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The Nearly Annual
Shartkozawa
An unregulated funfest/sufferfest/race/ride held in February.
Be there, ready for fun in the mud when you ride
The Classic in Connecticut
Shartkozawa - the Millenium Challenge
Hopefully, this will be the most grueling ride you will ever have.
Tchmil's Paris Roubaix? Nothing - mere mud and cow manure. Hampsten's
Gavia? Child's play - what's a flake or two?. Chiapucci's Sestriere? Hey,
he was warm. So Hinault lost sensation in his pinkie during his 10 minute
victory in Liege Bastogne Liege? Big deal. It was merely cold and, oh,
yeah, it snowed a bit. No, this is the race, ah, ride, to separate the, um,
crazy from the sane.
Shartkozawa is "only" 19 miles long (30 km), only parts are dirt, and it's
mainly flat. So what's the challenge? February weather in lower
Connecticut (barely rideable), the normal fitness level of a New England
rider in February (poor) and the balance of road surfaces (smooth pavement,
broken pavement, dirt, a shallow climb, two steep climbs). The goal - wet
snow or rain, softened dirt roads, and riders rendered unrecognizable
because of mud and salt. Of course, we'll settle for anything else except
sheet ice - unless you have a set of spiked and studded tires...
In the past, we've seen crystal clear 20 degrees, rainy 38 degrees, balmy 55
degrees, and (the best!) freezing sleet, snow, and fog following about 4
inches of snowfall the night before. And of course, you know that dirt
roads are plowed last....
The course is designed to be challenging to a typical February New England
rider, so the climbs, though not easy, are manageable. The longest steep
climb is only about 250 meters, and the shallow climb is about 1200 meters.
Named for the 4 former riders working at the former shop that sponsored the
former team that created this day, Shartkozawa celebrates its move into the
millenium from its roots in the late 80's....
Click on the link below to see a map of the course
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