Cyclepath Oakville Race Team Report #9

My apology for the delay between reports (almost a month?!) It’s
been a busy time for me both personally and bike-wise.
This update takes in 3 weeks, 3 provinces and several very fine
athletes.

We can start with Greg’s last 24hr race, completed back on the
weekend of June 19/20.

“This year's 24 Hours of Summer Solstice was the largest mountain
bike event in Canada the with over 2,000 competitors. With great
weather (albeit a very chilly 6 degrees on Sat night), fantastic
challenging course, expo area, live band, excellent organizers,
checkpoint volunteers and cheering crowd (even some during the
blackest hours) all combined to create an amazing festival event.
I had an excellent race finishing 16th out of 42 solo men with 15
laps or 250km and 5070 metres of climbing. First place completed 19
laps. My only incidents were having to ride most of one lap with no
rear brakes (my brake pad fell out) and on that lap crashing into a
tree giving me an impressively bloody ear.
I would like to thank those of you in the Oakville Cycling Club that
helped me to raise over $1500 for the Diabetes Association of Canada.
Being part of Team Diabetes was a wonderful experience, both as an
opportunity to assist those with Diabetes in a small way, and also
because they did an amazing job supporting the riders with a
fantastic pre-event and during event organizer (Jessie Darmon), race
entrance fees, bike lights, jersey, t-shirt, food, drinks, 20x40
event tent, a mechanic (new cables before the race and rear brake
pads during the race), and about 50 other fellow Team Diabetes riders
to have some pre and post race fun with ... although it was hard
watching the large corporate teams drinking beer around the fire
while I had to go out for another lap!
Greg”

Great effort and a good cause – Well done Greg. Enjoy the month of
July riding in Spain.


Next, Dave Campbell made the flight out to Kamloops B.C. for the
Nationals.

“Here's the full update from the Nationals in Kamloops
Yesterday (Thursday) was the ITT. Weather here has been
un-freaking-believably hot - Wed 38C, Thursday 37C, today 37C! The TT
course profile was great (out and back over 26.1km with lots of
rolling
climbs) but the road was very rough with virtually no smooth pavement
but
rather roads with chunks of 1" stones. I felt good and thought that I
had
a good race averaging 40.6km/hr on the 26.1 km course (the official
distance
was 25km but they forgot to add the 550m on the start section). My
final
time was 38:47 which I thought would have put me comfortably in the
top ten
but the level of competition here in the vet B field has been
incredible,
so I had to settle for 12th. An interesting point is that my time
would
have put me 6th place if I had been racing master A - go figure!

Friday was the road race. Again it was nuclear hot hitting 37C by
noon.
There were 57 starters riding a 126 km course which was 6x21km loops
with
one climb that was 1.5 km at 8%. I felt great and attacked with one
other
after about 30km and was away for about 15km before being pulled back
in.
Up to about 110km I was still feeling great and was doing my best to
stay
off the front but was usually in the front 5 all day. Then things
went bad.
Due to a miscommunication my water crew didn't get me water for the
5th lap
so unfortunately I went bone dry in the heat of the day for 20km. I
did my
best to hold on but popped on the big climb. I finally got water from
the
wheel truck and 10 minutes later i felt good again but unfortunately
the
damage was already done. I tried like crazy to pull the main group
back in
but I just didn't have the legs but swore to myself that I was not
going to
DNF and went as hard as I could to try and keep it respectable.

starters-57
my place = 29 (6 minutes back)
finishers - 37


That's it guys and I'm already looking forward to Sutton.
Cheers,
Dave Campbell”

Many of us are aware of just how well Dave did in this event. Most
of the Ontario racers that made the trip out to B.C. suffered
terribly with the heat. We’ll get to Sutton a bit later.


