That's super close to my stepmon's family house, I've ridden most of the east section road (Bethel, Barnard, Woodstock) and yup plenty of hard longish climbs, and plenty of hard rollers. Good luck to all, look forward to reports.

That's almost identical to Stage 2 of this year's Killington Stage Race, with a few key differences. First, this GMSR course turns right off of Rt. 107 onto Rt. 12, thereby skipping a tough, sharp climb on North Road. Secondly, this GMSR course finishes on U.S. 4 at Skyeship Base Lodge instead of continuing on to East Mountain Road to climb to the K1 Base Lodge. The differences result in less climbing, but we all know you'll get plenty of that in the Queen Stage! Check out my Strava from KSR for comparison:

https://www.strava.com/activities/1010055479/analysis

@Jeffrey White will remember the finish on this revised GMSR course as the same from Stage 1 circuit race of the KSR. Hopefully for GMSR you'll have the whole road like we did then. It was a very fast finish but never felt dangerous--the "staircase" thinned the pack.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1008534195/analysis/1999/2064

I'll add to this post later more of my impressions from racing similar roads back in May. 

@niallsmart, will you perhaps be bringing your tools and bike stand up to GMSR ?  If not, any other volunteers? Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to bring my stuff except for some light materials.

@Scott Kuhlke yep. let me know if you need anything in particular.

Mapmyride puts it at 53 miles with 4.2K total ascent over three different climbs. This is a lot different from past two years running!

Between the addition of 13 extra miles and some pretty steep %'s for day 3, I think I can justify swapping my 11-28 for an 11-32. Running mid compact in the front. I don't think I'll regret that decision. 

Good luck y'all!

Also...

Did Jeff have a mechanical?

Playing possum in order to bag a result later in the race...full disclosure I'm typing with one hand while holding bacon in the other 

The possum gambit didn't work. After racing the perfect race and nabbing second in the intermediate sprint, I cramped at 500m to go. 

see what that possum did there?

Giacomo made carbonara. Made it all worth it. 

awww shit look at these kissena's 
hard as nails
warriors

From what I have heard the weather on the App Gap stage was torrential. You guys are all amazing in my book. Can't wait to hear some of the war stories .. eh, race reports. The silver lining is that at every horribly muddy cross race you'll be able to say "yeah, GSMR was worse"

TL; DR:  I’ll say it again, GMSR is the best 4 consecutive days racing a bike.  While my GC finish didn’t send any shockwaves (27/40, 61 starters in the 4/5 Masters), I nabbed sprint points every day, made myself known in the field, and greatly improved over last year.  This is such a baller event.  And while the Crit is the ultimate hotness, the Queen Stage will surprisingly go down as my favorite stage and favorite race this year.

Friday TT:

Silly TT’s.  Thankfully I’m never asked to go swimming before or running after these things.  I sounded like a dying weasel for at least half of it just trying to mash out consistent watts.  I did the best I could driving into the wind on the downhill, hit the bottom of the hill (dropped to my inner chain ring at the bottom) and started spinning at 110+ to keep the momentum.  750m more of awful sounds and I finally crossed the line of 5.7miles.  Almost barfed.  Finished 2:31 behind the winner.

Saturday RR:

Whitey was after points today and I took this as a cue.  After an uneventful climb (1st KOM) and a super long descent we finally got to 25 miles, the first HSS was only 2 miles further.  I made my way to the front where Jeff was glued (GLUED) to the wheel in front of him, a Floyd regular named Palo.  Approx. 500m to go, an attack on the left side, Palo and Jeff took off.  I hung as long as I could and came in 5th.  I got 1 point!  We caught our breath to prep for the next KOM.  Unfortunately I talked myself out of making much of any effort on the climb … “I’ll catch them on the downhill” while I thought of a Whataburger chocolate shake.  Total bonehead move, as the field attacked hard after the KOM and they were completely out of sight.  I spent the rest of the race chasing hard.  Pacelined with two guys for the final 15 miles for the race.  Finished 4:32 from the winners.

Sunday Queen Stage:

Just to get to Vermont, I had to drive from Houston to Dallas to catch a flight and escape Harvey.  Harvey nevertheless followed me and instead of dumping 80F sheets of rain, it released 45F rain and wind ALL DAY LONG.  I neglected to pack anything that resembled warmth.  I managed to buy the last base layer in Waitsfield, including arm-sleeves and toe covers before the race.  A godsend. I was now perfectly dressed: base layer, summer jersey, wind vest; thin arm warmers, regular bibs, and toe covers.  Aside from shivering uncontrollably at the top / first 5 miles I eventually warmed.  Mile 27 included the only HSS of the day and I took 4th. 

