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One devil of a climb |
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Whitson after her stage win (photo provided)
The appropriately named 'Devil's Kitchen' came on the last of three stages in the Tour of Catskills in New York state. Whitson, a former New Zealand representative at the World Mountain Bike Championships, called it the most revolting climb she's ever seen or ridden. "The race organiser who did our briefing told us she wouldn't even drive her car up it. People were going out and buying new cassettes just for this climb, and asking if they could get hold of cassettes with a 32!" she told RoadCycing.co.nz She's not only talking about the women's field either.
"For the first time ever in my racing career I saw pro cyclists get off their bikes and walk sections of the 'Devil's Kitchen'. A few corners kicked up to 22% and people just started dismounting and pushing their bikes - I was thinking 'holy moly, this must be REALLY bad'." "As I rode (at a cadence around 20-30rpm) a lady yelled out 'Yeah you keep going ladies, I don't see as many of you walking as the boys!'"
It was the last event of the UK based Kiwi's 10.5 week stint racing in the US, and a fitting finale.
Since turning from the mountain bike to the road bike, 29 year old Whitson based herself in the UK to be closer to all the action, but this year she raced the NZCT Women's Tour in Wellington and had a season in the US as well.
"What a way to finish off my season in the States. It was seriously one of the best weekends," she told RoadCycling.co.nz. Whitson, who also raced the women's race at the famous Philadephia Classic, said the 'Devils' Kitchen' made the Manayunk Wall look like a joke.
"This Tour was not for the faint hearted. It was all about climbing and if you didn't like to climb, then this was not the right tour to do. It had three stages, a hill climb prologue, and then two 'rip your legs to shreds' mountain classic stages around 55 miles long."
Whitson won the first 'rip your legs off' mountain stage - from a sprint finish.
"I was pretty stoked to be standing on the podium next to some big names in USA cycling, but it was stage two that was so hilarious and crazy."
Whitson didn't have a perfect day up the Devil's Kitchen, she got a good start up the climb but faded around half way up. Her final results for the tour, a stage win and 3rd on QOM.
Now Whltson heads back to the UK to start planning her Cyclocross season. Whitson wants to represent New Zealand at the Cyclocross World Championships.
Related article ©RoadCycling.co.nz Ltd
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Aug 5th, 10. Imagine climbing a 11-22% gradient climb for 5km, that is what Kiwi Gen Whitson battled in the US' Tour of Catskills - and she placed 3rd best QOM.