Triple Tour de France winner Greg LeMond has been confirmed as guest of honour at the 2012 Tour of the Battenkill in Cambridge, New York, with the former world champion attending the race in April and taking part in a group ride the morning of the main event.
LeMond will participate in the 22 mile Bike Marathon Battenkill ride, which takes in part of the course of the main race on April 15th. It is a non-competitive event and will give others the chance to cover the distance with the first American winner of the Tour.
Partial proceeds of the ride will go to the 1in6 foundation, of which LeMond is a founding board member. He will be riding the event in support of the foundation, which seeks to help men who have been sexually abused as children.
The main race will follow the Bike Marathon ride and organisers state that up to 200 professionals will take part. It is once again on the UCI calendar in 2012, the 1.2 status making it one of seven UCI-ranked races in the US and one of eleven 1.HC races on the USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar.
The 124 mile race will be preceded by a Pro/Am race on Saturday April 14th. It is 62 miles long and covers portions of the same tough route, which includes climbs and dirt road sections. After more than 2500 registered for the 2011 edition, organisers anticipate that almost 3,000 will take part in the 2012 event. It will be part of the Great American Cycling Series this year.
Those wishing to try out this route prior to race day can do so by participating in the Battenkill Spring Preview Ride on Sunday, March 25 in Cambridge. More than 500 participants are expected for the non-competitive meet.
Further details of the Great American Cycling Series will be confirmed soon.