On Canada day, Brad woke up before Dawn to compete in the Provincial
Crit Championships. Then had a fun race on the weekend.
Crit Champs -
“So here's my scoop...
Vet B/C/Ds start time 7am... woke up at 5:30... jumped in the old
Toyota and make it with lots of time.
... spun some warm up laps with Carl Clark (Brant Cycle)... he's
raced the OCC events.
... pretty uneventful race in total... there were no mid race primes
to add zip and very little happened... I hung with the group and came
in around 20 again I figure, didn't stick for results, still on the
mental plateau, the elevator is not going up at this point.
... Mark Polsinelli won in the final drag race with the regular
speedsters.
... one crash, as someone clipped Carl's back wheel and wiped out a
few 'on the left'... did not appear to be serious damage... most
managed to come to safe standing stop.
... late registration cost me $50... parking was another $15... and
the total race time could not have been more than 45 minutes...
hummm.
... riders are queuing up for the next OCup RR and looking to get a
jump on all the sprinters... may be an opportunity to join forces
with some other guys and get Super Dave or Speed Man Francois up the
road a tab from the big guys... then let them sprint to a win.
... this Sunday there is a long tough race in Waterloo area that
looks interesting.
... All the best to the warriors in Sutton.

So I got in another race this weekend...
I had originally intended to do the Conestoga RR, but on Saturday AM
I joined the OCC training ride to ride for an hour, and discovered
there was another 100k hilly race closer to home and cheaper...
Bramptom CC, Chetleham ... less competitive turnout than the
Conestoga RR likely, but less money, $5, and included a post-race
BBQ... started at 8... home to watch the Euro 2004 title game... no
contest in my mind. I could get a good hilly workout.
... decent turnout... away we go... 9 laps... first time for me to
see this fun course.
... cruise along ... pace is decent and people not enjoying the
climbing feel it...
... after 7 laps we are down to 6... 3 stray off the front on the
long grinder... and 3 of us work later to catch them batch.
... last grind up and 2 ease away (Carvagggio, Rucshe?) ... I don't
respond partly because I'm a little tired, partly because I don't
think it'll stick... mistake.... it's going to stick.
... when I realize we are not going to work hard enough to draw them
back ... the 3 of us clip along looking for 3rd.
... get to the final crisp shorter climb to the finish and I expect
to see someone make a run for it... nothing... so I click a bigger
gear and go for it ... no response... on the flat I keep looking over
my shoulder expecting to see someone else coming, but not to be... I
cruise in for 3rd.
For me very cool.
(... you know I never switched once out my big ring, not proper
climbing technique I realize... just seemed to be OK).”
So onto Sutton, P.Q. & The Coupe des Ameriques, better known in these
parts as the North American Masters championships.
Myself, Ian, Dave & Francois have really developed a respect for this
race, thanks in large part to former full-time and now part-time
Sutton resident and burgeoning real estate tycoon Francois Faust.
With some gentle persuading very early in 2003, he suggested it might
be something our team may be interested in. 2 years in & we’re
hooked.
BTW, To get your own taste of this fantastic area, contact Francois.
He has some beautiful condos there.

It’s 3 days and 4 HARD stages in some of the most beautiful landscape
and cycling friendly regions in Canada. For those not familiar, it
begins with a hill-climb prologue, then a TT, a crit, and then a
classic point to point road race. I’ll add some thoughts of my own
in at the end, but Ian sent out this synopsis to our teammates
shortly after his return home.

“Gary was wondering how us "Sutton Holidayers" were doing. I think
it's safe to day we're all hurting.
I'd like to start by thanking Francois and Louise for their
hospitality (I'll be renting that condo again Francois) and Chris for
another restaurant-class meal on Saturday evening. It's now an
anticipated high-point of the Sutton weekend.

