Hillclimb field fills in record time

February 7, 2007 - Pinkham Notch, N.H.

With the race date still more than six months away, the 35th annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb has already produced a new record. On February 1st, the day on-line registration opened, the field filled to its capacity - 600 riders - in just 32 minutes.

This 7.6-mile all-uphill race to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States is the primary annual fundraiser for the Tin Mountain Conservation Center in Conway, N.H. For the privilege of pedaling up the unrelenting grade, sometimes with winds of 40 mph. or more, elite and amateur cyclists pay an entry fee of $300, from which all proceeds go to the educational and environmental programs of the conservation center.

While that fee may sound as steep as the Auto Road itself, it hardly deters would-be entrants, since cyclists recognize the ride up Mount Washington as more arduous than the most difficult climbs in the Tour de France. The famed Auto Road's grade averages 12 percent, with a 22-percent grade in the final yards before the 6288-foot summit, and in some years the winds have blown riders off their bikes on the upper slopes above the tree line. The size of the field is limited by the ability of the road crews and race officials to monitor the safety of all participants, and by the number of vehicles that can be parked at the summit to bring cyclists back down the hill after the race.

The Hillclimb's popularity is due also to its being an open event, which means that amateur riders can compete along with professionals. Top professional riders in the Hillclimb in previous years have included Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France stage winner Tyler Hamilton, legendary French cycling star Jeannie Longo, world mountain bicycling champion Ned Overend, Canadian champion and current women's course record-holder Genevieve Jeanson (54 minutes 2 seconds in 2002), and the men's course record-holder Tom Danielson (49:24, also in 2002).

The extreme-sports aspect of the Hillclimb has only increased the demand for places in the field. Last year the race reached its 600-rider capacity three hours after the opening of on-line registration. This year, with the demand continuing to increase and with the average cyclist's Internet capability being faster than ever, the opening of registration on the Tin Mountain Web site (www.tinmtn.org) launched a scramble comparable to the first 200 yards of the race itself. In considerably less time than it takes the fastest rider to complete the race, 600 cyclists secured spots in one of the four waves of cyclists who will grind their way up the Auto Road on August 18.

Those who didn't get an entry spot have another option. Because of the number of people who had to be turned away from the Hillclimb, last year the management of the Mt. Washington Auto Road created an additional bike race on the same course. The second annual Newton's Revenge, as this race is called, will take place this year on July 7 (which, in a bit of tidy symmetry, is 07/07/07). Entry into this race opened officially as soon as the Hillclimb and the Hillclimb Practice Ride (to be held on July 15) were filled. Newtons and the PR opened together.

Anyone wishing to register for a place in Newton's Revenge can do so at www.bikereg.com/events/register. The entry fee and capacity are the same as for the Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb.

Proceeds from Newton's Revenge will benefit the Mt Washington Observatory and other non-profit organizations. Junior racers will also have the opportunity to enter by raising money directly for the Observatory.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road is open to bicycles only three days of the year: the Hillclimb (August 18), the Hillclimb Practice Day on July 15, and Newton's Revenge on July 7. The Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb starts in four waves, beginning at 7:40 a.m. with the Topnotch group and continuing with slower groups at five-minute intervals. Spectators may hike up the Auto Road prior to the start of the race. Newton's Revenge follows the same schedule.

For more information about the Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, visit the race Web site at www.mtwashingtonbicyclehillclimb.org

The race site includes access to a complete list of entrants for the race, arranged by name, hometown or state. For information about the Tin Mountain Conservation Center, visit www.tinmtn.org.

Information about Newton's Revenge is available at www.newtonsrevenge.com.