Its dark out, I am sitting outside in the very warm Pennsylvania evening heat in a desk chair on the sidewalk with a wireless connection watching the local fireflies and listening to the orchestra of crickets jamming in the ditch across the way. It is quiet and peaceful, I am relaxed and comfortable...for the first time today.
Today was what you might call the first hump of this 7 day tour of Altoona. The stage saw 155 km, rolling and hilly terrain and 35 degree heat. The two KOM climbs of the day were substantial with the second being a 5 mile epic to the top of Blue Knob state park on a twisting forest road in the sapping heat. The first KOM of substantial enough to lead the peleton to descend at 100km/hr coming off of it. That is the fastest I have ever recorded on a bicycle, and it was in the group, it was an amazing sensation.
It was a long day with a break of ten going very early. All of the big teams were represented up the road so the pace was mainly brisk, but steady. From the first rollers I could feel the legs alot more than I wanted to. I was preparing for the worst and focused on staying in the top 50 and staying in. After the first KOM I was feeling more confident as I didnt really struggle to stay in position. However, after a few hours of racing and limited feeds (I only had three bottles the entire day) the fatigue and heat were setting in. With only a few km to go to the final climb up blue knob I was fighting to get near the front and cycling in the top 60 trying to hit the climb at the front to get in a good group as I knew it was going to blow to bits. I hit the climb in about 100th and after filling holes, bridging small gaps and suffering like never before this year I cleared the top in a group of about 50 with only about 40 riders up the road including the break. The last 30 km to the line were the hardest of the day with the group driving it single file down a long twisting descent and then along a heavily poppered road to the finish in Altoona.
I ended up 65th on the day which brings my GC placing up to a crit safe 91st. Bicisports performance of the day came with Trevor making the second group and finishing 40th, moving him into the top 50 overall. Bicisport also climbed into 23rd on team GC. I am now tenth Espoir on GC aswell which is a good motivator considering many of North Americas top domestic pros are here.
Tomorrow is a fast 100 circuit race, another 9 am start. On that note its time to think about hitting the hay and charging up for another day at the races.
25.7.06
Toona Johnstown Galleria Circuit Race
9 am is a bit to early for a road race by my standards. Tour de Toona is somewhat different in that the womens race seems to be the highlight of the event even though virtually every mens pro team in the US is here with their A squads. The woman get to start their races later and have a larger prize purse.
The stage today was in Johnstown about one hour from Altoona. The town is considerably nicer than Altoona and situated nicely in the heavily forested hilly terrain of west Pennsylvania. Besides being visibly nicer this town also has a coffee shop which in our current situation boosts its image considerably.
The circuit race today was only 100 km with three laps of a rolling circuit making the distance. 186 riders took the start today and from the gun the pace was very high. HealthNet spent most of the day on the front protecting Menzies who is currently sitting in yellow. I wanted to stay out of trouble so I rode close the front the entire day, spending a good portion of the first lap tagging on the back of the HealthNet train scoping things out. Although the speed was high the effort was not bad at all and after 2 hours and 14 minutes I figure I finished in the top 60 with Nick and Jamie just behind me. The average speed on the day was 47km/hr which I believe brings it into a tie with a race in Belgium as the fastest race of the year. As a comparison GasTown was only 45km/hr as is one of the fastest crits in North America.
Tomorrow is the first real test of the legs with a 150 km point to point road race taking in two substantial climbs. I am looking forward to this one to test the form and move up on GC. Only the top 100 riders after stage 6 get to start the stage 7 crit so that is a bit of an incentive.
Stay tuned for more action from PA and hopefully some pictures soon.
Full coverage and results of the race can be found at www.tourdetoona.com, cyclingnews.com is also covering the race with pics.
The stage today was in Johnstown about one hour from Altoona. The town is considerably nicer than Altoona and situated nicely in the heavily forested hilly terrain of west Pennsylvania. Besides being visibly nicer this town also has a coffee shop which in our current situation boosts its image considerably.
The circuit race today was only 100 km with three laps of a rolling circuit making the distance. 186 riders took the start today and from the gun the pace was very high. HealthNet spent most of the day on the front protecting Menzies who is currently sitting in yellow. I wanted to stay out of trouble so I rode close the front the entire day, spending a good portion of the first lap tagging on the back of the HealthNet train scoping things out. Although the speed was high the effort was not bad at all and after 2 hours and 14 minutes I figure I finished in the top 60 with Nick and Jamie just behind me. The average speed on the day was 47km/hr which I believe brings it into a tie with a race in Belgium as the fastest race of the year. As a comparison GasTown was only 45km/hr as is one of the fastest crits in North America.
Tomorrow is the first real test of the legs with a 150 km point to point road race taking in two substantial climbs. I am looking forward to this one to test the form and move up on GC. Only the top 100 riders after stage 6 get to start the stage 7 crit so that is a bit of an incentive.
Stay tuned for more action from PA and hopefully some pictures soon.
Full coverage and results of the race can be found at www.tourdetoona.com, cyclingnews.com is also covering the race with pics.
Altoona Beasley Manufacturing Downtown Time Trial
Monday saw the opening stage of the 2006 Tour de Toona. The just over 4 km ITT proved to be extremely fast as the winning time posted by Karl Menzies was a ripping 5:09. Personally I came in 135th spot at a lowly 5:44. I was not very happy with my performance, but it is only the opening stage and the time gaps were small. 6 seconds faster would have put me inside the top 100 which I was gunning for. On the highly technical crit like urban circuit that time was easily lost in the span of only a few tight corners.
Tomorrow we have a rolling circuit race to contest.
Team notes: Nick is feeling a bit ill unfortunatly. Bicisport is bringing up the rear in the team classification in 3rd last, but we are confident that a couple of hilly stages will bring us back up. Trevor Connor is a late addition to the team for this event. He has just arrived from doing the Tour de Delta in Vancouver which ended on Sunday.
Tomorrow we have a rolling circuit race to contest.
Team notes: Nick is feeling a bit ill unfortunatly. Bicisport is bringing up the rear in the team classification in 3rd last, but we are confident that a couple of hilly stages will bring us back up. Trevor Connor is a late addition to the team for this event. He has just arrived from doing the Tour de Delta in Vancouver which ended on Sunday.
23.7.06
Flipside of PA
Today being the last day of rest before the guns start blazing on Monday saw us take a spin in the Pennsylvania countryside for the first time since our arrival. I have to say this ride brought back some respect for this place. The Altoona area is breathtaking in terms of natural beauty and the quality of the roads. We spent two hours snaking our way along endless ribbons of silky smooth pavement virtually traffic free, up and down, through small villages, soaking in the summer sunshine. Today's ride even included a 20 minute gradual ascent that served as a perfect lung and leg opener after the countless hours of travel the last few days.