The hill climb group prologue on Friday evening basically lays out
the pecking order good and clear and there were no real surprises for
the varyingly gravitationally challenged members of our team. Dave
was clearly our strongest climber, finishing in 33:57, only +1:30
behind the stage winner for 35th. Chris was next in 53rd place at
+2:25 (again, from the winner's time) and I brought up the rear, thus
ensuring that all members of the team finished safely in 62nd at
+3:10. Francois raced in the B race ahead of us and completed the
10km approach and 6.5km climb in 35:44 for 45th place at +2:47.
Incidentally, Dave raced in the A events all weekend even though he
is 40 and could have done very well in the B events. Admirable.
Saturday a.m. 9.5km TT results as follows:-
Winner 11:29 (49.64 km/hr)
Chris McCart 12:32 (45.48 km/hr)
Dave Campell 12:34 (45.36 km/hr)
Ian Fisher and Francois Faust 13:01 (43.79 km/hr)

Saturday evening brought the crit. with everyone finishing rubber
down and unscathed (the main goal here). A crash in the final corner
put Chris way wide and myself over the muddy and rutted corner of
someone's property and should have ensured that everyone was given
the same time.

Sunday road race was a harder than I remember start of 20km through
some small hills that were putting Chris and I in some pain already.
The middle 45-50 km is a fast cruise with no-one strong enough or
stupid enough to attempt a break-away. The final 15km consists of two
big long climbs with a long fast descent in between. This is really
what this stage is all about, survive to the big hills and redline to
the finish. Dave was way up the field and eventually finished in 17th
place (awesome) putting him in 20th place in the GC. I came in 44th
for a GC placing of 50th. Chris had a hard day and suffered on the
final climbs. I don't have complete results for stage four or the GC
unfortunately and they aren't posted on the web-site yet.
Sutton is about the experience for me and it was as good as I
remembered. I took the family along and finished the weekend by
taking the kids to "climb a mountain" as I had promised them all
weekend. We only went about 2km up and back on one of the surrounding
hills' steep nature trails, but after the morning road race it was as
hard a couple of kms as I had done this weekend. By the time I made
it back to the prize-giving banquet, Dave and Chris had already hit
the road and I hope you guys had a better drive than I did. Eight and
a half hours through heavy traffic, thunder storms and two bouts of
car-sickness for Connal (lovely).
See you at Andrew's Scenic Acres next Saturday.
Ian.”

Ian sums up the weekend quite well. I think all of us come away from
this race with mixed emotions. Pleased to be able to compete with
some of the best racers on the continent and enjoy what is easily the
best-organised, most welcoming race anywhere. Still it’s difficult
not to be disappointed with at least 1 of your performances over a
race that lasts 4 stages. Both Francois & I had this event targeted
all year as one of our 1 or 2 “A” events. I think it’s safe to say
both Ian & Dave look at it the same way. It’s just too big and hard
not to take it completely seriously.
I was pleased with my first 3 races, feeling quite strong (for an
obvious NON-climber) and not overly taxed. I told both Dave & Ian I
wasn’t feeling my best almost as soon as the race started - sure
enough my road race went very poorly and I struggled home completely
shattered from the last 15kms, well down from where I would have
expected. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure now that I let myself get
dehydrated (as I only pee’d 3 times Sunday despite drinking like a
fish both during the race and on my 9 hour drive home) from Saturday
afternoon to Sunday morning - bush-league. If you’ll permit me, I’d
like to share some of the mental & emotional baggage this sort of
experience can bring to the surface.
All of the members of this team are enthusiasts. Very very dedicated
enthusiasts. None of us (perhaps 1) have the genetic talent to ever
be or to have ever been pro (in the truest sense of the word).
That’s half the reason I love these guys. All the same, we make often
severe sacrifices of one sort or another, to train, race and improve
our skills and fitness. It is our choice and is often a very
slippery slope. Coming up those last 5km’s of climbing on Sunday
brought many questions of those sacrifices right down on my
handlebars. Some of the questions have answers - others remain on
those stretches of pavement, untouched.
I found it was too much to bear once I’d crossed the finish.

2 days removed and the bike will sit - untouched, for a few more days
yet. We just need some space apart. One of my astute teammates
said to me – “Racing that hard will either make you quit, or make you
train harder”.

My sincere thanks to those of you that make those sacrifices easier
for everyone on this team.

Chris.





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