Alberta Cyclocross Cup #1: Hardcore Hop n' Hurl

This past weekend was the official start to the 2006 cross season. After a couple of weeks of playing around on the cross bike and some hot laps it was time to see what form I had left from the road season.
At 6 am I was out the door to BK's to meet up with him and Cummings to hitch a ride up to E-town. After a quick espresso in the Kullminator palace it was off to the Queen Elizabeth Highway and the 3 hour rip up to the provincial capital.
The Hop n' Hurl is a staple of the Alberta cross calendar and offers an incredibly fun course mainly running on cross country ski trails. With a couple of group splitting climbs, fast twisting descents and a well placed double barrier near the finish it is an exciting course for riders and spectators alike.
This race was very well attended with 25 riders rolling to the line in the Elite mens race. From the gun I found myself right in the middle of the group. I managed to take a couple of spots on the climbs early on, but found myself on the wrong side of a small split containing virtually all of the favorites. Over the flat grassy power section I managed to jump across and secure a ride on a very fast moving train. Throughout the race the pace was consistently high and I was not in a position to attack or really drive the pace. The lone Dutchmen in the race, Heemskerk, ended up rolling away with a few laps to go and eventually built a solid enough gap that the race became one for the second step on the podium. Throughout the finishing laps it shaped up to be a race of attrition as noone seemed in a position to launch an attack. Finally on the last lap Nick Friesen drove it hard over the climb and through the rollers splitting the group. He held his gap until the line with Hopping about 10 seconds behind followed by myself another 10 seconds back.
I was relatively happy with 4th place in the season opener. I can't say I felt great, especially with the 3 hour drive in the legs that same morning, but I think I pulled off the best result I could have. The competition is very strong this year and it looks like it will be a solid season. With some small improvements I think hitting the podium should be realistic in the coming weeks.
Next up it "School of 'Cross presented by Bow Cycle" this Sunday on my home course only minutes from the house. With several of the top guns away on international assignments this could be the big points grab, and with the likely appearance of my teammate and current Alberta Road Champion Collins it will be a solid event.
New pictures HERE

Provincial Hill Climb & A Secondary Motive

Yesterday saw the final road event on the Alberta provincial racing calendar, the Hill Climb. Held at Mt Norquay in Banff National Park this is a favorite among the province's alpine purists being a challenging event offering personal rewards only 14 minutes of up and up can offer. This years event ran on a clear, but cold Sunday morning. In the last few days Banff and area has begun its transformation to a winter playground with white being the backdrop to still green trees.
For me this event ended up being a mission to prove to all the young kids out there that you don't have to beg mom and dad for that $5000 race machine just to be able to compete. I have seen this sad development unfold in the last few years in this province. Gone are the days of the $2000 road bike that does everything from crits to time trials. I raced raced everything there was to race on my trusty old R1000Si with standard wheels, from Abitibi to Nationals that bike saw it all. Now juniors are sporting road machines with carbon wheels and dedicated time trial rigs as the norm.
The bike I piloted to 5th place in Cat1/2 and overall this weekend was a 21 lbs cyclocross bike. The only modification I made was the obvious swapping of my knobbies for 23c slicks. 14:01 later I was only 5 seconds off the podium, 2 tenths off 4th. Cyrus took out the win with a solid 15 second margin with Webster only tenths behind. 21 lbs of black fury, a bike I have barely put $1000 into, I'll race the cross race on it tomorrow. I can second guess what would have happened if I had a road bike to ride. I don't know how many seconds 5 lbs lighter would have translated to and frankly I don't care. I hope I made a point and I hope we can turn this disturbing materialistic trend around before cycling in this province becomes a sport for the rich alone. Zipps, Record, Full Carbon, I'll admit its cool looking and fun to ride, but you don't need it. If there are any kids out there reading this train harder, love your bike and ride it with passion. That and that alone will get you much farther than a $5000 birthday present from mom and dad.

Riding The Winds of Change

BK post cross

Fall. The air's chilled edge brings many things in autumn; vibrant specters of foliage, light scarcity, scholarly responsibility and a return to the roots of two wheeled pleasure...a return to cross! This year's cross season launched into the limelight this past Tuesday with the first Tuesday night race of the year. The boys who brought Calgary the famed Tuesday night crit series have let it all go and favored us with a weekly cross midweek series for 06. The inaugural event was not as well attended as I had hoped, however the group that did show are many of those whom I would consider the heart of Calgary's criss crossed community. The Midweek Mayhem crew had set up a great little course in Deerfoot Park that offered thick grass, steep ride ups and a well placed highspeed barrier. In the A race, which I contested, 12 purists rolled to the line to take in the action. It was a fun way to kick of the season and is definitely motivation to stay focused until November. Unfortunately the fun was tarnished by Webby having a bicycle meltdown and thus spoiling the fun on the front, but all in all it was a good training bout.
Following the evening's event BK joined me at headquarters for a Belgian treat, Leffe Bruin was served. It was great to catch up and swap tales of a busy season and plot for the future.
The weather has turned for the worst with rain being the norm for the next while. This turn of events forced me to take to the cave for this evenings training and should make for an interesting hillclimb this weekend as snow is forcast for the Banff area in the days to come.
Stay Tuned!

