Lake of Bays Road Race

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Last weekend I headed down to Huntsville for the Lake of Bays Road Race, organized by Bruce Bird of the Wheels of Bloor club. I was looking forward to riding a new course, and one that on paper looked pretty epic, with the course being made up of a large loop on both open highways and more windy back roads.

Before making it to the race though, I stayed at my folk's place in Cambray so I would only have to travel a couple hours to the race on Sunday morning. After a smooth drive down highway 7, I made it to Cambray where my Dad was putting the finishing touches on a bike tune-up in the shop. After he finished up in the shop we headed out for a bit of a spin to work out the kinks after my long drive and his long day in the shop.​

Sunday morning I woke to coolish temperatures. On my way to Huntsville the weather got worse and worse, with snow and hail coming down. And despite the sun showing itself here and there before my race started, the snow and hail were around all day, making for a very tough race.

​The first lap of my race was ridden pretty aggressively, and with 170km on the menu, I was riding conservatively on the wheels, as my goal was just to finish to get lots of racing miles in the legs. After a lap however, I was sufficiently frozen and decided to call it a day to avoid any long term repercussions. However, with the large course loop, one circuit still made for 95k of racing, so I was happy to get some hard miles in my legs, and also to be part of a race that was ridden in such epic conditions.

Inside the resort, those that abandoned created what looked like a refugee camp, as they wrapped themselves in blankets trying to thaw out while sharing stories of their day.

For those that finished, regardless of place, kudos to them! And kudos to Bruce for organizing such a cool event. I'm looking forward to returning to Lake of Bays to race again, but hopefully in more reasonable conditions.​

​Newcomer to the team, Sam 0'Donnell rode in the Elite 4 race, and here's a report on how things went in his race:

"Lake of Bays Road Race E4. 

Last Sunday was the inaugural Lake of Bays Road Race. I'd been looking forward to this one for awhile given that it features a longer than normal course and some nice changes in elevation. I left my house early on Sunday for the drive down to the race and went through many patches of rain and sun. About half way through the drive the weather was looking up, but once entering Huntsville it was clear that it would be wet for at least some of the race. At the start line it was about 3c with wet pavement, snow, rain, and strong wind. I was shivering just standing there, it was FREEZING. Pace was easy as we started out. I lined up right at the front. Knowing that the roads would be sketchy I didn't want to take any chances. The first 20km featured tight roads with some fairly big elevation changes. It was ridden at a fairly quick pace. Often the pack went single file as someone would drive it on, and everyone would be content to follow. There were a couple longer rolling climbs and some quick descents. I wanted to stay at the front for one descent in particular because there was a seriously messed up section of pavement on it right before a sweeping corner. I managed to enter that section 3rd, so that was nice. Still hit a big bump that sent my bike shaking, but no problems.

Middle part of the course was on rolling hwy with open sight lines. Roads were dry at this point, which was nice. A three man break went shortly after we hit this section, and one or two of the guys in it had a teammate back in the bunch. There was a very strong head/crosswind. It was kind of tense for a bit when a chase group of 4 or 5 broke off the front, and I was in the back group. I was pretty annoyed that I missed it. I helped do some work to bring it back together (not a ton though, by any means), and eventually it was groupo compacto at around 40km in or so. After that it got really slow. I guess most people figured there was no reason to work without a break up the road, and no one attacked. I feel that most were tired from the earlier efforts. It started snowing again at that point... 

When we came to around 60km in or so it started hailing. At that point we turned onto some tighter roads and started making our way back North. Pace would get driven up on the short climbs, and then it would ease off on the descents and flats. Started to rain heavily around then too. We made another turn onto 'North Portage rd' which featured very tight, tree-lined road and lots of changes in elevation. The road was completely soaked, and it was raining. People kept attacking, and the pace was high. Made for some really awesome riding! I just kept following and took the odd pull, didn't do any attacking myself per my plan of waiting for the final climb at 6km to go or sprinting. My glasses started to fog up on the climbs, and I had a tough time getting them off my face and into a pocket. Finally, I was able to toss them into the front of my jacket going over the top of a hill.

