Tic toc, tic toc...

This past weekend was the ocup Bike the Bruce ITT. Racers are sent off one at a time in a race against the clock. The fastest rider wins. (Good equipment definitely plays a factor into this).  Aerodynamics is the name of the game here, especially when it was as windy as it was on sunday. Lacking a time trial bike I had to ride this one Merckx style (for those unaware, Eddie Merckx is a legendary cyclist and he was able to dominate time trials without the use of the time trial bars to get you into a better position).  In my category there were only two other riders, one completely decked out in gear and another riding Merckx.
The course was relatively flat out and back style. At about the 1.5km mark there was a short steep downhill. Here I thought I was going to crash because I started to get some insane speed wobbles. Luckily I made it through and kept riding. At about 9km there was a gravel patch about 15ft long from construction. Just had to play it safe going through there and avoid and flats or unnecessary crashes. Before I hit the end of the first stretch I had a waterloo cycling guy from E3 pass me. This kind of dropped my hopes and reinforcing the knowledge that I wasn't going as fast as I wanted.
On the way back I tried to push harder but the wind was killer. You never got a break from the wind on the course, not out nor back. I was able catch the other Merckx E4 rider before the steep uphill. I powered up the climb trying not to redline too far so that I didnt drop to a stop to recover. I pushed it as hard as I could till the finish.

Equipment wise I really wish I had TT extensions at least. I needed to get lower as I was too upright. Im also going to try to work on my back flexibility to help this (I am very inflexible :p) . I used the giro selector helmet, which is a great helmet. For that hot of a day (30+) the visor stops the sweat from evaporating. I spent most of the race trying to wipe it out of my eyes. While the visor looks great, its definitely not for me on hot days.

Overall I finished second, 3 mins back off first. I wanted to avg 41, but I got 38.6km/h. I know I can go faster, as I have done in both 40km TT and 15km TT. I don't know if it was the heat, the wind, my legs but I was slower than I should have been. Either way I earned a bunch of upgrade points and ocup points. I now sit 5th in the standings!

No pics but here are some links
Garmin :   http://connect.garmin.com/activity/202099902
Results:  http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20120723-204950-bbresults.htm
Picture:  http://www.sportszonephotography.ca/Cycling-2012/Bike-The-Bruce-O-Cup-TT/Part-II-Later-Startng-Racers/24334495_NH5hNn#!i=1982809916&k=txFBZjF

As always thanks for reading!!

He Shoots He Scores!

Today was the provincial championships located just outside of Bradford, Ontario. It was a great 12km loop that had flat start/finish, side 2 had a nice downhill for recovery, side 3 was flat to rolling hills, and the fourth side had a hill strava has listed as 'the beast'. I didnt find it all that bad of a hill, but thats kind of biased because I love to climb! This is a long post but lots of action!

The weather was perfect for the sportif race that launched in the morning. It was only 3 laps long, making it feel almost too short to go to. I knew I didn't have the conditioning for the much longer u23 race. So I thought I would have some fun with some tactics in the sportif race (which is what the elite 4 men are 'suppose' to do). From the get go my plan was to attack the first lap on the hill and try the break away. If the third lap came around and I was still in the group i would sit back and rest for the sprint.

The race started at a fairly slow pace. No one wanted to work it seemed. On the third stretch on one of the rollers, Mark riding for LapDogs, attacked. It was a bit earlier than I wanted to go so I moved up and started to go after him. I looked over my shoulder and noticed I was bringing everyone with me. I backed off and waited for the hill. The hill was the steepest at the bottom. Halfway up the steep section I jumped and had bridged the gap by the top of the hill. No one else came with me which was perfect! I immediately took command as I wanted this to hold. We started rotating every 30seconds keeping the pace high. The downhill on the second stretch allowed for much needed recovery time every lap.

On the second lap we started to pass some masters riders that started 2 mins before us. I knew we were doing good and had to keep it up. I encouraged him that 2nd place was better than last so we needed to work together and go! I was having chain problems (quick derailleur adjustment before the race screwed it up, should have let it be!). I almost dropped my chain on the second time up the hill. I let out a nice curse word then realized I was alright so I kept going. I was hoping that the Mark wouldnt take advantage of this on the last lap and leave me on the hill.

We got through to our last lap and I couldnt see the chasers behind us. Now it was time to make sure I had some left for the end, but not to slow down too much. Mark had his own plan having me take the wind during most of the third stretch with the hill. Lucky for me he didnt attack then. Once we turned the corner to the home stretch he went! I couldnt grab his wheel and thought I had lost it. I remembered Wiggins' tactic from watch the tour and tried to reel him in slowly. It worked and 500m left I was on his wheel. He slowed right up and let me back on the front. I kept the pace high enough to try and prevent him from recovering, but slow enough that I could still sprint. Now I was thinking of David Millar's win just a few days ago when he took the win from the front. I was watching the shadow waiting for a move. At the 200m mark I knew I would hit my max speed right by the finish line. At that point he hadnt gone yet so I figured it's in my best interest to sprint to the finish! All my sprint training the past few weeks paid off and he couldn't get by me! I took my first ever road victory!!! We ended up making a gap of just under 2 mins on the next group back which shows some good things for the time trial ahead next weekend!!

