Waitsfield, VT. – Charles McCarthy stormed to a 7th placing in the opening stage of the Green Mountain Stage Race. Crossing the line in a time of 13:51, he was off of the fastest time of the day by :15 seconds set by Symmetrics Pro Cycling rider Andrew Randell who shattered the course with a time of 13:36. In what has become the annual end-of-the-season stage race within New England cycling, a stacked pro/1/2 field has again driven north (or south-there’s a large contingent of Canadian riders) to test themselves against the steep climbs of the Green Mountains.
In previous years, the race kicked off with an infamous mass start hill climb up the east side of Appalachian Gap. For the first time in the race’s eight year history, the prologue was changed to an individual time trial, set on the Mad River Valley’s East Warren Road, a pastoral and scenic stretch of road which looks off to the west toward Sugarbush. In order to even out the playing field and to make race travel more convenient, racers were limited in time trial equipment usage: no time trial bikes or aerobars were allowed. Disk wheels and time trial helmets were permitted, though not as widely used.
McCarthy, a Waitsfield native, is more than familiar with the course. “Without exaggerating, I’ve probably ridden East Warren Road 200 times in my life,” he said. “I could probably ride that road either way in the middle of the night and still avoid every crack or dip.”
The race heads west of the spine of the Green Mountains Saturday with a 65-mile circuit race starting in Hinesburg. With a stacked team including Peter Bell, Scott Dolmat-Connell, Corey Masson, Brad Sheehan, and McCarthy, MetLife looks set to make their mark in Vermont. Stayed tuned here for the latest news.