Barry Stevenson and Erich Grant are set to deliver a much needed, new bike race format that serves up lots of adventure. The Autodrop Invitational 2011 will challenge racers with gravel roads, route finding, scoring strategy, and bit of mystery (check their hints!).
where is this checkpoint? i'm guessing off a gravel road...
Barry and Erich have raced the famed Tour of the Battenkill, and no doubt have been inspired by its demanding course of dirt roads and hills.
From the Autodrop blog: “The race centers on two ideas: 1). With your team of 3-5 members, ride as fast as you can to reach as many pre-determined checkpoints as possible, and 2). Get back with time to spare.
The checkpoints are scattered across the foothills of NC, within a 50-mile radius of the start/finish line. The farthest and/or most difficult to reach checkpoints have the highest values (except for a few wildcard checkpoints with ‘unknown’ values). This is balanced by time bonuses for an early return to the finish line. Teams will need to carefully plot their course and assess their riders’ abilities.  Did we mention there’s a strict 7-hour time limit?  Return to the finish line in 7:00:01 and all of your points are erased.”