We were still a pack on the way up Mid Gap.  One dude flatted just as the pace picked up.  I held onto the front as long as I could but eventually the flats of southeast Texas provided all the hill training it could and I drifted backwards. I caught Giacomo and Niall on the descent, took on Jeff some miles later (~15 riders now with us) and we made a halfhearted attempt to catch the main group.  It didn’t happen.

On the gravel 40+ miles in, I inadvertently shattered Jeff's dreams of a tasty Coca-Cola as not only did I snatch the one he was reaching for, but I also drank only half and threw it right down in front of him, or maybe at his wheel, but definitely not at or to him – he would have at least had a chance to catch it – yet none of that matters, as “NOOO!!!” was all I heard.  I’m sorry man.  Your next Coke is on me, which I hope you promptly throw, opened, at my feet and soil my Vans.

Niall started to motor and we climbed Baby Gap.  The wind had thoroughly picked up and nearly blew me off me the road on the flats before App Gap.  App Gap was then just a pedal mash and slog to the top.  The finish was nothing like previous years.  Spectator cheers were replaced by wind howls, bikes abandoned at the finish line while the shelled racers retreated to a blow-up first aid tent that included an apartment sized space heater.  Our collective body heat provided the majority BTUs.  Within 5 minutes though I had to get off the mountain as I started to chill and I climbed into a van that shuttled me to Mad River Glen, leaving me 4 miles away from the parking lot.  J-squared were driving Niall’s car and found me as I was climbing back to the starting parking lot.  Gott sei Dank, true warmth finally found in the car.  Finished 12:20 from the winner.

Crit:

Houston has prepped me for fast Crits. Amped I was with Yang's skinsuit and a fancy aero helmet.  The Kissena’s lined up on the left and at whistle drop got right to the pace car.  Jeff attacked from the start and for the entire race we did a great job managing the front with as we threw down attacks.  I picked up GC time bonus w/ 20 to go (4th) and Sprint points with 5 to go (4th).  The pace slowed for the next 2 laps but really picked up in the final 3.  The last lap I was pretty shelled and mentally fatigued, slipping a lot of places to finish at 18th.  Finished 0:08 from the winners.  

My full race report is forthcoming but I am able to corroborate Scott's account of the Coca-Cola in question. After rudely snatching the can out of the spectator's blessed hand, he drank half of it, poured the rest out onto my front wheel and shoes, crushed the can in his hand, shook a couple more drops of Coke on my sock, then dropped it on the side of the dirt road. The rain could not wash away the tears or the rage as I began to hurl obscenities at my teammate, my circumstances, and the elements themselves.

But we were rolling deep! 

Niall was able to procure the next offered can of Coke from behind, and as I pounded my handlebars and cursed the gods for heaping betrayal upon such an already damnable state of affairs, he gave me the viscous remains of his prize. Ah, civilization in the midst of the vortex. 

Great experience.

I started the weekend super pumped up and hungry for climbs; I got satisfied at the end, no questions about that.

ITT:
It was a little chilly and very windy, I started without knowing exactly what I was going through since I didn't have the chance to recon the route. 
Anyhow the climbing part was pretty smooth, I pulled out a decent time at the top, catching and passing the guy started before me and almost the one 1:00 ahead. Once at the top, the wind was very strong and struggled so hard to keep a decent rolling speed in the second section. I lost a lot of time but I was giving everything, still not enough and finished at 18:35. Pretty high time but I knew after the climbing part it would have been hard for me.


Stage 2:

Definitely the most enjoyable of the stage, mainly because of the weather...
We started rolling easily and no major moves happened until the sharp turn and the sprint. I was on the back of the group but saw Scott launching Jeff and when he got 2nd at the sprint. At the bottom of the climb I was in pretty bad position, all the way back and the group started rising up the pace. Niall took the lead at 2km or so to the KOM. The group broke in pieces at that moment and pushing harder I got off the dropped group and reconnect into the leading group together with Jeff and Niall at 500m to KOM.
Very fast descend (87,5kmh my top speed) led us to the last hill featuring a dirt section.
I recovered in the descent from the effort in the climb and felt pretty good, rolling into the last kms of the race, we slowed down the pace and a second group reconnected with us at 4 or 5 km to go. 
Riding the momentum I jumped into the front for the last 1500m, trying to regroup the Kissenas and set up things for Jeff at the finish line. He was in very good position behind me and Niall and at 400m the sprint started. Jeff got caught in heavy cramps and unfairly he couldn't finish the sprint. Still we arrived with S.T. and no big changes in classification. Fun and fast race. Except for the super sketchy guy GFNY Mexico City, who was like a roaming bomb into the group. @Jeffrey White


