ACP 400km brevet - May 30 - Frederick, MD
The Maryland 400K provides plenty of training opportunities (read: hills). Traveling through four states, it forms a clockwise semi-circle to the southwest, west and northwest of Frederick.
Starting at the Frederick Quality Inn (formerly a Holiday Inn) at 4AM, riders head south along the base of and then cross Catoctin Ridge and then the Potomac into Virginia at Brunswick. Climbing up to Lovettesville, they continue south to Airmont and then tackle the climb over the Blue Ridge at Snickers Gap. Just east of Berryville, the route turns north and enters West Virginia, traversing mostly level terrain - and many railroad tracks - to Shepherdstown, where several excellent brunch possibilities exist. Riders then head northwest following the Potomac, climbing from and descending to the many creek bottoms to finally cross the Potomac into a control at Hancock. A tough climb up to Tollgate Ridge and series of rollers in the orchards north of town bring the riders into Pennsylvania and the beautiful Little Cove Creek valley. Heading north, they traverse an endless march of rolling hills to a final slow climb halfway up Tuscorora Mountain. There is a fast descent to Cove Gap and then a few more rollers before a short breather north of Mercersburg. The hills return in earnest through the orchards and farmland around Edenville. After the Cumberland Valley Business Park, the trip to Newville and Big Spring follows less rigorous terrain through Amish farms. Forgoing the ever-popular control at Pino’s in Newville, the riders can instead relax briefly and feed at the 18th Century Inn before the final climbs through the Michaux State Forest and the truly popular descent into Gettysburg. Just south of Gettysburg, riders pick up the last 40 miles of the 300K to return to Frederick.
Controls: Frederick, Airmont, Shepherdstown, Hancock, Newville, Gettysburg, Frederick