The new course now has three out and backs per loop so a total of 6 U-turns to slow you down. Two of these out and backs they bring you into a parking lot just to turn around. Not real scenic. Not real fast. Poor road surface and who likes U-Turns.
The rest of the course is awesome. It's too bad they had to add on this filler to make it 112 miles.
But it rained with a cold wind last year so it was tough and slow. Most people weren't happy with their bike splits.

Why did they cut the in and out to Ausable ?

Word on the street is the Ausable section was cut to appease the locals. Also, that section of road is notoriously awful.

Personally, I like "new" out and back at Bilhuber/Haselton. The pavement was awesome, mostly shaded and the placement breaks up the 86 grind between Jay and the left turn in Wilmington to LP.

They added a ridiculous OB at Whiteface which is terrible. The pavement's crap and was littered with launched bottles as a result of said crap pavement. It's not that steep or long but its placement at the notch doesn't do any favors.

Last year course was definitely slow but as previously mentioned largely due to weather. Most folks I know were on the order of 15-20 minutes behind what they would have been in good conditions. That said I do think it is slower by a bit vs. the old course.

The only out and back I am not a huge fan of is the one into Whiteface. It just comes at a brutal part of the race (esp 2nd loop). It is not particularly long...short steep descent into the parking lot area, then a right turn to climb up the road to the turnaround, descend back down, left turn and then the short sharp climb out where you resume the Wilmington notch climb. You really have to brake twice (after both descents), plus the turnaround. It is only a couple hundred feet of climbing I guess (2x) and not tough on its own but you will feel it at that part of the race.

But overall it is still a spectacular course with a little bit of everything. The white knuckle descent into Keene (do you have the stones to stay in the bars? I don't.) is a mental test The flats along the river are fast and relentless, The climb out of Jay is way harder than it looks and a place you can really cook yourself if not careful. I like the new (old) out and back to Hassleton, feels like you can hammer it but watch out for the false flats. The climb up the Wilmington notch is scenic and iconic.....it really makes or (more likely) breaks your bike leg.

Is it definitely the case the bike course will be this new route?

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Looks like they are keeping same course as last year based on the website so yes, it appears so

Raced Placid in 2017. What’s different about this course?

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New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com