I also did some online research on our coffee shop dilemma and found a potential destination. We will check it out tomorrow morning on our spin before the prolog time trial tomorrow evening and give a full report. Perhaps Altoona can redeem itself after yesterdays failing review. Only time will tell.
Ride on.
Also I encourage you to check the comments left on the Whiterock post. CP brought up a good point.
Altoona
My home for the next 10 days is the Pennstate off campus housing units in Altoona Pennsylvania. The area is beautiful with lush green forests, rolling hills and a thriving firefly population. That is were the beauty stops....
Altoona is like the stepping into the most stereotypical American Hollywood hick town imaginalbe. The culture shock started almost immediately last night when we were forced to dine at the local Pizza Hut for lack of better alternatives. The place was deserted and eary. The white lettuce salad bar complimented the dirty carpet, 4th of July banners and Christmas lights perfectly. Dim lighting and the stench of refried pepperoni created an ambiance fit for a 1980's horror flick.
Following Pizza Hut we crossed the street to get some groceries and were met by an assortment of obese, sleeveless fellow customers wheeling babies in nothing but pinned on diapers to the checkout. The food at the store isn't too bad, but completely lacks any form of organic section or even a bakery. The only bread in these parts comes in plastic packaging and the only size of anything seems to be big, bigger or biggest.
Today was the most shocking day of them all. Jamie, Nick and I decided to spin the legs out after all of the travel, check out the town at the same time and eventually end up at a coffee shop to kick back for a while. 45 minutes in we were still looking for a coffee shop.... Although this city is likely about the size of Red Deer the downtown was completely empty. Aside from a couple of closed burger joints and a diner or two there is nothing but law offices and banks in the core. After consulting a local gentleman we headed to the stripmall district to try our luck. The only stores that met us there were everything but coffee, just lots of automotive, fastfood and big box discount shopping. My favorites include Krispy Kream, Dunkin Donuts, More Lots, Eat and Park and Casual Male XL. We were sure there had to be at least a Starbucks in this wasteland of excess. I asked a couple of relatively hip looking young women in the Big Mart parking lot and was recommended to hit up one of the gas station chains as they were the best place for a java stop in their opinion, and no...there is no Starbucks in Altoona. Jamie was getting frantic so in the end we ended up in a McDonalds drinking their premium blend and trying not to be to closed minded. In a place so far to the right you risk getting lost I feel like a complete revolutionary.
The adventure continues...
I dont have the ability to download pictures right now, but once I get home look forward to a heavy flickr dose.
Altoona is like the stepping into the most stereotypical American Hollywood hick town imaginalbe. The culture shock started almost immediately last night when we were forced to dine at the local Pizza Hut for lack of better alternatives. The place was deserted and eary. The white lettuce salad bar complimented the dirty carpet, 4th of July banners and Christmas lights perfectly. Dim lighting and the stench of refried pepperoni created an ambiance fit for a 1980's horror flick.
Following Pizza Hut we crossed the street to get some groceries and were met by an assortment of obese, sleeveless fellow customers wheeling babies in nothing but pinned on diapers to the checkout. The food at the store isn't too bad, but completely lacks any form of organic section or even a bakery. The only bread in these parts comes in plastic packaging and the only size of anything seems to be big, bigger or biggest.
Today was the most shocking day of them all. Jamie, Nick and I decided to spin the legs out after all of the travel, check out the town at the same time and eventually end up at a coffee shop to kick back for a while. 45 minutes in we were still looking for a coffee shop.... Although this city is likely about the size of Red Deer the downtown was completely empty. Aside from a couple of closed burger joints and a diner or two there is nothing but law offices and banks in the core. After consulting a local gentleman we headed to the stripmall district to try our luck. The only stores that met us there were everything but coffee, just lots of automotive, fastfood and big box discount shopping. My favorites include Krispy Kream, Dunkin Donuts, More Lots, Eat and Park and Casual Male XL. We were sure there had to be at least a Starbucks in this wasteland of excess. I asked a couple of relatively hip looking young women in the Big Mart parking lot and was recommended to hit up one of the gas station chains as they were the best place for a java stop in their opinion, and no...there is no Starbucks in Altoona. Jamie was getting frantic so in the end we ended up in a McDonalds drinking their premium blend and trying not to be to closed minded. In a place so far to the right you risk getting lost I feel like a complete revolutionary.
The adventure continues...
I dont have the ability to download pictures right now, but once I get home look forward to a heavy flickr dose.
Road Briefing
The last 48 hours have been comprised of driving from Whiterock to Calgary in 12 hours. Taking a cab to the airport at 4am the next morning. Taking a 6 am flight to Toronto. Waiting 3 hours at Pearson for a 1 hour flight to Pittsburgh and finally driving 2 hours to Altoona.
I am beat.......
I am beat.......
Tour de Gastown
Another day another crit. In the last week this was my third crit, three times as many crits as I had done all year previously.
Gastown is just one of those races you have to do if you go to Superweek even though I didnt really have a hope of a result as this is about as pure crit as it gets. The course runs on a pie shaped form with a tight corner at the top making the point of the pieslice and a couple of slightly off camber flagestone corners at the bottom. The finishing straight is a slight uphill with a headwind making for singlefile racing.
Nick and I headed into downtown Vancouver early and set up camp in a parking stall at an underground parking facility just off the strip. After a quick warmup spin around Stanley Park we hit up the race grounds and started to make our way through the thousands of spectators already taking in the womens race to find the start. Gastown as all crits is all about the start.With well over 100 riders it was very important to be at the front so we lined up early and got the first row. Once start time was almost upon us the organizer was getting stressed about having enough room for a call up of the best riders so they sent us for a lap around the course to move the field back a few meters. As it turns out only about 1/4 of the field actually took the lap meaning that once we came around to the start line again we were in the last couple of rows. I was not at all happy with this turn of events, but there was nothing to do but try to move up once the gun went. Moving up at Gastown like trying to get through Heathrow in a hurry, it took a solid 15 laps to get anywhere near the front of the race. 35 laps later I had seen the top ten once and ended up in the 40th positions somewhere. Considering my start I was reasonably happy with the outcome of Canadas premier crit.
Now we are looking forward to Altoona and the Tour de Toona which starts on Monday. Health Net, Jittery Joes, Navigators and Symmetrics were all at Superweek at some point so it has been a good warmup to what is no doubt going to be some fast racing in Pennsylvania.
Gastown is just one of those races you have to do if you go to Superweek even though I didnt really have a hope of a result as this is about as pure crit as it gets. The course runs on a pie shaped form with a tight corner at the top making the point of the pieslice and a couple of slightly off camber flagestone corners at the bottom. The finishing straight is a slight uphill with a headwind making for singlefile racing.
