Cyclist Rachael Myers, a librarian from the Bronx, won Transportation Alternatives' 8th Annual Great NYC Commuter Race this morning, taking 20 minutes and 15 seconds to cover the 4.2 mile route between Aubergine Café in Sunnyside, Queens and Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Transit rider Dan Hendrick (35:16) finished second, with taxi rider Willie Thompson (47:11) bringing up the rear.
"As soon as I saw all the traffic backed up on the Queensboro Bridge, Iknew this wasn't going to be a fair fight," boasted Myers, who rode herIro bicycle to victory. "I actually was able to finish a cup of coffeebefore anyone else made it to the finish line."
"I ride the subway to work from Sunnyside every day, and I'm a die-hardtransit rider," said Dan Hendrick of the New York League ofConservation Voters, who took the 7 and 1 trains. "Still, I'm trying towrap my brain around what I would do with an extra 15 minutes everymorning."
"Anytime I'm in a hurry, I take a cab thinking it'll get me there thefastest. I can't believe I lost by 27 minutes today," said WillieThompson, a marketing specialist who took a yellow cab.
Congratulations to Rachael (who, unlike last year's winner, didn't have to compete against the currently vacationing Bike Snob).
