well, spring is over, summer is here, although it seems as though it has been summer for months! we've had some pretty awesome weather, and lots of travelling has made it seem like march was decades ago!
Gila was as mentioned awesome, followed up by a dream trip to California, over a week of pure excellence. The two trips with team SpiderTech was a career highlight that will never be forgotten, and hopefully lead to more in the future. A brief couple of days off after California was nice to catch up before heading out with the National team to Saguenay Quebec for a U23 Coupe des Nations. Another great trip with a strong young squad determined to show well on an international stage. David Boily brought home the Mountain prize, and Arnauld Papillon scored a very nice top 5 on GC. Another quick trip home before heading right back out for the Tour de Beauce. My first time at this race, and again impressive. I have heard lots of this race over the years, but since never having been there, I was expecting a bit less to be honest. The racing was top caliber, a good international field with some solid vets of the racing scene, and lots of new up and coming talent. David Boily again in action (with SpiderTech) scored best young rider and well in the top 10 on GC, confirmation of his potential. Will Routley (with our Team Canada) was on the attack a couple of times, and was rewarded with a third place on the final stage. We had a few down times too, three of six riders would crash, two were knocked out of the race as a direct result, and we'd lose two more on the final stage (non start and dnf).Otherwise another great trip.
So things are getting back to normal here at home, getting back into shape, riding lots again, looking forward to some racing, although at this point, its almost July, which means cross is a month closer!
Showing posts with label road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
california update number one
day two just finishing here in Sacramento. Racing starts tomorrow in Nevada city, with stage one finishing here in Sacramento. Arrived Friday from Ottawa, and have spent the past day and a half building, tuning, and prepping bikes. Riders all have their bikes, which are to become spares, as they all received new rides for the race, plus new TT bikes to be assembled for the stage 6 tt. Add a couple of spares, and we're well over 25 bikes, for 8 riders, not including all the spare wheels, and so on and so forth. So business aside, its been good, excellent staff, great bunch of riders, everyone is primed for a good week, and hopefully a good result to add to it.
I think we have the largest bus of all the teams, will confirm that one, but its large, and wrapped in team logos.
Racing in the big time starts tomorrow. I am excited for it, although I have to say, even breakfast this morning was thrilling, seeing the likes of Tom Boonen, Marc Cavendish, Andy Schleck, George Hincapie, Bjarne Riis, Fabian Cancellara, and lots more, pure cool.
will add more as the week goes on.
I think we have the largest bus of all the teams, will confirm that one, but its large, and wrapped in team logos.
Racing in the big time starts tomorrow. I am excited for it, although I have to say, even breakfast this morning was thrilling, seeing the likes of Tom Boonen, Marc Cavendish, Andy Schleck, George Hincapie, Bjarne Riis, Fabian Cancellara, and lots more, pure cool.
will add more as the week goes on.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
updates and news...
Well it has been a busy few weeks, and not much posting to show for it, such is the spring/summer season in my blogosphere..
Ste. Martine, opening round of the Quebec road season went really well. The team performed phenomenally, we had 5 on the start line, a good plan, and execution to follow. I was in it for the final sprint, and with 140 guys on the start line, the plan was to hang on for the ride! Gino would make the winning break group of 8 taking off any pressure for the team to chase. I was able to win the very fast bunch sprint to finish 9th overall about 50 seconds behind the break. Its been a good start to the season.
The next morning I was on a plane to El Paso Texas, and a short drive to Silver City New Mexico for a week at the Tour of the Gila, with Team Spidertech as the mechanic. It would be a 5 stage race of awesomeness. Defending Champ Levi Leipheimer was there, along with cohort Lance Armstrong, and many of the top US pros. Our 5 included Andrew Randall who would show well later in the week with some key breakaways, Mark Batty, Eric Boily, Simon Lambert-Lemay, and Charly Vives. Along with DS Gus Carillo, we had a great week, crazy weather, fast racing, and wicked (real) Mexican food!