Nick and I headed into downtown Vancouver early and set up camp in a parking stall at an underground parking facility just off the strip. After a quick warmup spin around Stanley Park we hit up the race grounds and started to make our way through the thousands of spectators already taking in the womens race to find the start. Gastown as all crits is all about the start.With well over 100 riders it was very important to be at the front so we lined up early and got the first row. Once start time was almost upon us the organizer was getting stressed about having enough room for a call up of the best riders so they sent us for a lap around the course to move the field back a few meters. As it turns out only about 1/4 of the field actually took the lap meaning that once we came around to the start line again we were in the last couple of rows. I was not at all happy with this turn of events, but there was nothing to do but try to move up once the gun went. Moving up at Gastown like trying to get through Heathrow in a hurry, it took a solid 15 laps to get anywhere near the front of the race. 35 laps later I had seen the top ten once and ended up in the 40th positions somewhere. Considering my start I was reasonably happy with the outcome of Canadas premier crit.
Now we are looking forward to Altoona and the Tour de Toona which starts on Monday. Health Net, Jittery Joes, Navigators and Symmetrics were all at Superweek at some point so it has been a good warmup to what is no doubt going to be some fast racing in Pennsylvania.
If you look closely you can see me just exiting the corner on the far right...
19.7.06
Tour de Whiterock
HillClimb
The hillclimb at Whiterock is run as a two up sprint up a hill that takes you from Marine drive on the beach to downtown Whiterock in under 2 minutes. Its steep, steeper, steepest all the way to the top and favours riders with explosive high end power. For me its not ideal, but I gave it a whirl and ended up placing somewhere right in the middle of the field. The road race is the focus. Unless you are top 5 this means nothing so I wasnt too concerned.
Road Race
8 am is the earlist I have ever raced and it didnt sit well from the start. Whiterock is a very challanging race with 27 climbs in 130 km all of which are significant. From the start I settled in in the top 50 and was hoping to find the legs after a few laps. It turns out a monster break got away after anly a few minutes including half of the Symmetrics riders in the race. The break went with no action, just a few riders rolling off the front cresting the climb and never looking back. The break was strong, but so was the field so most of us were not phased until the break had 4:30, then it got hairy. With all the major teams represented up ahead it was time to do something so I went to the front to joping about 3 others and started turning. One lap later I summoned the Bicisport train and Jesse and Jamie joined the chase for about half a lap. On the steepest climb of the lap I went to the front and drove it getting a gap with Phil Abbott and Brandon, but Navigators wouldnt let it go and I just ended up causing a major split in the field. That split came back together when Symmetrics jumped on the front and slowed the group through the corners on the top of the course which ended up being a pattern throughout the day. The most important thing is that within just over a lap and a half Bicisport, Nick Friesen, Ryan Andersen and a couple others ended up bringing back the break to 2 minutes from 4:30, it was incredible. We were turning on the front with Symetrics, navigators and ItalPasta just behind looking at us like we were idiots. But when we pulled back 2:30 that quick it must have made an impact. Eventually our firepower dryed up as numerous other teams with noone in the break and 4-5 riders in the group would not come to the front but were content to sprint for 15 place and call it a day. It was a very frustrating race, on the day I could have written an entire post on the negative racing in this country and how way to many teams are just riding at the mercy of the big squads without dearing to show their faces, but now i have cooled off too much and am too tired to give that speech. Ask me personally and I will give it to you.
Crit
The Whiterock crit is a good one. The course is favourable for a guy like mea s it has a bit of a climb in it. The race was 60 laps so in the end that climb took toll on many and allowed me a reasonable finale. It was a fun race with Bicisport once again showing itself at the front. Jamie got in a bit of a move for a few laps and I got myself to the front to try and block for a bit.
All in all Whiterock was a bit of a dissapointment. I didnt get any results to speak of and did alot of work for nothing. Now for Gastown.....
The hillclimb at Whiterock is run as a two up sprint up a hill that takes you from Marine drive on the beach to downtown Whiterock in under 2 minutes. Its steep, steeper, steepest all the way to the top and favours riders with explosive high end power. For me its not ideal, but I gave it a whirl and ended up placing somewhere right in the middle of the field. The road race is the focus. Unless you are top 5 this means nothing so I wasnt too concerned.
Road Race
8 am is the earlist I have ever raced and it didnt sit well from the start. Whiterock is a very challanging race with 27 climbs in 130 km all of which are significant. From the start I settled in in the top 50 and was hoping to find the legs after a few laps. It turns out a monster break got away after anly a few minutes including half of the Symmetrics riders in the race. The break went with no action, just a few riders rolling off the front cresting the climb and never looking back. The break was strong, but so was the field so most of us were not phased until the break had 4:30, then it got hairy. With all the major teams represented up ahead it was time to do something so I went to the front to joping about 3 others and started turning. One lap later I summoned the Bicisport train and Jesse and Jamie joined the chase for about half a lap. On the steepest climb of the lap I went to the front and drove it getting a gap with Phil Abbott and Brandon, but Navigators wouldnt let it go and I just ended up causing a major split in the field. That split came back together when Symmetrics jumped on the front and slowed the group through the corners on the top of the course which ended up being a pattern throughout the day. The most important thing is that within just over a lap and a half Bicisport, Nick Friesen, Ryan Andersen and a couple others ended up bringing back the break to 2 minutes from 4:30, it was incredible. We were turning on the front with Symetrics, navigators and ItalPasta just behind looking at us like we were idiots. But when we pulled back 2:30 that quick it must have made an impact. Eventually our firepower dryed up as numerous other teams with noone in the break and 4-5 riders in the group would not come to the front but were content to sprint for 15 place and call it a day. It was a very frustrating race, on the day I could have written an entire post on the negative racing in this country and how way to many teams are just riding at the mercy of the big squads without dearing to show their faces, but now i have cooled off too much and am too tired to give that speech. Ask me personally and I will give it to you.
Crit
The Whiterock crit is a good one. The course is favourable for a guy like mea s it has a bit of a climb in it. The race was 60 laps so in the end that climb took toll on many and allowed me a reasonable finale. It was a fun race with Bicisport once again showing itself at the front. Jamie got in a bit of a move for a few laps and I got myself to the front to try and block for a bit.
All in all Whiterock was a bit of a dissapointment. I didnt get any results to speak of and did alot of work for nothing. Now for Gastown.....