Stage 3:

So much expectations for this stage... I didn't spend too much on the previous days and legs wise I was feeling great. Of course the weather conditions didn't agree with me.
I dressed heavily trying to make up with the low temperatures, soaking wet after 200m of the start...
The first 40-45 minutes were the worst, I was frozen and nothing really happened in the race which contributed to keep me on the back of the group, drafting and being cold. Once we start Mid Gap I hoped I was going to warm up a little, it did happen actually a little and did a big effort trying to keep up with the first guys but my legs were just 2 pieces of wood. I topped out maybe with a minute from the first group, launching myself in the descend to close up with Jeff (a few hundred meters ahead).
Body temperature here dropped down again. Niall and Scott regrouped as well and we formed a gruppetto; trying to close with the main one.
With our pleasure we realized the GFNY guy was with us and at that point there was just the right amount of weather misery and sketchiness to make things really interesting.
at the feed zone in the dirt the whole Coca-Cola scene was great seen from behind you guys, I wish I had a cell phone to record it ahahaha!
Baby gap I lost a little contact with Niall and Scott and Jeff and myself roll together knowing still the bigger part of the race has to be done. 
Bottom of App Gap things started to get epic: as we climbed up the wind was becoming stronger and stronger, the road steeper and steeper. The mini group we formed exploded. I try to push as much as I can, not really for particular finish or GC ambition, but simply cause I thought it would warm me up and it will make this thing faster.
I closed the gap with a few people, at the last km we were basically all together, aslike Niall the day before had predicted it "tomorrow 4 kissenas will climb up strongly together App Gap". We did it.
Topping out App Gap was absolutely spectacular. Throwing the bike on the ground and get in immediately a "refugee style" tent to warm up.

WHAT A RACE! I will keep this memory for the rest of my life.


Stage 4:

No particular ambition for this race, I knew Jeff and Scott were very excited and Jeff had very good chance of win, so I set up the goal to try staying with them and help them somehow if I could.
Nope. After the first lap I slided down positions after positions until I kept the wheel of a guy who lost contact with the first and then I realized I lost it. I tried closing but there was no way. They were going like cats and the course is very very technical, too much for me. I got called at 9 laps to go.

Finished watching the last lap at the finish line with Laurin and Jill cheering for Jeff. Great result for him, 3rd place!

At the end more than the numbers (25th overall in GC) the real satisfaction of this whole experience was the taste of racing day after day together with the company of Kissenas in and out the race. Still I believe we respectfully represented our team up there in VT.


We are missing Christina in the photo unfortunately, she was getting ready for her race...! @ChristinaWoolston

My race report is also forthcoming, but its current working title is "2nd To Last Place Is Still A Place"

That seems like an un-possible followup bit of weather to the day prior.

Bought a ticket to GMSR earlier this year but haven’t done much else planning. Anyone thinking about doing it? Couldn’t be worse than last year

Niall, I wish I had trained properly this year and join you, it was such a blast last year! Despite the weather... 

Kissena fam, I wanted to reinvigorate this thread as it's been a while.  I may have moved cross country but GMSR is my A race for the year and after doing it two times, it is hand down the best 4 days racing a bike and a great end to the road season.  

Previously @Jeffrey White  organized the crew with a killer house in Sugarbush which attracted a number of Kissena's.  I'm nominated myself to carry the mantel this year. 

So, This is a soft "raise your hand" for GMSR. Read the past reports and get a feel.  Here's the link! https://www.gmsr.info/ 

I sense racing enthusiasm is high this year based on the activity for PPark races and if participation is high, Kissena could really represent in all the events.  Please advise and I'll begin the planning.  Word.

Good pick for an A-race For anyone who hasn't done GMSR yet - it's fantastically well organized, and a super course. 

Scott, I'm probably going to register but won't make a final decision till June/July ... really depends on whether I can get the training hours in.

Myself and (potentially) Scott are planning to book accommodation pretty soon. GMSR is one of the best road races on the east coast, and a ton of fun with a crew. If you're potentially in, holler! 

I may possible do the open 65 mile race. I don't think I can justify missing two days of work for it.