Cyclists Prepare for Steep Challenge on George Street

Email to a friend Permalink

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Cyclists from all around New England will descend upon Worcester tomorrow to follow in the wheel tracks of one of the sport's great champions.

In 1899, Marshall "Major" Taylor used the steep incline of George Street in Worcester to prepare his body and mind for the cycling world championships. It turned out to be a wise move for Taylor, who was the world's fastest cyclist that year. Now, in honor of Taylor, cyclists will take on the challenge of biking up the daunting George Street hill.

"It's the kind of hill that stands up and laughs at you," Lynne Tolman of the Major Taylor Association said. "It's a challenge that cyclists seem to keep coming back to."

Participants will be competing for bragging rights in the form of medals in different age classifications. The fastest time ever recorded on George Street came in 2008, when Rich Hollenbeck breezed through the two-block course in just 22.83 seconds.

The George Street hill has an average grade of 17.5 percent, and may seem daunting. Still, Tolman, who has braved the course many times herself, says riders should not be afraid to participate.

"It's doable," Tolman said with a chuckle. "It's a little painful, especially in your quads, but the pain only lasts about 30 seconds."

The Major Taylor Association expects upwards of 150 riders to compete in the George Street Bike Challenge. They also encourage locals to come out and watch the challenge, along with the final day of the Tour de France, which will be playing on a large projector.

"The cheering really helps," Tolman said. "I've been training and I feel pretty good about it. I'm no medal contender, but it's still a lot of fun."