Giro Di Burnaby
Friday evening saw the first running of an event the organizers hope will serve as the big kickoff to BC Superweeks of the future. It was a nice course on Hastings right in the center of Burnaby. The field was small at only about 65 riders with full Symmetrics, Navigators rosters as the main forces. The course was interesting and quite safe making for good racing. I stayed in the front, bridged some moves, but missed the final break. I narrowly missed the only crash of the day that took out Nick and virually the entire navigators squad. It was a pileup on the finishing straight caused by some dodgy riding on the front. In the end it came down to a sprint and with a slight downhill finish I only managed to squeak out a 24th place or something like that.
I was relatively happy with the ride. I have never been much of a crit master, but the race was fun and it served its purpose as a leg and lung opener to Whiterock well. The Whiterock road race with its incredible climbs is the focus of the week, crits are just a bonus and a chance to earn some cash.
I was relatively happy with the ride. I have never been much of a crit master, but the race was fun and it served its purpose as a leg and lung opener to Whiterock well. The Whiterock road race with its incredible climbs is the focus of the week, crits are just a bonus and a chance to earn some cash.
Road Stories
Almost one week into this road trip and its the first time I write a word, must be a good one!
Alot has happened in the last week so I think the best way to cover the action is to post some point form highlights followed by race reports. here it goes.
- Wednesday we (Nick Friesen and I) drove to Salmon Arm and stayed at the Skinner's house for the night.
- Thursday we planned to leave nice and early to get into Van in the early afternoon, but as we were getting through town at the start of the day the Honda's muffler pipe descided to give way and was dragging on the ground so we had to wait another 3 hours to get a new piece of pipe welded in.
We finally arrived late Thursday at our billets in Whiterock. The house we are staying at is worth over 2 million dollars has 8 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, a kitchen island the size of my bathroom etc.
Went for a spin on Marine drive to loosen the legs that evening.
- Friday we hung out, did a 2 hour ride in the morning. The evening was occupied by doing the Giro di Burnaby criterium (see later post).
- Saturday was another coffee ride in the morning followed by an evening hillclimb time trial to kick of the Tour de Whiterock.
- Sunday morning at 8 am saw the 130km road race stage of Whiterock.
Sunday afternoon and evening were spend hanging out with Natasha and Jesse. Our hosts had a big BBQ and Jesse and Natasha joined us for good red meat eating and a few rounds on the tournament quality pool table.
- Monday was yet another coffee ride with Jesse and Natasha followed by the 60 lap Whiterock criterium in the evening.
Today was the first day without any racing which was kind of nice. I did a couple of hours on rolling roads and then had some fish and chips on the beach front. The evening was spent watching what turned out to be an incredibly good stage. My team, CSC is showing why they are the worlds top team and I am loving every minute of it.
Tomorrow is the most starstruck day of this short tour out west with the Tour of Gastown criterium. The only addition besides the teams already here will be HealthNet. So far its been alot of Symmetrics and very little Navigators. I think I have a good shot at a finish tomorrow night in the top half.
After Gastown we are heading to Abbotsford for the night and then right out to Calgary in an all day blacktop epic. Friday morning at 6 am its back to the airport for the flight out to Pittsburgh and a whole new round of racing.
Alot has happened in the last week so I think the best way to cover the action is to post some point form highlights followed by race reports. here it goes.
- Wednesday we (Nick Friesen and I) drove to Salmon Arm and stayed at the Skinner's house for the night.
- Thursday we planned to leave nice and early to get into Van in the early afternoon, but as we were getting through town at the start of the day the Honda's muffler pipe descided to give way and was dragging on the ground so we had to wait another 3 hours to get a new piece of pipe welded in.
We finally arrived late Thursday at our billets in Whiterock. The house we are staying at is worth over 2 million dollars has 8 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, a kitchen island the size of my bathroom etc.
Went for a spin on Marine drive to loosen the legs that evening.
- Friday we hung out, did a 2 hour ride in the morning. The evening was occupied by doing the Giro di Burnaby criterium (see later post).
- Saturday was another coffee ride in the morning followed by an evening hillclimb time trial to kick of the Tour de Whiterock.
- Sunday morning at 8 am saw the 130km road race stage of Whiterock.
Sunday afternoon and evening were spend hanging out with Natasha and Jesse. Our hosts had a big BBQ and Jesse and Natasha joined us for good red meat eating and a few rounds on the tournament quality pool table.
- Monday was yet another coffee ride with Jesse and Natasha followed by the 60 lap Whiterock criterium in the evening.
Today was the first day without any racing which was kind of nice. I did a couple of hours on rolling roads and then had some fish and chips on the beach front. The evening was spent watching what turned out to be an incredibly good stage. My team, CSC is showing why they are the worlds top team and I am loving every minute of it.
Tomorrow is the most starstruck day of this short tour out west with the Tour of Gastown criterium. The only addition besides the teams already here will be HealthNet. So far its been alot of Symmetrics and very little Navigators. I think I have a good shot at a finish tomorrow night in the top half.
After Gastown we are heading to Abbotsford for the night and then right out to Calgary in an all day blacktop epic. Friday morning at 6 am its back to the airport for the flight out to Pittsburgh and a whole new round of racing.
12.7.06
Go Long
Its time to make the switch. Like sloping toptubes, carbon wheelsets, 10spd and outboard bearing bb's, longsocks are here too stay. Anklesocks have gone the way of full finger gloves on the road. For style its all in the length. White is an asset, but simple designs like the Pearl Izumi version are also sure to be a hit in the bunch. Unless its raining or cold ditch the lycra shoe covers, show off your fancy kicks and go long!
Remember style won't make you fast, but fast and style go hand in hand....
Remember style won't make you fast, but fast and style go hand in hand....
11.7.06
Life is beautiful, Part 2
This weekend saw some epic and exciting days.
Saturday I met up with a few good cycling brothers for a solid ride out to the top of Elbow Falls and back. The sunny weather and lack of wind made for a great day of riding and a day to add to the slow development of my summer tan.
My tan has been a topic of frequent exclamation and discussion as my legs seem to require a great deal more exposure than other areas. Since I lack the intimidation factor of the classic cyclist deep tan I seem to give a false impression of the amount of riding I actually do which can be a distict advantage in certain situations.
