More than 550 cyclists competed in the Killington Stage Race over Memorial Day Weekend
Posted on May 31, 2020
The Legend of Northeastern cycling is alive and growing; back home in the Town of Killington. Bicycle racers from 17 states and six Canadian provinces tested their legs and lungs over the holiday weekend in the return of the Killington Stage Race. Everyone, including the host Town of Killington, came away a winner. The Killington Stage Race was last held in 2000.
The three-day event attracted the top riders of Northeastern cycling, who rode a circuit race Saturday, individual time trial Sunday and a grueling 61-mile road course Sunday through towns across the Killington Region. At the end of the day, there was no doubt in the minds of every competitor: Vermont Ain’t Flat!
“The race was a great success. The racers really loved it and that’s the reason we do it,” said Gary Kessler, Race Director. “The community was welcoming and enthusiastic and the racers really appreciated that, too.”
The top three finishers in the Men’s Pro 1/2 were:
- Hugo Houle, Garneau Club Chaussures Ogilvy from St Perpetue, QC
- Jamey Driscoll, Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita, Winooski, VT
- Cameron Cogburn, CCB/Wheelworks, Freeville, NY
The top three finishers in the Women’s Pro 1/2 were:
- Sue Schlatter, Stevens Racing p/b the Cyclery, Ottawa, ON
- Audrey Scott, Team Bikeway.com, Poughkeepsie, NY
- Jennifer Stephenson, Clinic, Nepean, ON
Sunday’s road race wound through Killington, Pittsfield, Bethel, Barnard, Woodstock, and Bridgewater before finishing with a ride up East Mountain Road to the top of the Killington Access Road. At various climbs along the route cyclists rode up grades exceeding 10%. One hill was measured at 18% grade.
“What makes a great race is that the racers are happy in the end, that the courses were challenging enough and that there were enough opportunities to be challenged,” continued Kessler. “We try to provide different racers - climbers, sprinters, time trialists- opportunities to do well. This was a very balanced race and challenged the riders in different ways. Racers have different skills and we try to get to all of them.”
The Killington Stage Race was sponsored by the Town of Killington Economic Development and Tourism Commission, with support from Long Trail Brewery and The Mountain Times.
“Our goal was to attract visitors to town on a weekend that has been very quiet for Killington in the past and the race definitely accomplished that.” said Seth Webb, Killington Economic Development and Tourism Director (EDT). “We brought over one-thousand people to town for four days and businesses are reporting great results: lodging properties are reporting full nights and restaurants and retailers are reporting huge increases in sales over previous years. Considering the fact that most businesses weren’t even open last year, this year’s event marks a major step forward for developing Killington as a four season destination.”
Kessler noted that a number of racers told him the race was their first visit to Killington and that they were looking forward to a return visit.
The EDT is sending a formal survey to businesses today to
fully measure the impact. This
information will be combined with feedback from the racer survey App Gap
Productions is conducting. The
results will be reported at upcoming EDT Commission meetings and used to
improve and grow the race in future years. Full race results and photo gallery are posted on the Killington Stage Race website.
View gallery on our Facebook page.
