Yup, there was some bike racing going on in lovely Maple Ridge. Cory was 2nd in the TT and 2nd overall in Cat 4. Stotts was 21st overall in Cat 4. Mark was 10th (4th in the Crit) and Lats 11th (5th in the TT) overall in Cat 3 but I'll let Lats tell the story:
The RR was on Saturday morning. Sunny to start with threatening showers. A 10km loop with 5kms of punchy rolling climbs that always tear the feild apart. I dressed for the rain and boiled in the first 3 laps, but was happy for the choice of attire come lap 4. Of course then the corners got slippery.......There is a couple of knarly +90 degree corners at the bottom fo 70kmph+ straights. You had to really pick who you wanted in front of you. I was never feeling great,and then on the last lapdiving through the corners I locked up my rear wheel up and then found myself riding between a culvert and a pole....thanks for the advance driving course dad....look where you want to go.
The group was gone at this stage and I knew I had to limit my losses...and TT'd it as best I could to the finish. The group must have been pinning it as they put about 90seconds into me. 1 v 12 in teh run to the finish....I lost misserably!
We headed back to Marks for waffles, newspaper in the wet shoes and a snooze...golden.
The TT is a great course (we raced it 3-4 weeks ago so i felt I knew it well) and on arriving at the sign in, I realised in my haste to leave Marks, my newspaper filled shoes had remained by the heater! Shit......it took me 45mins to find someone with shoes that would fit me and a spare pair of pedals (one of the 1-2 guys with lots of sponsorship....) I got 5 mins of pedaling in and then is was 5/4/3/2 - Go! Boom.
Awesome 12km course that a little over half way becomes this really rough road...great for heavy guys (any ex rower albiet lightweight or not). I think I should do short TT's with minimal warm up more often. I felt great! Rolled in for 4th on this one, and cursed myself for missing that corner this morning!
I just got home from the crit. I love this course. Anticlockwise (southern hemisphere style) with a chicane and a big long sweeping bend before the finish straight. I knew coming into this I was sitting in 10th, 4 secs back from a Canberian......6/4/2 second bonuses on the primes, so you know what the tactic was get some time, then line up for the win. The field was small, and the time gaps between the guys going for podium places minimal so no break was going to be let to go. I think I got two thirds, but am waiting for the results which would put me even for 9th.
There were crashes everywhere, and well, including me coming out of the last bend. Sitting in 4th wheel, feeling great by this point, I pedaled in the usual spot.....but we were coming through a little hotter, clipped the pedal and well, the photos tell the rest of the story! Crap by me but it comes with the racing. So much skin and carbon left on the bitumen! It's going to be expensive!
The guys were great, taking my bike, loading my bike in the car while the ambo dudes patched me up... Though I found alot more grit in the wounds later! Then, Stotts (who took the photos) handed me a beer with Ryder Heshadals name on it..... a fucking cyclist with a beer named after him - it must be zero calories!!
I'm gonna need some new kit, so those that expressed interest - remind me!
The group was gone at this stage and I knew I had to limit my losses...and TT'd it as best I could to the finish. The group must have been pinning it as they put about 90seconds into me. 1 v 12 in teh run to the finish....I lost misserably!
We headed back to Marks for waffles, newspaper in the wet shoes and a snooze...golden.
The TT is a great course (we raced it 3-4 weeks ago so i felt I knew it well) and on arriving at the sign in, I realised in my haste to leave Marks, my newspaper filled shoes had remained by the heater! Shit......it took me 45mins to find someone with shoes that would fit me and a spare pair of pedals (one of the 1-2 guys with lots of sponsorship....) I got 5 mins of pedaling in and then is was 5/4/3/2 - Go! Boom.
Awesome 12km course that a little over half way becomes this really rough road...great for heavy guys (any ex rower albiet lightweight or not). I think I should do short TT's with minimal warm up more often. I felt great! Rolled in for 4th on this one, and cursed myself for missing that corner this morning!
I just got home from the crit. I love this course. Anticlockwise (southern hemisphere style) with a chicane and a big long sweeping bend before the finish straight. I knew coming into this I was sitting in 10th, 4 secs back from a Canberian......6/4/2 second bonuses on the primes, so you know what the tactic was get some time, then line up for the win. The field was small, and the time gaps between the guys going for podium places minimal so no break was going to be let to go. I think I got two thirds, but am waiting for the results which would put me even for 9th.
There were crashes everywhere, and well, including me coming out of the last bend. Sitting in 4th wheel, feeling great by this point, I pedaled in the usual spot.....but we were coming through a little hotter, clipped the pedal and well, the photos tell the rest of the story! Crap by me but it comes with the racing. So much skin and carbon left on the bitumen! It's going to be expensive!
The guys were great, taking my bike, loading my bike in the car while the ambo dudes patched me up... Though I found alot more grit in the wounds later! Then, Stotts (who took the photos) handed me a beer with Ryder Heshadals name on it..... a fucking cyclist with a beer named after him - it must be zero calories!!
I'm gonna need some new kit, so those that expressed interest - remind me!
Personally, I think it toughens up his image a little bit...
I love Cory's pensive look: 'Hmmm, what have I got myself into with this bikes thing?'
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