Sunday I had to work the morning shift at the Oval. It was a quiet shift of catching up on everything on cyclingnews.com and watching to Tour stage on the widescreen that provides a backdrop to the office area. Following my shift I took in the World Cup final. As you all know the match went the full distance and resulted in my training ride being bumped back a few hours. Finally at around 3pm I suited up and rolled out for a planned 4-5 hr effort. As I was heading west along the bikepath on my regular city exit route some dark clouds were threatening a storm so I turn around and took Elbow Drive south to do the loop the opposite direction. I made it as far as the south west corner of the city when darkness tookover and the skies opened to some light rain as a prelude to the violent weather to come. I made a quick decision to find shelter and ended up at Fish Creek Pointe, a new condo complex with a nice entrance sheltered from the wind and rain. Immediately after I had found cover the storm dispayed its full potential and unleashed streaking rain, hail, vibrant flashes of lightning and deafening claps of thunder. Most storms that roll through the city last only a short period so I was prepared to spend about half and hour in my shelter enjoying its relative warmth and comfort as the storm raged on. This storm was far more substantial however and after 2 hours huddled in a dry corner I could finally emerge and continue my ride. I took 37th out of the city, did the usual 773 route over the ridge and on to Plummers road and Bragg Creek. The calm after the storm was incredible. With the sunlight breaking through the clouds and rapid rise in temperature the roads were steaming with evaporating rain water. The lush green landscape was blanketed with a warm mist making for a breathtaking ambiance along my route. My favorite experience was coming along a gradual climb on Plummers road and seeing the beams of sunlight break the tree canopy sending rays of white light to the road below. It reminded me of Gran Tourismo 4 and the forest track.... Due to the 2 hour rain break the day was slipping away quickly and by the time I was out of Bragg Creek with 50 km to ride it was already after 20:00. With the fading daylight the temperature was dropping quickly so I was in the mood to get the ride overwith. About 10 km out of Bragg Creek I got a flat tire and pulled over for a quick change. It took only seconds for the local mosquito population to find me which resulted in a personal best tube change.
The rest of the ride was uneventful and cold, but it is an evening I will never soon forget.
It turns out that severe weather warnings had been issued for the Calgary area, warning of heavy rain, lightning and potential for tornado activity. I normally dont tune in to mainstream media outlets so I was oblivious to the situation. This would explain why the roads were empty though, a pity others missed such a magnificant evening.
The world is a beautiful place from the saddle and training a new adventure every day.
Now I am off to a race in Burnaby on Friday, then White Rock, Gastown and then straight to Altoona. Its going to be a solid 3 weeks on the road. I am really looking forward to getting out of Alberta again, I have this uncontrolled itch to travel and live, lucky for me I have this trip.
Nick Friesen and I are billetting in a multimillion dollar home in White Rock so I presume internet access will be available. Check back for tales from the road and race updates.
Saturday I met up with a few good cycling brothers for a solid ride out to the top of Elbow Falls and back. The sunny weather and lack of wind made for a great day of riding and a day to add to the slow development of my summer tan.
My tan has been a topic of frequent exclamation and discussion as my legs seem to require a great deal more exposure than other areas. Since I lack the intimidation factor of the classic cyclist deep tan I seem to give a false impression of the amount of riding I actually do which can be a distict advantage in certain situations.
Sunday I had to work the morning shift at the Oval. It was a quiet shift of catching up on everything on cyclingnews.com and watching to Tour stage on the widescreen that provides a backdrop to the office area. Following my shift I took in the World Cup final. As you all know the match went the full distance and resulted in my training ride being bumped back a few hours. Finally at around 3pm I suited up and rolled out for a planned 4-5 hr effort. As I was heading west along the bikepath on my regular city exit route some dark clouds were threatening a storm so I turn around and took Elbow Drive south to do the loop the opposite direction. I made it as far as the south west corner of the city when darkness tookover and the skies opened to some light rain as a prelude to the violent weather to come. I made a quick decision to find shelter and ended up at Fish Creek Pointe, a new condo complex with a nice entrance sheltered from the wind and rain. Immediately after I had found cover the storm dispayed its full potential and unleashed streaking rain, hail, vibrant flashes of lightning and deafening claps of thunder. Most storms that roll through the city last only a short period so I was prepared to spend about half and hour in my shelter enjoying its relative warmth and comfort as the storm raged on. This storm was far more substantial however and after 2 hours huddled in a dry corner I could finally emerge and continue my ride. I took 37th out of the city, did the usual 773 route over the ridge and on to Plummers road and Bragg Creek. The calm after the storm was incredible. With the sunlight breaking through the clouds and rapid rise in temperature the roads were steaming with evaporating rain water. The lush green landscape was blanketed with a warm mist making for a breathtaking ambiance along my route. My favorite experience was coming along a gradual climb on Plummers road and seeing the beams of sunlight break the tree canopy sending rays of white light to the road below. It reminded me of Gran Tourismo 4 and the forest track.... Due to the 2 hour rain break the day was slipping away quickly and by the time I was out of Bragg Creek with 50 km to ride it was already after 20:00. With the fading daylight the temperature was dropping quickly so I was in the mood to get the ride overwith. About 10 km out of Bragg Creek I got a flat tire and pulled over for a quick change. It took only seconds for the local mosquito population to find me which resulted in a personal best tube change.
The rest of the ride was uneventful and cold, but it is an evening I will never soon forget.
It turns out that severe weather warnings had been issued for the Calgary area, warning of heavy rain, lightning and potential for tornado activity. I normally dont tune in to mainstream media outlets so I was oblivious to the situation. This would explain why the roads were empty though, a pity others missed such a magnificant evening.
The world is a beautiful place from the saddle and training a new adventure every day.
Now I am off to a race in Burnaby on Friday, then White Rock, Gastown and then straight to Altoona. Its going to be a solid 3 weeks on the road. I am really looking forward to getting out of Alberta again, I have this uncontrolled itch to travel and live, lucky for me I have this trip.
Nick Friesen and I are billetting in a multimillion dollar home in White Rock so I presume internet access will be available. Check back for tales from the road and race updates.
9.7.06
Common Ground
I stumbled upon this little piece on Reids blog and since posts are scarce these days I thought I would share it with those who havn't yet seen it.
Five Different Reasons to Ride a Bicycle
You probably think that you've heard all the arguments for riding a bicycle. Sure, the bicycle doesn't use non-renewable resources or pollute (including noise pollution), is inexpensive both for ownership and in terms of public infrastructure to support it, can be parked anywhere, and is a healthy activity.
"Blah, blah, blah. Tell me something new," you say.
O.K., here's five reasons to ride a bicycle that you've never before heard of. Not in your wildest dream. And if you don't already ride a bicycle for fun, fitness, or transportation, this will surely convince you to get your gears spinning.
1. Bicycles are more technologically advanced than motor vehicles.
Don't let the shiny, complicated looking engine on that Ecstasy S.U.V. fool you. A bicycle is in certain ways the most intelligent vehicle ever created. It has the world's most advanced "engine" controlled with the most wondrous and sophisticated "computer." The engine often knows what's wrong with itself and usually fixes itself. A bicycle is also the world's most energy efficient mode of travel, using just 35 calories per passenger mile versus 1860 for an average automobile with one occupant. And the engine can run on all kinds of strange fuels, like broccoli.
