Vermont Challenge returns August 11-14
Now in its fifth year, the Vermont Challenge bicycle race returns August 11-14, 2016 with a series of multi-day tour options including a route on Saturday (8/13) that winds up with a four-mile climb to Stratton Mountain Resort in the only mountain-top Gran Fondo finish east of the Continental Divide. In addition to the 100 mile Gran Fondo, the Vermont Challenge will offer both the Medio (68 miles) and Piccolo (26 miles) Fondos so the entire family can enjoy the ride and weekend festivities.
In addition to the one-day Gran Fondo presented by Stratton Mountain, the Vermont Challenge will continue to offer its signature multi-day tours that are extremely popular with riders. This year those tours will be center around Manchester VT offering a variety of terrain - everything from farm country, picturesque towns, cooling rivers and mountain passes.
Each day the Vermont Challenge will offer long routes to challenge the elite level recreational rider, medium and shorter routes that are designed for lower to upper intermediate riders. The Challenge provides full sag support and rest stops every 20-25 miles that are fully stocked.
Registration fee includes sag and tech support, high performance jersey, tech tee, socks and water bottle. Plus $30 of each registration goes toward supporting Vermont Food Banks and families in need through the Stratton Foundation.
Join us and ride all 4-days 8/11-14: the first 2 day routes we ride the "Valley" challenge and then the weekend 2-day routes we tackle the "Mountain" challenge
The Vermont Challenge offers you 4 glorious days of riding through picturesque countrysides, covered bridges, river valleys, mountain passes and historic villages of southern and central Vermont for 1/4 of the price of packaged tours!
When: August 11-14, 2016
Overview by day
- Wed evening 8/10, Kickoff our 5th year celebration dinner for all 4-day riders
- Valley Challenge 8/11 & 8/12
- Thursday 8/11: Northern routes out of Manchester - 58, 40 or 24 miles. Farm to Table Lunch
Friday 8/12: Southern routes out of Manchester - 64, 45 or 30 miles. Farm to Table Lunch.
- Mountain Challenge 8/13 & 814
- Saturday 8/13: Gran, Medio & Piccolo Fondo - 106, 68, 45, & 26 miles respectively. Lunch/Dinner 5th year celebration and Bike Festival.
- Sunday 8/14: Routes to/from Bondville VT at the foot of Stratton Mountain access road or from Statton Mountain Resort - 53, 35 or 25 miles with a celebratory lunch
- Rest stations
- We don't just offer aid stations in a parking lot, but at Vermont's great local businesses such as the Vermont Country Store, Wilcox Ice Cream, Grafton Cheese, Baba Louis Bakery and so much more.
Registration includes:
Handsome jersey, our tech-T, all lunches and dinners (depending upon the tour youchoose), a water bottle, goodie bag, fully stocked rest stops, GPS and cue sheets, SAG and tech support
2016 jersey included in your registration fee. Matching men's & women's matching shorts & bibls available for purchase while registered, online later or in person during the challenge
Accommodations
By re-configuring the routes creating 2-days in the valley and 2-days in the mountains you can now stay in Manchester for 2-days and 2-days at Stratton and ride to the starts each day. Of course you can choose to stay in one place for all 4-days and have just a 14 mile drive to the respective valley or mountain starts. Parking is free.
Choose the accommodations that fit your budget from our sponsor hotels and inns (lodging is extra and not included in your registration fee).
Sponsor hotels:
Palmer House - Manchester: http://www.palmerhouse.com/, 802-362-3600
Black Bear Lodge Stratton: http://www.stratton.com/plan-your-trip/lodging/lodging-landing.aspx, 1-800-Stratton.
**We are continuing to work with area lodges so we'll have further announcements on other sponsor hotels in the weeks to come
Other lodging choices:
Manchester & the Mountains lodging free service: http://visitmanchestervt.com/portfolio/lodging-packages/
Stratton Lodging services: 1-800-Stratton
Serving Southern & Central Vermont's communities
$30 of your registration fee goes towards 4 food banks, Grace Cottage Hospital and Stratton Urgent Care. You have the option of contributing more.
Register now to avoid future price increases. Contact us at [email protected] to register your team and receive a 10% team discount
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