PITTSFIELD –Cyclists hoping for a spot in the 2018 Leadville Trail 100 MTB race in Colorado now have another opportunity to earn an entry: The top finishers of a local race in Pittsfield will earn an entry into next year’s long-distance bike ride.
This year, the Peak Woodsplitter 6-Hour bike race Pittsfield, Vt. has joined the Leadville qualifier series. On Saturday, Aug. 26, Green Mountain Trails is the site of two long distance mountain bike races. Inspired by alleycat races and the free-form and fun mountain bike races of yore, the GMT Gnarly Adventure will test riders’ ingenuity as well as their riding prowess. It will cover all 30 miles of trail system. For this race, riders collect a token at every specified trail, but there is no route other than the one you figure out for yourself. Depending on your strategy not everyone is going to go the same way or cover the same distance. Further details will be provided at the riders’ meeting. Those with the most tokens collected in the quickest amount of time are determined the winners.
Meanwhile, the 6-hour challenge invites riders to compete to see how many 10-mile laps they can complete in a six-hour time limit. The classic race is for those who want a more straightforward challenge. Each loop will cover over 10 miles of mind, body and technique testing terrain incorporating classic GMT standbys and recently hand-built gnar. This race is a Leadville qualifier.
To qualify for a Leadville slot, racers must complete at least four laps of the 6-hour Peak Woodsplitter course within the allocated race time. The first six slots will be awarded to the top three men and women. Up to 14 remaining slots will be distributed through a lottery of the remaining athletes who have completed at least four laps. Names will be drawn from the eligible lottery athletes and slots will be given out during the awards ceremony.
For those registered racers that don’t snag a top spot, there’s still a barbecue as soon as you clip out of your pedals.