Affordable bicycles are manufactured with exotic materials such as titanium, carbon fiber, incredible aluminum alloys, and high strength alloy steel. If you've never ridden a high quality modern bicycle, you're in for a treat.
In comparison, cars are dinosaurs. Actually, they burn decomposed dinosaurs in an internal combustion engine that, evolutionarily speaking, is about at the Paleozoic era. We've had rocket ships that go to the moon and back since 1969. We have limitless solar energy and enough nuclear technology to atomize the earth, but our motor vehicles still use fossil fuel. Cars are made with steel, iron, and plastic. You can't pick them up. And try to fix one!
2. Bicycle manufacturing is not controlled by special interests.
Well, special interests are EVERYWHERE, but relatively speaking, this is true. Bicycle manufacturers could have invented the Army recruiting slogan "Be All That You Can Be." Their goal is to produce the best vehicle possible. Bicycles are the perfect synthesis of body and machine. Be a cyborg.
Cars on the other hand, are the epitome of special interest controlled products. The oil industry wants cars to get the worst gas mileage possible. The steel industry wants cars to be big and heavy, ostensibly in order to be safe.
So, reject the greed of huge multinational corporations. Tread lightly and ride a bicycle.
3. Bicycles are faster than cars.
In urban areas, this is sometimes literally true. Congestion, traffic signals, parking-space-search time, and walking-to-final-destination time all conspire to reduce the speed of even the highest powered motor vehicle to about that of a bicycle. However, if you consider that the time cost of travel also includes the amount of time spent working to pay for the vehicle, bicycles come roaring ahead. Also, why spend loads of time working to pay for the car to get to work to pay for the car?
Since exercise is mandatory for optimal health, and riding a bicycle to some necessary destination incorporates exercise which would otherwise take time in the gym, pedaling to someplace can be considered as taking zero time. Therefore, bicycles are infinitely fast. That's faster than light, which, according to Einstein shouldn't be possible, but nonetheless reverses time. Riding a bicycle makes you younger. Be a kid again!
4. You can be part of a cutting edge movement.
According to the 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, only 0.7% of all transportation trips are made by bicycle. Ninety percent of trips are taken in a personal automobile with the remainder via transit, walking, or other modes.
Lets face it, bicyclists are a minority. But, by the same token, we're unique. So why be normal? Be different, ride a bicycle.
5. Someday you'll wish you had.
Helen Hayes, the much beloved "First Lady of American theater" who died at the age of 92 was asked in an interview if she regretted anything. She said she had only one regret. "I never rode a bicycle. I wish I had. That's all."
While few of us can hope to achieve the stature of Ms. Hayes, we certainly can fulfill a dream that she never did. The simple pleasure of riding a bicycle — effortless motion at one moment, challenging yet empowering hill climbing the next, followed by the thrill of the descent.
Bicycling is the wind in your face and your senses on hyperdrive. It's life at its best. Try it. Ultimately there will come a time when you won't be able to.
Source: Bicycling Life
Five Different Reasons to Ride a Bicycle
You probably think that you've heard all the arguments for riding a bicycle. Sure, the bicycle doesn't use non-renewable resources or pollute (including noise pollution), is inexpensive both for ownership and in terms of public infrastructure to support it, can be parked anywhere, and is a healthy activity.
"Blah, blah, blah. Tell me something new," you say.
O.K., here's five reasons to ride a bicycle that you've never before heard of. Not in your wildest dream. And if you don't already ride a bicycle for fun, fitness, or transportation, this will surely convince you to get your gears spinning.
1. Bicycles are more technologically advanced than motor vehicles.
Don't let the shiny, complicated looking engine on that Ecstasy S.U.V. fool you. A bicycle is in certain ways the most intelligent vehicle ever created. It has the world's most advanced "engine" controlled with the most wondrous and sophisticated "computer." The engine often knows what's wrong with itself and usually fixes itself. A bicycle is also the world's most energy efficient mode of travel, using just 35 calories per passenger mile versus 1860 for an average automobile with one occupant. And the engine can run on all kinds of strange fuels, like broccoli.
Affordable bicycles are manufactured with exotic materials such as titanium, carbon fiber, incredible aluminum alloys, and high strength alloy steel. If you've never ridden a high quality modern bicycle, you're in for a treat.
In comparison, cars are dinosaurs. Actually, they burn decomposed dinosaurs in an internal combustion engine that, evolutionarily speaking, is about at the Paleozoic era. We've had rocket ships that go to the moon and back since 1969. We have limitless solar energy and enough nuclear technology to atomize the earth, but our motor vehicles still use fossil fuel. Cars are made with steel, iron, and plastic. You can't pick them up. And try to fix one!
2. Bicycle manufacturing is not controlled by special interests.
Well, special interests are EVERYWHERE, but relatively speaking, this is true. Bicycle manufacturers could have invented the Army recruiting slogan "Be All That You Can Be." Their goal is to produce the best vehicle possible. Bicycles are the perfect synthesis of body and machine. Be a cyborg.
Cars on the other hand, are the epitome of special interest controlled products. The oil industry wants cars to get the worst gas mileage possible. The steel industry wants cars to be big and heavy, ostensibly in order to be safe.
So, reject the greed of huge multinational corporations. Tread lightly and ride a bicycle.
3. Bicycles are faster than cars.
In urban areas, this is sometimes literally true. Congestion, traffic signals, parking-space-search time, and walking-to-final-destination time all conspire to reduce the speed of even the highest powered motor vehicle to about that of a bicycle. However, if you consider that the time cost of travel also includes the amount of time spent working to pay for the vehicle, bicycles come roaring ahead. Also, why spend loads of time working to pay for the car to get to work to pay for the car?
Since exercise is mandatory for optimal health, and riding a bicycle to some necessary destination incorporates exercise which would otherwise take time in the gym, pedaling to someplace can be considered as taking zero time. Therefore, bicycles are infinitely fast. That's faster than light, which, according to Einstein shouldn't be possible, but nonetheless reverses time. Riding a bicycle makes you younger. Be a kid again!
4. You can be part of a cutting edge movement.
According to the 1990 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, only 0.7% of all transportation trips are made by bicycle. Ninety percent of trips are taken in a personal automobile with the remainder via transit, walking, or other modes.
Lets face it, bicyclists are a minority. But, by the same token, we're unique. So why be normal? Be different, ride a bicycle.
5. Someday you'll wish you had.
Helen Hayes, the much beloved "First Lady of American theater" who died at the age of 92 was asked in an interview if she regretted anything. She said she had only one regret. "I never rode a bicycle. I wish I had. That's all."
