Bright flouro green, the colour of Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York, packs a punch and by the time I had unpacked my GFNY registration pack I felt a bit like a gym punchbag - in a very busy gym.
The prospect of 5,000 riders all clad in the mandatory (bright green) GFNY jersey on the car-cleansed lower level of the George Washington Bridge early on Sunday morning will be quite a sight. Everyone has to be in place by 6.15 for the start at 7 so the alarm really does have to be early.
It will be a cosmopolitan crowd on the GW. Around a third of racers have come from one of 70 different countries and only one US state does not have an entrant.
Brazil, Canada and Mexico have almost exactly a thousand representatives between them. Colombia, which recently hosted its own GFNY event (see the report of CRM GFNY Colombia here), adds another 125.
"GFNY has become globally recognized as a quality brand in competitive cycling. We are thrilled that this year's event again draws so much global and local interest," said GFNY President Lidia Fluhme.
GFNY Colombia is part of GFNY's expansion strategy. In all there are now seven GFNY World events around the globe as the NY organizers, Lidia and husband Uli Fluhme, find local partners to franchise the bright green brand.
GFNY Mont Ventoux, GFNY Italia, GFNY Cozumel, GFNY Argentine, GFNY Puerto Rico, and GFNY Barcelona complete the line up.
The orginal New York event, in its fifth year now, remains pre-eminent and serves as the GFNY championship for the full roster of GFNY races around the world. The top 10% of finishers in their classes at the other events are allocated preferred starting corrals if they travel to New York for the championship.
"The first annual GFNY Championship is going to be the most exciting race for the win in GFNY's history," said GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme. And while for most riders the race on Sunday will be against themselves or a target time, up at the front end the competition will be fierce.
"Traditionally, GFNY has been won by riders from abroad. Defending champ Corredor is a favorite again as is his countryman Oscar Tovar who beat Corredor handily at GFNY Colombia. Krieger from Germany is an ex-U23 pro and experienced granfondo racer who has won Italian granfondos in the past," he added.
"This year, however, NYC's finest have stepped up to keep the crown in town. Elite racers Epstein, Margarite, Chabanov and a bunch of others will try to keep the foreigners in check."
While the true racers battle it out at the front, for most of us the race is likely to divide into three distinct segments.
With the numbers on the road, the first 40-mile run up to the base of Bear Mountain looks like it is going to be a question of keeping out of trouble initially and then finding a group at the right pace. It's a good thing that cyclists take precedence on the route with 200 police officers smoothing the way.
Then comes the meat of the course or perhaps the gristle is a better way of putting it.
The initial climb up from the river is a sharp test of how much Bear Mountain subtracted from the legs, but doesn't rate its own name on the route map. Pinarello (2 miles at 4.9% with a maximum of 12%) and Cheesecote (1 mile at 4.6% average but 18% max) do. The profiles in the race pack don't do these two climbs justice.
The good news is that once over Cheesecote the worst is out of the way. There is only one notable incline - back over Alpine -- in the just under 40 miles to the finish.
The final section will tax muscles and willpower as the miles and lactate accumulate. The game, familiar to most century riders, will be to try to find riders to work with and minimizing the amount of time without a wheel to follow (while taking your fair share at the front pulling ... of course).
I will let you know how it goes on Sunday.
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