Binge Riding

Staight on, turn left at end of road, turn right in Bragg Creek, right on 66 and you will end up in Elbow Falls 80km later.

Made some oatmeal with apples, cinnamon and maple syrup, brewed some coffee and tuned in to 90.9. The jazz jockey informed of plus 25 and sunny and the veiw out the window confirmed an incredible day was in store. With no work today and no responsibilities, coupled by the looming of a busy working weekend and school in the near future the plans were set. Long ride...Elbow Falls. I scooted to the bike room to the tune of some Canadian talent and promptly morphed the trusted black Cannondale from cross machine to road speedster (I sold the TCR on Tuesday).
Elbow Falls is a rather bland ride until you get to Bragg Creek, but today even the dead straight blast through Springbank was a pleasure. Along the way I encountered a few strange sights including, but not limited to; a burly man selling freshly uprooted firs out of a pickup for $25 (to me they appeared stolen from a nearby housing development) and a sidewalk sweeper sweeping the shoulder of Highway 66 at the top of the last climb on route to Elbow Falls. The ride took about 5 hours not including an extended coffee stop in Bragg Creek on the way home. As soon as I got home I got an earful from the Latin Cross Connection for missing the evening's group Sideshow-Bowmont-Tuscanny dustathon, their loss.

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Skoleboller

This latest installment of Norwegian Culinary Delights looks at a very traditional baked good known as Skoleboller, or directly translated "School Buns". I don't know what kind of buns you take to school, but if enjoy quality this is a good option. This delight is based on a standard sweet bun. Before the bun is placed in the oven a small cavity is made in the center and filled with a vanilla custard. Once baked and allowed to cool the top of the bun is coated with a thin layer of icing (simple icing sugar and water) and then promptly dipped in shredded coconut. In Norway this is a staple of any respectable bakery and is popular with school children on their lunch breaks. Skole boller are also a highly portable snack, I enjoyed my last one on a mountain top this past weekend.

Binge Climbing

Panorama Views

One final summer trip to Banff took place yesterday. My parents wanted to go hiking again so I convinced them to go early so I could spend a few hours on Norquay before a brisk afternoon hike. I ended up doing some good quality repeats of Alberta's premier climb, looks like if the form improves even slightly I should be set up very well for a good time in competition two weeks from now at the Provincial Hillclimb Championships.
There are longer climbs in Alberta, but Norquay is the only one I know of that gives you that true alpine feel with its numerous switchbacks and breathtaking panorama view of the Bow Valley near the summit. It felt good to spend the last ride on this years TCR on my favorite type of road. Looks like I'll have it sold by tomorrow if all goes well. This could be my last TCR for a while, it's somewhat emotional after three incredible years on those bikes.

On the up and up

P. does mtb

Top of the pass, about to discover the true capabilities of the Reign.

This Friday I had the pleasure of riding the Powderface loop plus some extra in Kananaskis country. Mark McD had a break from skate training so we hit up the trails for my first mtb ride in almost 2 years. I managed to find a bike to use for the ride as I haven't owned a trail worthy 26" machine in those two years either. Pedalhead hooked me up with a 2006 Giant Reign 1, which although one size too small, was incredibly fun to ride. If I had been able to get proper leg extention I think this 5" travel bike would even have been fine going uphill, but due to my somewhat awkward positioning on the bike the long climbs were agonizing at times. However, when the trail vanished beneath me in a ribbon of rocks and roots this bike road like a sled making for countless thrills and, due to the incredible suspension, no spills. After that 3 hour offroad jaunt I am looking forward to the day when I can again own and enjoy a real mtb, for now it will have to do with my trusty cross bike for offroad adventure.
I have been taking the cross bike through the passes in the last little while on trails in Edworthy, Bowmont park and the Tuscany Ravine. I encourage trying trails you normally would only consider on an mtb (within reason) to really refine your skills and bring new life to trails that may have lost their flare, especially those in the inner city.

The Machine

My Sphere of Influence

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

I found this nifty tool for realizing how little of the world you have see on another blog and decided to give it a go. Unfortunately many of the countries I frequent are rather small.