All went well. Well enough in fact to get the call-up for next week's Tour of California. Fly out Friday, and super pumped about it! Will have a squad or 8, and DS this time will be Steve Bauer.
I'm not sure if I am more excited for Cali, meeting Steve, the racing, scenery, touching the Pacific for the first time or all of the above!
I hope to have a computer, so we'll post up if possible.
Once back it will be an on again off again fun month in June, which will include Coupe des Nations (Saguenay) and Tour de Beauce.
Fun times ahead!
Ste. Martine, opening round of the Quebec road season went really well. The team performed phenomenally, we had 5 on the start line, a good plan, and execution to follow. I was in it for the final sprint, and with 140 guys on the start line, the plan was to hang on for the ride! Gino would make the winning break group of 8 taking off any pressure for the team to chase. I was able to win the very fast bunch sprint to finish 9th overall about 50 seconds behind the break. Its been a good start to the season.
The next morning I was on a plane to El Paso Texas, and a short drive to Silver City New Mexico for a week at the Tour of the Gila, with Team Spidertech as the mechanic. It would be a 5 stage race of awesomeness. Defending Champ Levi Leipheimer was there, along with cohort Lance Armstrong, and many of the top US pros. Our 5 included Andrew Randall who would show well later in the week with some key breakaways, Mark Batty, Eric Boily, Simon Lambert-Lemay, and Charly Vives. Along with DS Gus Carillo, we had a great week, crazy weather, fast racing, and wicked (real) Mexican food!
All went well. Well enough in fact to get the call-up for next week's Tour of California. Fly out Friday, and super pumped about it! Will have a squad or 8, and DS this time will be Steve Bauer.
I'm not sure if I am more excited for Cali, meeting Steve, the racing, scenery, touching the Pacific for the first time or all of the above!
I hope to have a computer, so we'll post up if possible.
Once back it will be an on again off again fun month in June, which will include Coupe des Nations (Saguenay) and Tour de Beauce.
Fun times ahead!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
road season underway
Its been a very nice spring so far, weather has been great, and now the racing season is back underway.
Two weekends ago, we headed out for the Clarence Rockland Classic, a great new event in the Ottawa area. A cyclosportif, half paved, half not, and at 85km, it would be a day to hang on as long as possible. Winds were strong, and things were good till the first flat midway through. That left me to swap tires, and ride it out for fun. A great day, very nice event, will go next year!
Last weekend was the Calabogie classic, and I was hoping to improve on last years top 5. 15 laps of a pristine 5km race track, twisty turny fun. The first half the goal was get in or chase down breaks, if nothing works, sit in second half and sprint it out. A break or three or four would go second half, and the chase was not motivated, I was content to sit in and sprint it out for remaining spots.
With two laps to go I moved up near the front and began wheel hunting as I did not have any team mates with me this day. Coming into the final km, I tagged onto a good pair, an we'd take the final turns well lined out. I was third wheel with 200m to go, when I pulled out and gave it full gas to the line. With the headwind, and great set up, it was a perfect finish to the race. Turned out there was only one S3 in the break putting me in second place for the day. Nice way to start off the season.
This weekend the racing begins for real! Ste. Martine is the first event on the Quebec Calendar, and here's hoping for another good day.
After Ste. Martine, I'll be flying out the next morning to join team Spydertech at Tour of the Gila, as their mechanic for the week. It'll be a great week of racing, very much looking forward to it! It has also been confirmed that Mellow Johnny's will be present again this year, featuring Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and Jason McCartney, that'll bring out the crowds. Look for me buried in the back seat of the Spydertech car.
Two weekends ago, we headed out for the Clarence Rockland Classic, a great new event in the Ottawa area. A cyclosportif, half paved, half not, and at 85km, it would be a day to hang on as long as possible. Winds were strong, and things were good till the first flat midway through. That left me to swap tires, and ride it out for fun. A great day, very nice event, will go next year!
