BFC 2017 Men’s Champ: Cory Kuhns, from Victor, NY  (Cory’s first BFC Championship)

Age: 39 (on race day 2017)

Time: 1:55:14

Team: Team Towpath Road Racing

Occupation: Service Advisor and Rental Coordinator at a Toyota forklift dealership

Cycling & Athletic Experience: In 2010 I quit smoking after 17+ years. I got a road bike in 2011 to start riding with my wife. I began racing in 2012 and got my Cat 1 license in 2017. My experience is mostly in road racing, but I’ve also competed in gravel races, Cyclocross, and a few local mountain bike races.

Cycling & Life Experience Over the Past Year: My wife and I are expecting a daughter on May 16th, and I’ve been busy working with my team to get things ready for the Finger Lakes Gravel Challenge and the Mudslinger Gravel Series.

Any Special Training? I went to Japan with a small group in October and rode in the Japanese Alps for 7 days. We covered over 600 miles and climbed over 54,000 feet of elevation gain.

Cycling & Other Goals: Try to get enough sleep after the baby arrives!

Why the BFC? Jason Delilio talked about it CONSTANTLY! 🙂 Thanks, Jason! Miss you, buddy.

How is the BFC different? It’s not just a race. It’s an event. It’s a destination. It’s a weekend getaway with the family. It’s an icon of NY bike racing. And it’s the biggest field of racers that I’ve ever seen. The course is a fun, interesting, and unique challenge.

How can we improve the BFC?  More cowbell.

Etc.: I’ve been racing with Team Towpath since 2014. I was the team captain in ’15 and ’16, but now focus mostly on our race. We’re a local team that’s part of the Genesee Valley Cycling Club and we have riders in all Categories from 5 to 1. I’ve been riding and racing all over NY, but mostly in the Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse areas. I’ve mainly been a road, criterium, and cyclocross racer, but the last couple of years I’ve been more focused on gravel racing. I like the sense of adventure that comes with riding and racing on forest roads.

We started the Finger Lakes Gravel Challenge in 2016 and joined forces with a couple other local teams to form the Mudslinger Gravel Series. Our race grew to over 250 enties this year and we hosted the New York State Bicycle Racing Association gravel championship.

Editor’s Note: Baby Katy was born to Cory & Marnie on May 15!