While few of us can hope to achieve the stature of Ms. Hayes, we certainly can fulfill a dream that she never did. The simple pleasure of riding a bicycle — effortless motion at one moment, challenging yet empowering hill climbing the next, followed by the thrill of the descent.
Bicycling is the wind in your face and your senses on hyperdrive. It's life at its best. Try it. Ultimately there will come a time when you won't be able to.
Source: Bicycling Life
7.7.06
Nibbler
I have been having problems with uploading photos to blogger. Since photos are the heart of some of the posts I have wanted to do they will have to wait.
In the meantime just wanted to announce that I have become an uncle for the 4th time. A 4th child was born to my brother and his wife in Drammen, Norway this past week.
Plans have finally come together for Superweek and Tour De Toona. Looks like a solid round at the races to round off the month of July.
Since nationals I have been taking it easy for the most part. The preparation for the championships was a long and difficult road so now its time to recover a bit and load up for the rest of the month. I hit up the Wednesday night jam at the Cabin on Wednesday. It was good to meet up with some of the people I haven't seen since the winter, even Webster made a rare appearance. Another fast cat in attendance was my good friend Phil of Ital. We ended up riding away early in the ride without really wanting to, then sat up to wait for a couple of guys coming across just before Cochrane and then it shattered on the hill again and after yet another regroup we rolled it into the north west corner of the city. All in all it was a good ride. The weather was beautiful and although my legs were bunk some solid efforts were to be had.
I have also started picking up odd shifts at the Oval front desk and at my new position as evening supervisor to get me through the month. Its a transition from the last few months, but it is going to be good to have at least a modest income again.
In the meantime just wanted to announce that I have become an uncle for the 4th time. A 4th child was born to my brother and his wife in Drammen, Norway this past week.
Plans have finally come together for Superweek and Tour De Toona. Looks like a solid round at the races to round off the month of July.
Since nationals I have been taking it easy for the most part. The preparation for the championships was a long and difficult road so now its time to recover a bit and load up for the rest of the month. I hit up the Wednesday night jam at the Cabin on Wednesday. It was good to meet up with some of the people I haven't seen since the winter, even Webster made a rare appearance. Another fast cat in attendance was my good friend Phil of Ital. We ended up riding away early in the ride without really wanting to, then sat up to wait for a couple of guys coming across just before Cochrane and then it shattered on the hill again and after yet another regroup we rolled it into the north west corner of the city. All in all it was a good ride. The weather was beautiful and although my legs were bunk some solid efforts were to be had.
I have also started picking up odd shifts at the Oval front desk and at my new position as evening supervisor to get me through the month. Its a transition from the last few months, but it is going to be good to have at least a modest income again.
Waiting for the start at road nats. This photo wouldnt load into the actual nationals post. Hopefully some action shots to come.
4.7.06
Canadian National Championships
Early Wednesday I jetted off yet again, this time for the Canadian National Road Championships in Quebec City, Quebec. My flight path was via Toronto to Montreal. Due to thunderstorms in Toronto I arrived in Montreal an hour later than expected. Unfortunately this meant making Jesse Collins and Jeff Bolstad wait a few hours to many before hitting the long road to Quebec City. Rush hour in Montreal meant over three hours in the van. Late evening we arrived at our lodgings at Laval University and discovered that the entire Alberta provincial team and numerous other cycling acquaintances were staying on the same floor. The rooms were simple and small, but for the price it was perfect, all I could ever need. The only complication was the lack of equipped kitchen facilities meaning that many meals had to be consumed in the cafeteria, at the campus pub or elsewhere.
Thursday was a relatively slow day with me finally getting my registration cleared up. Due to some computer complications and lack of info on the CCA website I had not preregistered for the road race and crit. I was rather worried about his situation as numerous deadlines that I had missed began surfacing, however the organizer was gratious enough to make some exceptions and let me in as number 190. I did not compete in the ITT event as I didn't feel that there was adequate time between it and the road race on Saturday and because I haven't done a time trial in a year meaning I would likely not be in the running. Instead I rode a couple of hours with Bolstad, checking ou thte course and putting in some solid efforts on what would be a challenging Gilmour climb on the course for Saturday. WE got caught in a flash thunderstorm that turned the sloping streets of old Quebec into creeks and rivers. Luckily a gap in the old city wall provided good shelter. The time trial saw successes for numerous other Albertans including my teammate Julie winning in the junior women's race and landing herself a spot on the national team for worlds after only 7 months of riding a road bike. Eric Smith of Bow Cycle took the junior mens ITT.
Friday was coffee ride prerace day. We met up with the Ital-Pasta boys and some other randoms for some cruising. We enjoyed some the of the junior racing from a terrace and discovered the beauty and European flair of the old city. Quebec City is now my favorite Canadian city by far. It reminds me of French Belgium as I have not yet been to France. Old Quebec city is vast and situated on the hill overlooking the St Lawrence, many of the buildings date back to the 1700's. The streets are flooded with people from dawn until well after dark setting the feel of this city apart from most other Canadian centers.
Finally we come to the big day. Saturday saw the Elite and U23 men take to a 180 km road race on 14 laps of a rolling course on mixed roads with the 14% Gilmour climb being the most striking feature. 165 riders took the start that finally got underway after a 45 minute delay to close the roads properly. I was confident in my chances of not only finishing the days event, but also in achieving my goal of top 5 Espoirs and top 20 overall. Although all of Canada's top riders were represented I knew that the race would prove to be too long and tough for many and that simply staying in the front splits all day would be rewarded. From the start the lack of experience and nervousness of many in the peleton was apparent as crashes frequented the first 4 laps. I stayed in the top 40 and rode as I have all year in Europe. The biggest problems seemed to be caused by the road narrowing abruptly in some places and a strong crosswind that caused alot of drifting in the group. Technically this course was simple with no real challenges, people were taking stupid risks and not staying alert. With some luck I stayed well clear of the mishaps that claimed many riders and found myself sitting comfortably biding my time and waiting for the hard racing to come around the 100 km mark. The hard racing came somewhat earlier as breaks had been forming up the road. Most of the breaks were lopsided with Symetrics and their 12 man squad in everything forcing others to lead a fierce chase after about 60 km. I was fine with the pace on every section except the steep climb, and even that was fully bearable had it not been for the horrible quad and hamstring cramps I started getting after about 4 laps. On the steepest pitch I would have to roll to the front and then drift back as I couldn't stand or push a bigger gear than my 25 without my muscles locking up in the agonizing pain. I felt the knots tighten and loosen with every stroke and felt on the verge of having to step off every time up. Luckily I was strong on the false flat were most of the accelerating would happen and I could sit in on the actual climb. After 7 laps another complication emerged as I lost my right contact lens coming down the steep decent tot the river. I am legally blind without my lenses so loosing the right one meant not only a loss of depth perception, but also a visual handicap. With a blurred view of the world at speed I pressed on as the field shattered with every lap eventually leaving only about 60 in the front group behind the break. Finally on the third last time up the climb my luck ran out. With the smaller field and a quickening pace I couldn't keep contact on the steep pitch up Gilmour as the cramps forced me to take it piano. I got in a small group and with only about 25 km left to race I was determined to at least get a result on the day. The time cut was 5% of the winners time so the race against the clock was on. After about one lap with the small group I went away with one other rider and eventually finished in 38th place overall, 12th Espoir 9 minutes down on the winner, 6 minutes down on the main group. The last two times up the climb were brutal and only made worse by the frustration I was feeling as as soon as the road flattened out I could push up past 45 km/hr without a problem at all. It was a great disappointment as I came nowhere close to reaching my goal for the day. I felt incredibly good and have not had cramps all year, so for them to hold me back on the biggest day on my calendar was devastating. Placing in the top twenty overall would have almost guaranteed me a top 6 Espoir finish, which could have been my ticket to the world championships. If I had been able to put in an effort at all on the climb I am sure I would have been there. That is racing I suppose, I had a lot go wrong but I got some good training in and saw a lot of Quebec City over and over and over again....
