In October of 1777, Philip Schuyler was one of the American generals who defeated British General John Burgoyne outside of Saratoga , N.Y. , in what historians consider the turning point of the American Revolution. Last July 9, forty-five cyclists from ten states converged on Schuylerville to do battle on the very same hills overlooking the upper Hudson Riveróalthough most agreed it was more a fight against the weather and hills rather than each other.

The Saratoga course is a 26-mile loop with a three-mile spur into town, creating laps of 32 miles. The three-mile segment is a lot of fun because riders get to see each other. For the competitive-minded, this is a good time to check splits, but for everyone else it is a chance to cheer fellow riders or exchange barbs. The course lives up to its billing of ìdeceptively difficultî because, indeed, the rural scenery is delightful (including a curvy six-mile stretch along the River), and the rolling hills, never longer than 3/4 mile, make for a pleasantly varied ride. However, after a few hours, these hills begin to assert themselves. Five steep inclines become rather agonizing, and many other rollers cause headaches with pacing and gear selection. The formula for the early hours is totally different from later hours. Many 12-hour racers expressed admiration for the 24-hour group: no one liked the idea of struggling with Bacon Hill twice a lap for another 12 hours.

While most of Northeast enjoyed a perfect summer day, Saratoga was drenched with 12 hours of rain, often heavy in the afternoon. The conditions caused a lot of fogged glasses, flat tires, and temperamental chains. Thankfully the breezes were generally light, and the clouds gave way after nightfall to a beautiful, warm night.

In the 24-hour ìSaratoga Challengeî, John Jurczynski defended his title with 420.7 miles. After a strong day in the rain, Jurczynski got drowsy after midnight whenever he used his aero bars. He either kept his hands on the hoods or sang to himself to stay awake! However, he botched the repair of a pinch flat around 3:30 a.m., and John Fuoco almost caught him. After that, Jurczynski said he was very much awake. Fuoco, riding just his second 24-hour event, had been in the hunt since the start, logging a 12-hour split of 220 miles. Fuoco's hardest hours were in the afternoon and his best were between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., unlike his sleepy first attempt at a 24. When he saw Jurczynski on the short spur section, Fuoco "smelled blood" and let it fly, but Jurczynski powered away over the remaining four hours. Fuoco settled for second with 411.8 miles.

Russ Loomis was third overall with 369.9 miles. The normally jovial Loomis looked absolutely miserable in the evening hours: he had been wet ever since the downpours seeped into his tent the night before. He gradually came around as the skies cleared around his dinner break. Loomis said he rode almost the entire night without seeing anyone, and that his numbed brain eventually needed confirmation from race officials that there were actually other people out racing.

In the 12-hour ìHudson River Rambleî Saunders Whittlesey logged 250.3 miles despite crashing four hours into the event: an oncoming SUV cut into a driveway and Whittlesey smacked the rear quarter-panel at 22 mph. After some discussion with the mortified driver, Whittlesey took inspiration from Nancy Guth's toughness, finishing the event with an array of bruises and deep scrapes, mangled fingers, and bent handlebars and wheel. Whittlesey's final frustration was a three-minute wait for a freight train with only 20 minutes left in the race!

Recumbent rider Larry Graham took second place overall with 241.8 miles. This is 0.4 mile longer than Byron Gremley's official UMCA record, so hopefully Graham is putting together a record attempt of his own on a surveyed course. Graham said that most of the Saratoga course was well suited to the recumbent, except for the ascents of Bacon Hill. Descending was another matter: he topped out at 48 mph, which in the rain he likened to "being beat in the face with a wet toilet brush!"

Bud Eichorn had early trouble with cramps, but, with the help of his energetic crew, closed to within 30 meters of Graham on their fourth lap. With Eichorn's crew giving him splits, the two riders stayed close, but Eichorn eventually finished a half-mile behind with 241.3 miles. Brad Tanner followed with 226.3 miles. Fifth place went to first-timer Brooke Walcott with 213.4 miles. Walcott turned to cycling after an injury ended his college football career, and he found that "the longer the ride, the more fun the sport became." Saratoga was "one of the best experiences of [his] athletic career" and more than doubled his longest-ever ride. Similarly, local first-timer Dave Hotaling took seventh overall with 205.4 miles on his touring bike wearing a T-shirt and baggy shorts. Both riders plan to return next year.

Christine Graham won with a new women's course record of 186.5 miles. She got a leaky tire in the last few minutes of the event and kept expending CO2 cartridges until the clock expired. A farmer gave her a ride back to town. Other notables in the race included 67-year-old James Cartwright with 202.4 miles, and 16-year old Garrett Loomis with 191.4 miles. Loomis suffered a flat late in the event and mistook the double-hole for a pinch flat. However, it was actually a staple in the tire, and he had to change the flat again!

Bill Ingraham showed up with his high-wheeler, but disappeared almost as quickly. For the second time in a year, a seat bolt broke, and his butt slid down the curved main tube of the bike. Completely stuck on the fixed-drive cranks like a medieval torture rack, he had to aim for a ditch and take a rough landing.

Compliments abounded for the event and its director John Ceceri, who runs this event as a fundraiser for the nearby Mechanicville Area Community Services Center. He said that over $600 was raised in addition to some good publicity in the local paper for both the Center and ultracycling. Ceceri made a successful effort this year to recruit local cyclists for the event, and he hopes to extend the local interest next year with shorter events for recreational cyclists and children.

More information at the Saratoga 12/24 website
Mechanicville Area Community Services Center website

Saratoga Challenge 24-Hour Race

Rider	Miles
John Jurczynski	420.7
John Fuoco	411.8
Russ Loomis	369.9
Brian Uline	354.9
Ralph Pruitt	326.0
Jon Pasch	319.0
John Blaszczal	287.1
Angel Mitevski	223.3
Jim Melville	208.4

Hudson River Ramble 12-Hour Race

Women
Christine Graham	186.5
Lisa Floryshak-Windham	120.7
Men
Saunders Whittlesey	250.3
Bud Eichorn	241.3
Brad Tanner	226.3
Brook Wolcott	213.4
John McCann	207.4
David Hotaling	205.4
James Cartwright	202.4
Kenneth Silvestri	201.9
Patrick Flemming	201.4
Joe Gaudio	191.4
Herb Petersen	191.4
Chris Dutcher	191.4
Garrett Loomis	191.4
Kurt Higgins	187.9
Rick Gowen	181.0
John Kazmierczak	162.5
Kyle Graham	159.5
Paul Evans	159.5
Bruce Farenwald	159.5
Ronald Harlos	159.5
Dick Murphy	159.5
Bjarte Furnes	95.7
Recumbent
Larry Graham	241.8
High Wheeler
Bill Ingraham	42.6

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