Last weekend was the Calabogie classic, and I was hoping to improve on last years top 5. 15 laps of a pristine 5km race track, twisty turny fun. The first half the goal was get in or chase down breaks, if nothing works, sit in second half and sprint it out. A break or three or four would go second half, and the chase was not motivated, I was content to sit in and sprint it out for remaining spots.
With two laps to go I moved up near the front and began wheel hunting as I did not have any team mates with me this day. Coming into the final km, I tagged onto a good pair, an we'd take the final turns well lined out. I was third wheel with 200m to go, when I pulled out and gave it full gas to the line. With the headwind, and great set up, it was a perfect finish to the race. Turned out there was only one S3 in the break putting me in second place for the day. Nice way to start off the season.
This weekend the racing begins for real! Ste. Martine is the first event on the Quebec Calendar, and here's hoping for another good day.
After Ste. Martine, I'll be flying out the next morning to join team Spydertech at Tour of the Gila, as their mechanic for the week. It'll be a great week of racing, very much looking forward to it! It has also been confirmed that Mellow Johnny's will be present again this year, featuring Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and Jason McCartney, that'll bring out the crowds. Look for me buried in the back seat of the Spydertech car.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
the as usual its been a while
well spring has come, followed by a few days of summer, cooler today, so I think its still March, judging by the view outside, it could be anything between March and May...
It was a good "winter", of course I say that as the past year has included in some form or other the usual four seasons, but not in any particular order or length that would quantify somewhat usual. March rolled in like a lamb, and has roared into day after day of fantastic warm weather. The snow is all but gone, the roads are good and clear, and the miles are adding up fast on the road bike. My 'classics' ride has been rockin' and rollin' over the rough heaved roads of spring, the fat 27mm Vittoria Pave EVO's are fantastic, but its almost time to pull out the new ride. I will be back on a Kuota this year, but a newer 2010 KOM this time, they generously (surprisingly) replaced my former KOM with a new one (warranty issue). It is a nice white one, and a BB30 bottom bracket, so a new crankset is in order as well. looking forward to testing it out.
I've added a Trek TTX 9.8 to the stable as well, so a few more TT's this year for kicks.
I do feel a big hole missing in the garage however. I am 'cross bikeless at the moment, and despite not needing a bike till September, I almost feel nervous. I'm sure it will be replaced long before the season starts up and ready to roll indeed.
So I'll try and keep on it this spring, but we all know that its much more irregular than cross season...
The Rouleurs are back in action, and next week is the early seaon pre-camp, looking forward to it! Then off to Easter, followed by the first race of the year, the RWR Rockland classic, will kick off what should be another good long season!
nice.
It was a good "winter", of course I say that as the past year has included in some form or other the usual four seasons, but not in any particular order or length that would quantify somewhat usual. March rolled in like a lamb, and has roared into day after day of fantastic warm weather. The snow is all but gone, the roads are good and clear, and the miles are adding up fast on the road bike. My 'classics' ride has been rockin' and rollin' over the rough heaved roads of spring, the fat 27mm Vittoria Pave EVO's are fantastic, but its almost time to pull out the new ride. I will be back on a Kuota this year, but a newer 2010 KOM this time, they generously (surprisingly) replaced my former KOM with a new one (warranty issue). It is a nice white one, and a BB30 bottom bracket, so a new crankset is in order as well. looking forward to testing it out.
I've added a Trek TTX 9.8 to the stable as well, so a few more TT's this year for kicks.
I do feel a big hole missing in the garage however. I am 'cross bikeless at the moment, and despite not needing a bike till September, I almost feel nervous. I'm sure it will be replaced long before the season starts up and ready to roll indeed.
So I'll try and keep on it this spring, but we all know that its much more irregular than cross season...
The Rouleurs are back in action, and next week is the early seaon pre-camp, looking forward to it! Then off to Easter, followed by the first race of the year, the RWR Rockland classic, will kick off what should be another good long season!
nice.
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