USA gets another UCI race as Battenkill returns to pro calendar

One year after returning to the domestic pro calendar, the Battenkill road race in New York State is back on the UCI calendar after a 13-year absence, giving another boost for professional cycling in North America.

The race will run on May 22, 2027, as a UCI 1.2-ranked men’s race, two weeks before the Armed Forces Cycling Classic Capitol Cup, also a men’s 1.2 race, will be held on June 5.

The return of Battenkill follows the revival of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic p/b Amerigas, UCI 1.1-ranked road races for men and women. Together with the Tour of the Gila men’s and women’s 2.2-ranked stage races, these are the only US events currently listed on the UCI’s 2027 road calendar.

As of yet, the Gran Premio New York City is not listed on the UCI’s calendar, but organisers assured Cycling News that the application was submitted for a 1.2-ranked men’s event, scheduled for May 16, 2027.

Battenkill, formerly known as Tour of the Battenkill, was held as a UCI race twice before, the first time in 2010, when Caleb Fairly soloed to the win ahead of Floyd Landis. Francisco Mancebo won the other edition in 2012. The event continued as a gran fondo in intervening years under different ownership, but the 2027 edition brings it back into the hands of Anthem Sports.

“Bringing Battenkill back to the UCI calendar has been one of our major goals since returning the event to Cambridge,” event director Dieter Drake said. “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.”

Organisers compare the course to the Belgian classics, where numerous short, steep climbs, narrow roads and unpaved sections favour positioning, tactics and the ability to endure repeated efforts.

"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."

The 2027 race will be based around the village of Cambridge, with a full weekend of events for amateur racers and recreational riders, and Drake hopes it will become a long-term fixture on the calendar.

"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."

Subscribe to Cycling News for comprehensive race coverage of both the UCI Road and Gravel World Championships, alongside the final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cycling News app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.