Hit the Pavement with Centurion Cycling

World Class Event Rolls Into Ellicottville Aug. 17-19, 2012

In less than one month, Ellicottville will once again be exposed to a world class event as the Centurion Cycling tour rolls into town Aug. 17-19.  There probably aren’t many of you who haven’t witnessed via television the magnitude and production of a road cycling race (think Tour de France), but now, we’ll have the chance to witness this behemoth in person.  Clip in …we’re going to cover everything you need to know about this exciting event.

First things first, you’re probably wondering ‘what the heck is a Centurion?’ … so we won’t hesitate to drop some knowledge on you here. If you grab a dictionary, you’ll be surprised to see that it’s actually defined as a Roman leader of 100 soldiers.  However, as far as we know, there will be a shortage of Romans and soldiers for this event, leaving us to focus on cycling.  

The Centurion Cycling tour will combine the mass-participation buzz of a big-city marathon, the epic beauty of a European gran fondo (Italian for great distance or endurance), and the all-inclusive nature of a cycling century ride.

Each Centurion Cycling event features controlled traffic, technical and medical support, and precise chip timing. The difference is that Centurion Cycling courses are set at 100, 50 and 25 miles, challenging riders to develop time goals just like marathon runners. The 50-mile and 100-mile courses feature significant climbing, winding through Ellicottville, Salamanca, and Franklinville.  This will undoubtedly provide a tough test for even the most seasoned amateur racer. The 25-mile event is more family friendly. Centurion’s ability-based seeding process, broad range of age-group and team categories, and multiple distance options encourage racers, less-competitive riders and families to all embrace this new challenge where racers race, riders ride and everyone has fun.  

Adding to this already jam packed event is the newly created ‘Pedal with Pat’ (LaFontaine, NOT me) event, which is a more leisurely 11.5-mile ride, which will benefit his Companions in Courage Foundation, which provides interactive play rooms in hospitals for children with life threatening illnesses. (Check out the interview with Pat LaFontaine below!)

Secondly, you may be wondering why Centurion selected our quaint ski village as a premiere destination to host their event (to compliment Lake George, Blue Mountain, Ont., Horseshoe Valley, Ont.) … so we caught up with Graham Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling for a little bit of insight into their decision.

 “I’ve known of Ellicottville for years,” revealed Fraser. “When looking for destinations to expand our series from Ontario, Ellicottville came to mind. It's a place where Canadians and Americans can come together to ride in a venue that they both visit regularly.  We're really looking forward to Centurion Ellicottville!”

The streets of Ellicottville will be transformed into a town-wide festival, with the start/finish areas located right in the heart of the village.  This will be a true festival feel, with the typical detours we see around Fall Festival and Winter Carnival, as well as a sponsor village, filled with sponsors and exhibitions.

To properly put on an event of this magnitude, many ‘t’s need to be crossed & ‘i’s need to be dotted.  One of the driving organizational forces behind this event is Doug Bush, a local former triathlete, and current trainer with Endurance Factor.  

“With an event this large, there are countless details that need to be managed,” says Bush, adding that “the Villages of Salamanca, Franklinville, and of course Ellicottville have all been amazing event partners.  Their emergency response management, including local EMT’s and Fire personnel, as well as the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department and State Police have all gone above and beyond to ensure the safety and success of this event.”

Bush went on to tell me how the Salamanca PD has also created an app, which will allow Centurion staff in the command center to track all course vehicles throughout the event.  You see, there are a variety of event vehicles - from motorcycles, mechanical vehicles, sag wagons (for those who must abandon the event) and chase cars, which help provide support for all facets of the Centurion.

So there you have it - the Centurion Cycling event in a nutshell.

“If you aren’t excited about this event, you should be,” says Dennis Baldwin, owner/operator of Ellicottville Bike Shop.  “It’s going to really open some eyes at just how many participants, and how great our cycling community is here in Ellicottville and the surrounding areas.”

One thing is for sure: given what a special community we have here, it is undoubtedly the start of something big.  For more detailed information on event times and registration, click over to
centurioncycling.com, and remember to mark your calendar for Aug. 17-19 2012.  We’ll expect to see you all at the finish line, where we can always use “more cowbell!”