The weather during the 2014 & 2019 race resulted in at least three to five times the typical number of cyclists needing a ride to the finish line due to fatigue and/or mechanical issues. We plan for weather like this every year so we can accommodate that number of riders that may abandon the course. If the weather is fair or even snowy, so much the better, we are ready for pouring rain, hail, sleet, high winds and snow all occurring the same day.
Rider assistance is available throughout the entire route at road crossings with course marshals present. Volunteers will do everything possible to ensure that riders having to abandon the race are safely transported to the finish line. The search and rescue crew utilizes a combination of pick-up trucks, cargo vans, and even shuttle buses to transport stranded riders back to Timber Ridge Resort. The Shell station on M-72 in Williamsburg is used as a search and rescue staging point and transfer station. In the event that a rider becomes separated with his/her bike during the extraction process, all bikes will be taken to the Rasho Farm bike corral for storage and may be picked up there.
While every effort will be made to respond as quickly as possible, medical priorities and other riders in distress may delay the transport of riders who have mechanical or non-medical reasons for abandoning.
Riders who wish to arrange for their own personal transportation are advised to carry cell phones to arrange transport. If you choose to leave the race on your own, locate a volunteer and report your race number.
Please be sure to sign in to your account and update your emergency contact information.