Events: The 2026 Kermesse Sport Spring Calendar
Just as the Kung Fu grip of the polar vortex was finally lessening, a much anticipated email slid into our box - Kermesse Sport’s spring cycling calendar had arrived. Every year we separate Kermesse Sport’s list of events. Brian, the director for Kermesse is our best known promoter. Several Kermesse Sport events mirror European classics as an ode to the year’s opening cycling events.
We’ve gathered the list and assembled a short what-to-expect for each. Looking for in-depth coverage? Feel free to search our site for yearly attempts at many of the Kermesse rides. Whether it’s your first time lining up for the Sourlands Semi-Classic, or you’ve ridden in each of the Pinelands Gravel, you’ll be hard pressed to associate one Kermesse event with every single one in the line-up.
Sourland Semi-Classic, Flemington, NJ - March 14
The opening salvo of the 2026 cycling season is fired early from V5 Cycles in Flemington, NJ. Specifically designed to mirror Het Nieuwsblad, a second tier race, the Sourlands flirts with the much larger Hell of Hunterdon course, giving riders a tipple and a taste of offseason fitness. The metric century course offers a warming 3,300 feet (1000 meters) as well as 10% unpaved sectors around the Sourland region of Central New Jersey.
Expect a hearty welcome back into the peloton if entering the Sourland Semi-Classic. The route has remarkable character: it has one of the most entertaining unpaved roads near the start, it has a unique charm as it slices through Sourland’s skinny rolling roads, and it explores forgotten hamlets. For those whose goal for 2026 was to hit new roads, the Sourland Semi-Classic has you covered. When was the last time anyone crossed a gravel sector with a train crossing? Once finished, V5 hosts a finisher’s gathering where everyone’s cycling computer will say different elevation gain and average times. The Sourland Semi-Classic is a great way to start the year.
Registration can be found here.
Hell of Hunterdon - March 29
Before gravel was big, Hell of Hunterdon was even bigger. In some format, we have never missed a Hell of Hunterdon except its organized inaugural year in 2011. That ride departed from Lambertville, NJ. The Hell of Hunterdon is the event to register for if assessing fitness for the 2026 campaign or as a personal goal to attempt a longer event. Filing the Hell of Hunterdon under ‘completed’ is a badge of honor for those lining up at the start in Hunterdon County New Jersey. This year the Hell of Hunterdon comes back home to Lambertville. The ride will depart from Invertase Brewing Company, located in town. So expect that pesky Quarry Street into Rocktown Lambertville climb to cook everyone early.
Jump on the numbers bandwagon to brag about participating in the Hell of Hunterdon. For starters, the long course is 81 miles. There are two shorter courses: 55 and 31 miles. The long course features nearly 6,000 feet (1800 m) of climbing, though it feels like much more. There are thirteen unpaved sectors that make up 16% of the course, some of which will become gravel dreams. The Hell of Hunterdon is the premier mid-Atlantic spring ride for cyclists looking to get back outside after a cracking winter of trainer rides. We keep coming back for endless miles and endless reasons. The course always delivers, the camaraderie can never be beat, and those rare gravel descents feel heavenly. There’s a reason you can find a dozen Hell of Hunterdon write-ups on our website.
Registration can be found here.
Fleche Buffoon - New Hope, PA - April 18
Let’s say gravel isn’t your thing but climbing is. Luckily the Bucks and Hunterdon Counties play host to unique climbs. Taking inventory of those climbs, Fleche Buffoon, modeled after the Ardennes Classics (think Fleche Wallonne, Amstel Gold (minus the golden kilometer), and Liege-Bastogne-Liege). The longer course, 71 miles, essentially surfs the piedmont of Bucks County before mimicking the same across the Delaware River.
Instead of saying this is a mileage event, every time the Fleche Buffoon has been ridden, it was a climbing countdown. Each of the fourteen climbs possess a unique attitude and challenge. There are long and grinding climbs in New Jersey, but steep bergs in Pennsylvania, including Uhlerstown Road. This infamous crumbling kilometer of cliffside asphalt comes early in the event, leaving many first-timers humbled by its steepness. At the end, finishers can kick back at New Hope-Solebury High School and reminisce about the collection of nemeses climbs featured in the Fleche Buffoon. Bring a camping chair. That’s one thing we wish we had after exploding fourteen times over 71 miles.
Registration can be found here.
Pinelands Gravel/ Ay Carranza!, Southampton, NJ - May 3
Each year Pinelands Gravel eludes our schedule, but it’s one we’ve prioritized for 2026. It could be the gravel aspect, but it could also be the Pinelands themselves. The tracts of land are rumored to be haunted by the Jersey Devil, who very well could be disrupting our attempts at lining up for Pinelands Gravel.
“...use of off road pedals… in case of portaging,” is all you need to know about Pinelands Gravel. The route goes through state forests, nature preserves, and ghost towns. For history buffs collecting mental tokens on Kermesse events, Pinelands passes a memorial to a pilot who crashed a century ago. Consider the opportunity for Pinelands. Despite being surrounded by sprawl, the ride is remote enough to require GPS navigation. The route involves sand-packed roads. If you need a break from the climb-fest that was the Fleche Buffoon, Pinelands has you covered with minimal climbing. That doesn’t make it easier; it means you’ll be pedaling all day. Once done, the party starts at the renovated PPA dairy barn to complete the Pine Barrens atmosphere.
Registration coming soon.