Eventually we came back to the 8km finishing leg (it was the same piece of road that we used to get onto the main loop around the Lake of Bays) with about 10-12 guys left. Lost some valuable positions in the left hand corner onto the section, and I made some mistakes positioning on the climbs and kept getting caught behind a big guy who couldn't climb very well... I made it over the climbs near front each time though. After the last sizable climb I moved to the back of the group to mark a guy who I thought would be a good wheel to follow. That was a mistake. An attack went about 3-4km away from the finish right before a descent (last few kms were mostly downhill). A gap opened up in front of the guy I was following and I chased. I told the guy I thought he'd be good to follow between gasps as I went around him and we had a bit of a laugh (I know him from other races). Eventually the group that was in front slowed and I caught on the back. The last km was f-king hard. There was the original attacker up the road, a group of 4 behind him, and a very small gap from them to me and two other guys. I tried to close the gap for a bit, the other guys pulled through, and I went to the back. As we got over the last little ramp before 300m to go I came around one side, the second guy in the line in front of me went on the other. We passed the guy who was pulling but I didn't have enough to hold the other guy off.  

Ended up 7th out of 27 starters. All in all a great race, though a little cold." 

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Tour of the Dragons

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Andrew, Gerald, and I went down to Bennington, Vermont on the weekend for Tour of the Dragons senior 3 race. Joining us on the adventure was Brandon Spencer, an up and coming under-23 rider from the Kawartha's, who rode in the Pro/1/2. It was pretty cool race; nice courses and nice weather were in store for us.

Although the courses weren't without their surprises, including several dirt sections in both the circuit race and the road race. We probably shouldn't have been surprised given that the same organizer puts on the infamous Tour of the Battenkill.

​I surprised myself with the group sprint win in the circuit race. It was a downhill run-in to the sprint, which suits my spin. Tried to breakaway but the group wasn't having any of it, so I figured I may as well give the sprint a go. For my win I got a blueberry pie, which served as good dessert that evening and breakfast the next morning.

​The Saturday afternoon time trial wasn't all that straightforward, rolling with lots of turns. A reconnoissance would've been prudent, but I made do with the course as it came at me, and pulled off a 6th place on the stage to move into 5th overall.

​The road race was pretty and brutal. Pretty because that area is lush with green mountains and awesome descents. But brutal with several climbs, some of them entirely dirt, and most of them with really steep pitches to make the race hard. Those steep parts had me come unglued several times, but thanks to Andrew's domestique work I managed to make contact with the group each time to maintain the 5th overall. Always nice racing in that area, and even better coming home with a result.

​After the road race was all wrapped up, the GPS had us take the scenic way home, and with the customary stop at McDonald's, another race weekend road trip was officially deemed a success!

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2013 Tour of the Battenkill

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Gerald, Greyburns, JRoc, and Charlie made the trip down to Saratoga Springs, New York for the annual Tour of the Battenkill, which takes place in Cambridge, New York. After a few hours in the car, the gang decided to work out the kinks with a post-drive spin.

When we were done riding it was time to eat, and the decision of where to eat was an easy one, with a BBQ place just across the street from the Best Western. And what a BBQ place it was! After (over) indulging on BBQ we headed back to the hotel to veg-out, probably in a similar manner to cavemen after they had a brontosaurus feast. It all worked out though, as our start times dictated that we hit the hay early.

​In the morning we went to the the trusty Starbucks for our mandatory caffeine hit, a bit of smoothie, and a few pastries for some carbs. After we each got our shot in the dark, we piled back in the car to make the short trip over to Cambridge.

​Andrew, Gerald, and Charlie participated in the Masters 30+ race, while Janine decided to enter the Gran Fondo event. As per usual, the Masters 30+ race started pretty easy on the rollout to the first covered bridge. After that the pace quickly increased as we entered the first dirt section. On each climb, the group hammered hard, while in between the climbs and the dirt sections the pace mainly settled down. The slowing of pace allowed a break of 3 to formulate, and those riders wouldn't be seen again until after the finish. Kudos to their panache!