Tactically wise this race, everything went the way I wanted it to. The only thing for next time is to not screw with my derailleur just before the race!
Links: results http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20120715-205541-prresults.htm
Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/199675090

And a picture of the sprint to go home with! (courtesy of the Lovely Lise Munsie)

Round and Round We Go!

This past weekend was the CHIN picnic criterium. It was held on a short 1.4km course that is part of the molson indy track to be held soon. Overall a fun, fast course with some tight and dangerous corners.  The weather was perfect for the 8am race and there was a start group of about 50. I had high hopes for this race as my legs were feeling great all week. I was also just getting over a cold so I was hoping it wouldnt hold me back. 


 I had trouble clipping in at the start, so I started at the back. Then a few laps in there was a huge pile up just before the lap finish. I came to a stop to try and avoid it. Spent ~4laps (about 8mins) maxed out trying to catch back on. Finally got back on and tried to recover. The whole race was me catching back on then getting pushed back due to a crash or flat. My pack riding skills need a lot of work. I was able to get to the front towards the end but ended up dropping right back (perhaps I was being to cautious with my energy). In the last lap I had to slow down to avoid two crashes, one flat, and had to hop a curb to get past some guys slowing down that were cutting me off. I ended up finishing back behind the lead guys by almost half a minute.


For the next race I need to ride more aggressively, and trust my legs. I need to be at the front or near the front. I know I have the speed and power to win a race, I just need to ride smarter. The only good thing that came from the race was that I did not crash. Also I am now ranked 9th in the Elite 4 division of the Ontario Cup.


I have next weekend off, and Im racing next at holland marsh challenge. After that I get to show the boys my speed at the the bike the bruce TT !


Here are some links if your interested. The first being the race results, the second my garmin page. 
http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20120702-112443-chinresults.htm
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194611833

24hr Summer Solstice!

This past weekend was the 24 hour race that everyone loves. The weather was amazing for the race (although some would argue we could have use a bit of rain). It took place at albion hills near Bolton. The track was fast, flowy, and super dry. You really had to be careful about sliding out in the corners. Riding mainly road this year my plan was to play it safe on the single track and then pin it on the double track.
I raced on the RacedayRush.com / Pfaff Audi team, and it was a great bunch of guys. All of them were fast and they knew quite a bit about the sport so I was able to learn a lot. The team suffered from a few mechanicals during the race and a few crashes but we were never discouraged.
The race for us came down to a fight over 3rd place. After two slow night laps (mine being the slowest)  the fourth place team was within 1 min of us. Luckily we had our fast guys already planned to be going out, which appeared to be against their slower riders. In the end their team wasnt able to come back in before noon in order to get that last lap in. So in the standings we finished one more lap completed than their team but it was a close battle.
Overall I had a great weekend. Maybe the long ride friday wasn't a great idea before a race but I was still able to pull off some decently fast laps. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone that loves to bike, especially mountain biking because it makes for a thrilling weekend. Even if your not aiming for the podium (a lot of the riders there werent. There were a lot of flat pedals, reflectors, baggy shorts, etc.) This week I prepare for CHIN picnic crit on Canada Day!

Heres a link to the results! (we were a 6-10 all male team!) http://chicoracing.com/results/409.html#Cat1

KW Classic from Hell

It was a beautiful day for the race. No wind, no rain but it was super hot. The course was roughly a 4.6km loop that was a little hilly (no true flat sections) that ran through a suburb with some nice houses, and then through an industrial area. There was a fast downhill corner into the suburb that got me scared every lap that something was going to end bad. The only other sketchy corner was the right turn out of the suburb heading toward the hill. There were a few bumps between riders here but from as far as I know, no one went down in our group.

The entire race my legs felt terrible. I could feel it in the warm up. It felt like I just couldn't get my legs to wake up, but i'm at a low in my training plan having just peaked for Niagara classic. That could account for it. But enough complaining, I came to ride bikes!

Still not wanting to DNF from a race a pushed through it. I didn't want to look weak to the other riders after looking so strong at Niagara so I took a few turns at the front hoping it would  'wake' my legs up. There was a solo breakaway that went around the third lap (out of 13). Not sure when we caught him but I guess he made it a lap or so. A few laps later, on the back stretch the masters had a bad crash. There were a few guys on the road and a truck blocking the road. Our group started yelling to get the truck to move. Andrew House was able to squeeze through with his speed and kept hammering. This caused everyone else to have to navigate around the truck and then have to sprint to catch back up.

The rest of the race I was trying to stay safe, and hang on to the group. On the last lap, I thought Id have no chance at the sprint. Coming up the last hill the right side of the road was open. I was a little scared because last time I did this at Springbank I got taken out. But it was worth a shot, so I took the right side of the road up from the back of the group to about the top 10-15 riders. Now every other race, I always started to sprint too early and end up getting passed by 5+ riders. This time I planned before the race, to start sprinting when I passed a certain road sign.We flew out of the chicane, and people started sprinting. I grabbed onto someones wheel, waiting patiently (sitting around 15th). Passed my sign and then opened up. It felt great! I flew by people the whole way up to the finish taking 8th overall and top under 23 (avg 38.7km/h over 60km incase you were curious on the speed). Andrew House ended up passing Jordan Broad on the line due to an early celebration that nearly got him disqualified (can't take both hands off the bars). This ended up giving him the victory.