Sunday I started the crit, but half the field backing onto the start leading to a horrible start position, guys letting gaps go on the first lap ahead of me and the dead legs from the days before meant I pulled the plug after getting lapped 20 km in.
Besides the racing it was a great week. I discovered a great new part of the world and enjoyed the company of some great people.
In other news the racing continues later this month with the Tour of White Rock, Gastown criterium and then the International Tour de Toona.
Thanks for reading.
Full results from Saturdays event can be found here
Photos to come.
Thursday was a relatively slow day with me finally getting my registration cleared up. Due to some computer complications and lack of info on the CCA website I had not preregistered for the road race and crit. I was rather worried about his situation as numerous deadlines that I had missed began surfacing, however the organizer was gratious enough to make some exceptions and let me in as number 190. I did not compete in the ITT event as I didn't feel that there was adequate time between it and the road race on Saturday and because I haven't done a time trial in a year meaning I would likely not be in the running. Instead I rode a couple of hours with Bolstad, checking ou thte course and putting in some solid efforts on what would be a challenging Gilmour climb on the course for Saturday. WE got caught in a flash thunderstorm that turned the sloping streets of old Quebec into creeks and rivers. Luckily a gap in the old city wall provided good shelter. The time trial saw successes for numerous other Albertans including my teammate Julie winning in the junior women's race and landing herself a spot on the national team for worlds after only 7 months of riding a road bike. Eric Smith of Bow Cycle took the junior mens ITT.
Friday was coffee ride prerace day. We met up with the Ital-Pasta boys and some other randoms for some cruising. We enjoyed some the of the junior racing from a terrace and discovered the beauty and European flair of the old city. Quebec City is now my favorite Canadian city by far. It reminds me of French Belgium as I have not yet been to France. Old Quebec city is vast and situated on the hill overlooking the St Lawrence, many of the buildings date back to the 1700's. The streets are flooded with people from dawn until well after dark setting the feel of this city apart from most other Canadian centers.
Finally we come to the big day. Saturday saw the Elite and U23 men take to a 180 km road race on 14 laps of a rolling course on mixed roads with the 14% Gilmour climb being the most striking feature. 165 riders took the start that finally got underway after a 45 minute delay to close the roads properly. I was confident in my chances of not only finishing the days event, but also in achieving my goal of top 5 Espoirs and top 20 overall. Although all of Canada's top riders were represented I knew that the race would prove to be too long and tough for many and that simply staying in the front splits all day would be rewarded. From the start the lack of experience and nervousness of many in the peleton was apparent as crashes frequented the first 4 laps. I stayed in the top 40 and rode as I have all year in Europe. The biggest problems seemed to be caused by the road narrowing abruptly in some places and a strong crosswind that caused alot of drifting in the group. Technically this course was simple with no real challenges, people were taking stupid risks and not staying alert. With some luck I stayed well clear of the mishaps that claimed many riders and found myself sitting comfortably biding my time and waiting for the hard racing to come around the 100 km mark. The hard racing came somewhat earlier as breaks had been forming up the road. Most of the breaks were lopsided with Symetrics and their 12 man squad in everything forcing others to lead a fierce chase after about 60 km. I was fine with the pace on every section except the steep climb, and even that was fully bearable had it not been for the horrible quad and hamstring cramps I started getting after about 4 laps. On the steepest pitch I would have to roll to the front and then drift back as I couldn't stand or push a bigger gear than my 25 without my muscles locking up in the agonizing pain. I felt the knots tighten and loosen with every stroke and felt on the verge of having to step off every time up. Luckily I was strong on the false flat were most of the accelerating would happen and I could sit in on the actual climb. After 7 laps another complication emerged as I lost my right contact lens coming down the steep decent tot the river. I am legally blind without my lenses so loosing the right one meant not only a loss of depth perception, but also a visual handicap. With a blurred view of the world at speed I pressed on as the field shattered with every lap eventually leaving only about 60 in the front group behind the break. Finally on the third last time up the climb my luck ran out. With the smaller field and a quickening pace I couldn't keep contact on the steep pitch up Gilmour as the cramps forced me to take it piano. I got in a small group and with only about 25 km left to race I was determined to at least get a result on the day. The time cut was 5% of the winners time so the race against the clock was on. After about one lap with the small group I went away with one other rider and eventually finished in 38th place overall, 12th Espoir 9 minutes down on the winner, 6 minutes down on the main group. The last two times up the climb were brutal and only made worse by the frustration I was feeling as as soon as the road flattened out I could push up past 45 km/hr without a problem at all. It was a great disappointment as I came nowhere close to reaching my goal for the day. I felt incredibly good and have not had cramps all year, so for them to hold me back on the biggest day on my calendar was devastating. Placing in the top twenty overall would have almost guaranteed me a top 6 Espoir finish, which could have been my ticket to the world championships. If I had been able to put in an effort at all on the climb I am sure I would have been there. That is racing I suppose, I had a lot go wrong but I got some good training in and saw a lot of Quebec City over and over and over again....
Sunday I started the crit, but half the field backing onto the start leading to a horrible start position, guys letting gaps go on the first lap ahead of me and the dead legs from the days before meant I pulled the plug after getting lapped 20 km in.
Besides the racing it was a great week. I discovered a great new part of the world and enjoyed the company of some great people.
In other news the racing continues later this month with the Tour of White Rock, Gastown criterium and then the International Tour de Toona.
Thanks for reading.
Full results from Saturdays event can be found here
Photos to come.
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