Gerald found the intensity a bit too hot, as he's currently got more of a diesel engine. He was gapped off the group after about one-third of the course covered. Andrew was hanging tough over the first few climbs, but found himself under-geared with his new compact crank and no 11 cog. He made a valiant chase after finding himself tailed off on a descent, and after a 10k chase he made contact with the group again. But unfortunately his making it back to the pack happened just as we hit one of the most severe dirt climbs. Charlie heard a quick hello from Greyburns, and then an even quicker farewell, as Andrew paid the price for his chase effort.

Charlie meanwhile made use of the course itinerary sheet Andrew had prepared to ensure he was in good position for the start of the climbs, and hung tough with the front of the pack over the steep gravel hills.​ After a group split off the front of the pack in one of the last dirt sections, Charlie found himself in a chase group with little horsepower, and protective teammates of riders up front. Sensing it was time to take matters into his own hands, he broke away from the group exiting a corner onto some pavement and went into solo mode with 15km to go. With 3km to go, Charlie made contact with a straggler from the leaders, and was caught by a chaser, but managed to take on his two companions in the sprint for 8th. Top-10 goal achieved!

Janine rode steady through her Gran Fondo, using her 'cross bike to navigate the hilly dirt sections. A big group caught her with 3km to go, but she was in no mood to give up places at the end. She lead out the group sprint and took it all the way to the line, not knowing at the time how much that sprint would pay off. After washing up and grabbing some food and a cold one at the expo, Janine was surprised when she was called up to the podium for the 3rd spot. Rewarded with a commemorative jug of chocolate milk, it was official, Battenkill 2013 was a success!

​Thanks to Brown's Brewing Company, who are celebrating their 20th year, for their delicious beers they were serving at the Battenkill Expo post-race! The bitter is so good!

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Clarence-Rockland Classic 2013

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The Clarence-Rockland Classic, presented by Ride with Rendall provided the first opportunity of the season ​for Nine2FivePro to get on a start line. The conditions were pretty tough, mimicking what we've recently seen over in the European Spring Classics: cold, cold, cold. Nine2FivePro had 11 guys on the start line ready to prove their mettle on the rough roads of Clarence-Rockland. ​

​Bringing home the best result of the day was Doug, finishing in the lead group with a 7th place finish, showing that he's put in the hours over the winter, even though he's got the new responsibility of being Dad. Way to go Doug!

Also showing some good form were Jake and Ryan, two guys who also have their hands full on the home front, but clearly doing their homework during the winter to get some hard time in on the pedals.​

Other Nine2FivePros who were willing to suffer to represent the team were Warren, Graham Page, Chris, Hans, Rich, Adam, Gerald, and Greyburns. Pretty decent turnout despite the nasty conditions.

There's a great album of photos from the race on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/retrospark/sets/72157633190831022/with/8628774049/​

​And Ride with Rendall has the full results here: http://www.ridewithrendall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/results.html

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Nine2FivePro Winter/Spring Ride

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Despite the chilly temps, and the snow beside the road, Greyburns, Gmon, and I got out for a few hours on the weekend to get some miles in the legs. ​After watching the finish of Gent-Wevelgem we convened in Kanata to avoid the mess of the city roads.

​We ended up riding about 116km, doing loops close to where we parked in case we got too cold. After about an hour and a bit we stopped in at Alice's Village Cafe in Carp. The coffee and carrot cake there was a treat, and served as a nice pick me up for the rest of the ride.

​Having lost track of time, Gerald and Andrew realized they were both burning bridges with their significant others because of how long we had been out,  so we turned up the throttle and hammered for home.

South Carolina...Part Deux

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The rest of the week saw cooler temperatures, but that didn't deter anyone in the group from riding. The sun was shining and plans had been made to tackle a few loops and bakery runs.​

​Wednesday saw the girls make a break for Saluda, to discover the awe and mystery of the Saluda bakery. Their route took in the Greenville Watershed, providing a nice backdrop to ride along on their journey. After returning, rave reviews were heard throughout the house for the bakery's soup and pastries.

