Annual Worcester, MA event boasts record attendance, record-breaking rides in two categories
There’s a well-known baseball movie with the famous line “If you build it they will come.” Well, in Worcester, MA, the yet-to-be-made cycling movie about the George Street Bike Challenge will undoubtedly have to contain the phrase “If you climb it you have won.”
For over 100 years cyclists have been tackling the daunting hill that rises up from Main Street in downtown Worcester -- and not all of them successfully. A mere 500 feet long, George Street features one of the most punishing grades known to cycling insiders. It averages 18% over the length of the street, with sections that spike to a staggering 24%. That’s twice as steep as the most challenging climbs on the Tour de France.
Marshall W. Taylor, the turn-of-the-century sports phenomenon who, in 1899, became the first black world champion of cycling, used the George Street hill as a training site in preparation for his races.
In his 1929 autobiography, The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World, Taylor reflected on his initial climb:
"There was a saying at the time that any bicyclist who could climb George Street hill, one of the steepest inclines in Worcester, had the makings of a high-grade bicycle racer. Appraised of that tradition I decided to try my skill on the hill. There was a big crowd on hand to see me make my initial attempt. It was a tough assignment that I had wished on myself, but I made it on the first attempt and within fifteen minutes I repeated the stunt, riding down on both occasions. This was the first time a bicycle rider ever turned this trick and very few have accomplished it in the intervening thirty-two years," Taylor wrote in the chapter, "A Cordial Welcome."
The challenge of George Street has been beckoning to riders ever since. And for the past nine years, The Major Taylor Association and Barney’s Bicycle Shop in Worcester have been hosting a memorial ride in Major Taylor’s honor. This past Sunday, a sunny 25th of July, the Ninth Annual George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor was held at the foot of George Street. Nearly 150 competitors lined up to tackle the grade, and a record number of spectators were on hand to cheer them on. Among the competitors was Thomas Clarke, the 14-year old great-great-grandson of Major Taylor. Clarke, of Cambridge, MA, gamely battled the hill his ancestor had climbed so many times over a century before. And fittingly enough, Clarke’s bicycle of choice was a fixed-gear Centurion, much like the bike his great-great-grandfather once rode. Although it’s likely that Major Taylor’s bike wasn’t the bright purple of Clarke’s fixie.
And in keeping with the track records broken by Major Taylor in his day, a few George Street records were broken as well during this year’s challenge. According to Major Taylor Association President and Race Organizer Lynne Tolman, course records were set in two categories.
For the Boys aged 15 & under:
Tom Mahan, 15, of Holden, MA, completed the climb in 25.66 seconds.
The previous record was 25.81, set in 2008 by Zachary Angelo, 14, of Worcester. This year Zachary Angelo, now 16, won gold in the age 16-17 category, with a time of 23.78. Danny Estevez still holds the course record in that category, with his 23.35 time at age 17 in 2006.
For the Women aged 18-34:
Julianne Oberle, 28, of Worcester, accomplished the feat in 34.50 seconds. The previous record for the division was 38.18, set in 2003 by Amy Waterman, 29, of Brimfield, MA.
Eric Brassell, 42, of Arlington, MA, added the overall win and the Men’s 35-49 division win to his palmares with a time of 23.22. While blazingly fast, he failed to beat the all-time course record for climbing the hill. That record was set in 2008 by Rich Hollenbeck of Wallingford, CT, whose time of 22.83, the only sub-23-second course time, stands to this day.
Other notable achievements in the Challenge included the Women’s 35-49 division winner, Kathleen Wanat of Worcester, who did her George Street ascent after slaying most of the competition that morning at the women's SheRox Triathlon at Webster Lake where she finished third in her age group of elite amateurs.
Amazingly, Kathleen is not the first woman to conquer the Webster Lake triathlon and the George Street hill in the same day. Seven Hills Wheelmen member Orapin Asarangchai did it in 2007 and got a silver medal on George Street. The next year, in 2008, she skipped the SheRox triathlon and was rewarded with gold at George Street.
Smashing records was not the only order of the day. Other smashings included gears and chains, unfortunately. Rick Krasnick, 49, of Worcester, who has traditionally had good performances in the Men’s 35-49 division, was plagued by a gear mishap that caused his chain to drop onto the smallest chainring on the crank at the start of his climb. After futilely spinning in the wrong gear for a several agonizing seconds, Rick managed to shift into a smaller rear cog (but not the exact gear he wanted) and finish his run. Unfortunately, he also managed to add on about nine seconds to finish in 38:10 seconds, as compared with his 2009 time of 29:57.
Winners of the Tandem Bike Division, the father and son team of Mark and Zac Temple of Bolton, MA, had the incredible misfortune of having their chain break immediately upon starting the climb. One of the race volunteers who also happens to work for race sponsor Barney's Bicycle, hopped in a car and zoomed over to the shop to get a replacement chain for the duo, repaired the bike, and the Temples subsequently went on to win their division with a do-over ride time of 36.81.
But in a fitting finish to the dictum of "If you ride it, you have won," every single competitor who challenged and ultimately conquered the fabled hill reached the top amid the sounds of cheers and applause, and went home feeling like a winner.
Overall, the day was a resounding success for the Major Taylor Association, a non-profit organization established in the cycling superstar’s memory. Their mission is to "recognize sportsmanship, promote non-violence, and care for those less fortunate" -- tenets that cycling champion Taylor strove to live by, in spite of the fierce racial prejudice and opposition that beset him throughout his racing career.
Fundraising for the Major Taylor Association is accomplished not only by charging a race entry fee, but also through the sale of raffle tickets. This year’s raffle offered several coveted prizes donated by various race supporters.
The Grand Prize in the raffle, a Fuji Newest 3.0 24-speed road bike donated by Barney's Bicycle, was won by an excited Mark Padua of Northboro, MA. Mark also completed the Challenge, finishing 31st in his division with a time of 36:19.
The runner-up prize in the raffle, won by John Stevens, was an original woodcut artwork piece depicting Major Taylor on his bicycle, created by Worcester artist James J. Washington. Stevens had a pretty good day for himself, winning the woodcut as well as finishing 8th in his division with a time of 33.96.
Complete results for all divisions are available on the Major Taylor Association website.
A list of all the raffle prizes and winners can be seen here.
Many photographers were at the event to document the fun and excitement. Their images can be seen at the following sites: SpokenShutter.com, Worcester-Earn-A-Bike's facebook page, and at this author's flickr photostream.
If you'd like to make a donation in support of the mission of the Major Taylor Association, or want to find out more about the George Street Bike Challenge and world champion Major Taylor, visit their website.
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