Overall, with the conditions and how I felt I was very happy with my finish. My best OCUP finish so far! Happy with the sprint planning and finally having self control. The one thing I really need to work on is holding my place in a pack. I find I am yo-yoing from the front to the back and probably wasting a lot of energy in the process.
In case you are interested, heres the link to my garmin page for the ride! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/187757493

Heres a few pictures to thank you for stopping by! (Photo cred to the amazing Lise Munsie)

Jordan and Andrew Sprinting (im on the right side a ways back)

Me sprinting trying to make up lost ground

CHEESE :D

Niagara Classic!

This was a big race for me as my training plan had me peaking for this event. I have been feeling great all week so I knew today would work out great. The course was 5 laps of a 12km loop with a nice steep climb at the end of every lap. A lot of riders feared this effingham wall but I was not overly concerned. But maybe I should have been. It went through some nice quiet roads near Pelham, ON. that maybe could have been a bit wider :p The weather was beautiful, no wind and hot!

Now to break down my race. On the first lap I went through riding towards the front with my buddies on team CHCH. I wanted to be near the front so I could see what the course was like, not having pre rode. I tried to take it as easy as I could up the 'wall' but the guys at the front were pushing the pace. It didn't make much sense because once they got to the top they slowed right down so everyone could catch on.

Second lap I thought I'd better drop back and recover. This is where I found out no body wanted to do any work. Towards the end of the lap I worked back up to the front and tried picking it up again. Again I held the same strategy on the wall.

Third lap after the climb I went right to the front and started to push the pace hoping to break up the peloton a bit. For the rest of the lap I took it relatively easy to keep some gas in the tank.

The fourth lap was where things started to go. I was about half way back in the pack and we were going super easy. So on the third stretch I rode up the left side to the front and just started moving. I looked back and there was only one guy with me. I thought great, maybe we can work together and have this stick. Little did I know his teammate was 'guaranteed to win if it came to a group climb'. He didn't help at all. I was able to work hard enough to build up a decent gap and pick up some KOM points at the top of the hill. I kept trying to encourage him to help but he wanted none of it.

Fifth lap, we made it half way down the first stretch before buddy's teammate joined us. All of a sudden he wants to work now! It was too late though, as we got to the second stretch we were caught. I stayed towards the front of the pack with not as much energy as I would have liked being with everyone. Once we made it do effingham street I knew to stick to the left side just incase things went crazy on the climb that id have the left side of the road to move onto. That whole street on this lap was hell. I put too many eggs in the break away basket and didn't have enough time to recover for the climb. Although the guy that stuck with me was right, his teammate did take the the win. Now if only I had some teammates...

At the end of the day I was able to pull away a ninth place and top under 23 rider in s4. I was hoping for a bit better that ninth, but thats racing. Sometimes you need to take the risks and this time it didn't work for me. I had already changed back into normal clothes when my coach Jeff told me id get a medal for coming second in the KOM points total. I had to run back to my car, put on my sweaty HCC bike kit on and run back to make it back to the podium. At least I was able to leave the day with a medal!

Things that I took from this race. I definitely like how I was able to pick where I wanted to be in peloton today and not be at the mercy of it. I feel as though I gained some more respect from some of the riders so hopefully I wont get needlessly taken out like I was in springbank again. As always I gained more race experience which is something I definitely need at this point! From here I have a few weeks of 'rest' before KW classic!

Just incase your curious, heres links to results page and my garmin page!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/180204831
http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20120520-214442-ncresults.htm

A little bit about me...

I grew up riding bikes in Brantford, ON. One day my buddy Zach thought it would be a good idea to try the Paris to Ancaster. Prior to that we had only biked 30km on our furthest rides and thought we might as well get our money's worth and do the full 60km race. Neither of us had any idea of what we had got ourselves into, but we made it to the end! Ever since that first race I have been trying to push myself to go faster and further.

I started to get more serious into racing last year when I tried my luck in the OCUP mtb circuit. Now if you know Brantford you know there is not much good singletrack to train on. That put my technical skills at a disadvantage and despite my best efforts I was only able to place midpack in senior sport.

This year I decided to switch to road racing to see where it takes me. So far I am doing much better than last year so it looks like the road is here to stay! (of course I will still find time to mtb because its so much fun!).

Also this year I started receiving coaching from Jeff Kehler which has been amazing! He is a great guy and is always there to help me out for a race or questions for training. I've seen a lot of improvement already in the 2 months I have been with him and there will be many more to come!

I am also racing for the Hamilton Cycling Club this year. Its a great club and holds some pretty sweet time trials and hill climbs weekly! I encourage people to come out to them to build up the competition! (you don't need to be part of the club to participate)