Press Releases

2 October, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BATTENKILL RETURNS TO UCI RACING IN 2027

America’s Queen of the Classics Returns to the International Calendar May 22 in Cambridge, New York

CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. — October 2026 — One of America’s most distinctive road races is returning to international competition.

Battenkill will return to UCI status on Saturday, May 22, 2027, with an Elite Men’s UCI 1.2 road race based in Cambridge, New York, marking a major new chapter for an event long regarded as one of the toughest and most iconic one-day races in American cycling.

Known as “America’s Queen of the Classics,” Battenkill has built its reputation on the narrow rural roads, steep climbs, rolling farmland and unpaved sectors of Washington County in upstate New York. Since its beginnings in 2005, the race has become synonymous with a distinctly European-style form of racing rarely found in the United States.

The 2027 edition will bring professional international racing back to the roads surrounding Cambridge while reconnecting the event with its roots in the village where Battenkill first established its identity.

“Bringing Battenkill back to the UCI calendar has been one of our major goals since returning the event to Cambridge,” said event director Dieter Drake of Anthem Sports. “Battenkill was built around hard, unpredictable racing on beautiful but unforgiving roads. The UCI race gives us an opportunity to bring that experience back to professional riders while also introducing a new generation of cyclists to what makes this event so special.”

A RETURN TO BATTENKILL’S INTERNATIONAL ROOTS

Battenkill previously hosted UCI 1.2 professional races in 2010 and 2012, attracting elite teams and riders to Washington County and establishing the event as one of the few American road races capable of delivering a true European Classics-style experience.

After the event changed ownership in 2017, its connection to Cambridge and its original racing identity diminished. Anthem Sports revived Battenkill in 2025, returning the event to Cambridge and beginning a deliberate rebuilding process focused on the roads, communities and character that originally made the race nationally known.

The return to the UCI calendar in 2027 represents the next stage of that revival.

THE ROADS MAKE THE RACE

The 2027 Elite Men’s course will introduce a revised route designed specifically for UCI competition, while retaining the terrain and characteristics that have long defined Battenkill.

Rather than relying on a single decisive climb, Battenkill traditionally wears riders down through repeated changes in terrain — short steep ascents, exposed farm roads, narrow lanes, technical transitions and strategically placed unpaved sectors.

It is a race in which positioning, equipment selection, bike handling and tactical awareness can become as important as raw climbing ability.

The result has historically been an unpredictable style of racing more reminiscent of the northern European spring classics than a conventional American road race.

“There isn't one climb where you can say the race will be decided,” Drake said. “The entire course makes the selection. Riders are constantly being asked to make decisions — where to position themselves, when to spend energy, how aggressively to ride the dirt and when to attack. That has always been the essence of Battenkill.”

CAMBRIDGE ONCE AGAIN AT THE CENTER

The Village of Cambridge will again serve as the center of race-weekend activity, bringing riders, teams, spectators and cycling fans directly into the community.

The professional race is being developed as part of a larger Battenkill cycling weekend that will also provide opportunities for amateur racers and recreational riders to experience many of the same roads and terrain that have made Battenkill famous.

The format is intended to restore a hallmark of Battenkill’s earlier years: placing elite international competition alongside a large participatory cycling event and allowing everyday cyclists to experience the atmosphere surrounding the professional race.

Organizers are also working closely with municipalities, emergency services, law enforcement, volunteers and local businesses throughout Washington County as planning continues for the 2027 event.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR AMERICAN ROAD RACING

The return comes at a time when opportunities for UCI-level road racing in the United States remain relatively limited, making the addition of an established American race with a recognizable identity particularly significant.

For Battenkill, however, the objective extends beyond adding another professional race to the calendar.

The goal is to rebuild an event capable of becoming a long-term fixture for professional teams, amateur racers, recreational cyclists and the communities of Washington County.

“We aren't trying to reinvent Battenkill,” Drake said. “We're trying to preserve what made people remember it. Cambridge, the dirt roads, the farms, the weather, the climbs and the unpredictability are all part of the race. Bringing the UCI event back gives us the opportunity to build on that history rather than replace it.”

Additional information regarding the 2027 UCI Elite Men’s field, participating teams, complete course, amateur racing, Gran Fondo events, broadcast and spectator information will be announced as the event approaches.

EVENT INFORMATION

Battenkill — UCI Elite Men 1.2
Saturday, May 22, 2027
Cambridge, New York, USA
Washington County
UCI 1.2 Elite Men’s Road Race

Website: battenkillrace.com

ABOUT BATTENKILL

Founded in 2005, Battenkill has grown into one of the best-known road cycling events in the northeastern United States. Nicknamed “America’s Queen of the Classics,” the race is distinguished by its challenging mix of paved and unpaved roads, short climbs, rural landscapes and unpredictable racing.

After previously hosting UCI competition, Battenkill returned to its traditional home in Cambridge, New York, under Anthem Sports in 2025. The event will return to the UCI international calendar with an Elite Men’s UCI 1.2 race on May 22, 2027.

MEDIA / TEAM / SPONSOR INQUIRIES

Anthem Sports / Battenkill
Cambridge, New York
battenkillrace.com

Anthem Sports Events & Tours
+1 719.428.5807 cell/Whatsapp