WILMINGTON, N.Y. --- There is no better time than right now to go find and set up your indoor bike stationary trainer. Spring is still a few weeks off and in most places throughout the northeastern United States and Canada, there’s too much snow on your favorite mountain bike trail and salt and sand may still be on your favorite roadway.

But don’t let either of these stop you from getting ready for the 2017 Tour of Wilmington (N.Y.) Whiteface. The two-day mountain and road bike event, June 3-4, features both the 7^th  annual Wilmington Whiteface 100K mountain bike race (WW100) and the 16^th annual Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race.

The Saturday and Sunday event is expected to bring hundreds of cycling enthusiasts to the Wilmington region to race in both the 69-mile long mountain bike race and the 11-mile road race to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, New York State’s fifth highest peak.

“Both events continue to grow year after year. With each passing year, we’re finding that the Wilmington region continues to grow as a cycling destination,” said Whiteface Visitors Bureau operations manager Michelle Preston.

Over the past six years, these two events were a part of the annual Wilmington Whiteface Bike fest, but Preston noted that there were too many activities packed into one weekend, so the bike fest is slated for Sept. 1-3, while these two premier races will stand alone during the first weekend of June.

The WW100 race kicks off the race weekend. It begins and ends at the famed Olympic mountain. This mountain bike race pushes the more than 500 riders up, down, through and around twisting dirt, paved and gravel roads, back country trails and single track as well as climbs that measure more than 750 meters each.  That’s all before they return to Whiteface where a final 360-foot climb awaits them ahead of the finish line.

The WW100 is one of only eight Leadville qualifiers and the top finishers from this event automatically qualify for the prestigious Leadville 100 MTB slated for Aug. 12, 2017.

On Sunday, as many as 300-plus cyclists, and a handful of unicyclists, begin the race at the base of Whiteface Mountain and then proceed to the Whiteface Veterans' Memorial Highway to begin 3,500-foot that ends with the finish line 4,865 feet above sea-level.

Plus, Preston added that cyclists who participate in both races will be eligible for cash prizes.

To sign up for both the events at www.BikeWilmingtonNY.com

For more information about both events, log onto http://www.whitefaceregion.com, or Facebook, @ WhitefaceNY. Follow all of the conversation and the action using the #BikeWW Hashtag.

Photos from the 2016 Wilmington Whiteface 100K can be found HERE. Photos courtesy of ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid.

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.