​While the ladies went off to Saluda, the guys plotted a loop around Lake Jocassee, which involved a lot of climbing. Brendan was a hurting unit on the way back, so the others gave him some food and took off for home, planning to head out to give Brendan a lift home. In the end, Brendan got a second wind, as the car only made it a couple km down the road before they found Brendan plodding his way home. A "sticky" can of beer was offered out the car window to aid Brendan in the final 12% grade back to the house.

The next day a few members of the crew decided to take it easy with a short ride close to home, saving the legs for the Queen stage on the Blue Ridge planned for Friday.

Janine and I decided instead to go off on another bakery journey, this time to the Flat Rock bakery beside the Wrinkled Egg antique shop in Flat Rock, NC. After ​a slight detour off course, we managed to get back on track, and Janine was able to show me a nice long climb up through the Greenville Watershed. In anticipation of the bakery, neither of us delved into our energy bars, as we wanted to save our appetites for the bakery. This lead to some grumpy cyclists finally making it to Flat Rock. After some pastries, coffee, and pizza, our morale received a boost, and we were ready for the trek over the backside of Caesar's Head and home. This turned out to be the longest day on the bike of the week at 140km.

Friday we started in Rosman, with the plan to ​tackle the climb up to the Blue Ridge, and then descend down into Brevard to loop back to the cars. Gerald and I pushed the pace on the climb, looking to test the legs and gain some fitness for the upcoming races. After a wicked climb, everybody put on their warm clothes for the ride along the Ridge, as the temperature was low, and the wind was high. Upon coming around one of the long sweeping bends that make up the Ridge, Kate managed to double flat on chunks of rock and ice that had fallen from a rock face. While repairs were made, we were treated to a rock, snow, and ice show, as the sun melted the snow and ice, mini avalanches broke the silence of the mountain by crashing to the road.

After fixing the flats, the group continued, glad that Kate only had two wheels. The first part of the descent of the Ridge was a twisting technical affair, while the bottom part was more relaxed with long sweepers, paralleling streams and rivers, which eventually took us to a cool waterfall. We made it back to the cars after a stint on the Rosman highway, and after packing up the cars we headed home for another feast to celebrate our Queen stage and all the riding of the week.

South Carolina....Recap after 4 days

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Arrived in Carolina on Saturday late afternoon to fantastic weather. After frantically unpacking the car, and choosing our rooms in the rental house, we quickly kitted up and headed out for our first ride....a quick jaunt up the climb to Rocky Bottom and back. Having worked the kinks out from two days of driving we looked forward to doing more substantial outings during the coming days.

​Sunday provided more awesome weather, so we headed to Caesar's Head to tackle the climb as we do each year. A few hours later we arrived home tired, but satisfied, having conquered our 'friendly' climb again.

Monday called for rain, so the keeners in the house plotted an early getaway in order to beat the rain, while others slept in saving themselves for our annual adventure into Greenville. The ride turned out to be short and sweet...and sour. Short because the window of opportunity to ride before the rain was limited. Sweet simply because we wouldn't let the less-than-stellar weather stop us, and sour because two out of the three keeners suffered flats....oh well. For those that rode in the morning, the afternoon beers in Greenville were extra tasty.​

​Tuesday saw the warm and sunny weather return, so we embarked on our annual SNS Classic, which takes us from South Carolina, over the continental divide into North Carolina, returning back to South Carolina by way of the backside of Caesar's Head. After a long day in the saddle, there was much food desired, and consumed, with more and more food being cooked. After a delicious meal, and some thirst-quenching beverages, all were satisfied and fuelled up for the next day's adventure.

Hans Goes Mad on Snowshoes

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Not even two months into 2013, and already Nine2FivePro is racking up some results. Not on two wheels mind you, but on snowshoes. Hans has been kicking some butt in the ​Mad Trapper Snowshoe Racing Series. After a couple podiums in the early races of the season, he finished off the season with a win in the Series Finale. Here's some pics of Hans in action, and a video highlighting the series. You can catch Hans flying by in the video at around 1:52.