Stage 3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A point-to-point race that starts at the Sugarbush Ski Resort Mt. Ellen Base area in Fayston, passing through the scenic Vermont towns of Waitsfield, Warren, Granville, and Hancock while traveling through the Mad River and White River valleys on Route 100.  The course then turns right for the first of two crossings of the Green Mountains. The first crossing is via Middlebury Gap where the steepest grade is 18%.  After pushing over the summit racers will descend the twisty west side of the gap passing Middlebury College’s historic “Bread Loaf Campus” and through Ripton, former home to Poet Robert Frost. Once through East Middlebury the course rolls along Rt. 116 until a right turn onto Hewitt Road.  Racers next encounter a short sharp climb into downtown Bristol on South Street. The course then follows flat roads for 4 miles to the day’s final challenge – Appalachian Gap. Appalachian Gap is Vermont’s highest 4-season maintained roadway.  Racers will start the first of two climbs known as the “Baby Gap”.  Baby Gap will take racers through Jerusalem and a brief but fast descent as the course rolls onto the base of App. Gap proper. This final section is only 4K, but it twists and turns and climbs very steeply in sections. As racers approach the last pitch, the canopy of trees opens, and the top of the Gap comes into view less than 1K away. The final 500m will take racers up one of the steepest pitches of the day (20% in places). This final pitch will be lined with hundreds of cheering spectators and a chalked road to help racers push to the finish.