have done us proud, and we’re delighted to feature a sample of his pictures here.

Sunday couldn’t have been more different than the previous day. Temperatures were still chilly, but clouds had parted and the sun promised to warm the air to comfortable levels for working up a sweat on a bike. With dry conditions came dust, lots of it. But these racers are pros and took it all in their stride. But before the race there are plenty of preparations. Let’s see what it looks like before the race begins…

 
Getting Ready  Racers unlimbered their bikes, pulled on their team kit, and rode in colorful splendor to the starting line. They’re used to the routine, but however many times they’ve done this, there’s always something to set this race apart. Something memorable. Something to look back on and say, “Yes, that’s the race where…” Every racer will have his own memories, but here are some of ours:

 

The Rice Mansion Inn

 

Aligning the ‘bars

 

Hot Argon 18 carbon bikes

 

Locking in the rear wheel

 

Adjusting his helmet

 

Eager to participate

 

He’s a winner!

 

Team BikeReg.com

 

It starts over there

 

Bobby Lea of Team OUCH Presented by Maxxis

 

Tim Johnson and John Murphy of Team OUCH Presented by Maxxis

 

Heading for the starting line

 

Team Champion System

 

Empire Cycling Team

 

Which way to the start?

 

He’s ready to race

 
Let’s Race!  Racers take their places on Broad Street, and then they’re off, turning onto Main before rolling out of town:

 

 

 

 
Seems like only seconds and they’re out of the village, but there are many miles to go, and many hills to climb:

 

 

 

 

 
Dry conditions make for dry throats—and a dust cloud that riders must endure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Hard riding requires rehydration and refueling:

 

 

 
Racing is serious business, but not for everyone all of the time:

 

 
The face of the race:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Five hours and a bit more than 16 minutes later, the first cyclist crosses the finish line. It’s Scott Nydam of Team BMC. He’s followed by Karl Menzies of Team OUCH in 2nd place at 5:18:49, and then Francois Parisien of Team Planet Energy in 3rd place at 5.18.53.

 

 
But let’s not forget that there are others who worked hard, too. Here are but a few of them:

 

 

 

 

 
We’ve received many requests from racers who participated in Saturday’s or Sunday’s race asking if we got shots of them. If you see yourself or friends in any of the photos here, please let us know. Official results aren’t available at press time, unfortunately, but one thing can be said for certain: The competitors, organizers, volunteers, and spectators all gave a wonderful showing. You don’t need to be a bicycle racer to enjoy seeing such a display of dedication, endurance, and will-power. Thanks to all. And an especial thanks to Tony and his able assistants, Venus and Nic, for giving Outside Up North the opportunity to cover the Tour of the Battenkill. If you like these photos as much as we do, send Tony an email and tell him so.

 

 
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