What happened to November ?

My November was consumed with all things related to Cyclocross racing. Training, racing, working on my race bike as well as just sorta thinking about it....

If you are not sure what cyclocross is please google it before going any further !!!!

In my last update I filled you in on the Aldergrove race. It was to be the last time the sun shone for a cross race this year. As it turns out this lead to way better racing conditions for myself. I was able to use the bad weather to my advantage and win the next race in what can only be described as epic conditions to win the White Rock BC cup. The short version of this is it was Raining REALY hard and VERY windy. I was nervous at the start not because of the usual pre-race jitters but because everything was so wet and slippery I really did not want someones mistake to take me down. I decided the only safe place to be was alone off the front. Easier said then done but I was able to take the holeshot into the first corner and never really looked back. I just kept pushing and was able to grow my lead over the duration of the race and win solo with a sizable margin. It felt so good to pull it all together for an entire race rather than just saying "well I had one good lap!" It was extra special because Jada was there to see it ! So fun.

The following weekend was the Escape Velocity cx in Burnaby. I raced here last year and had my first win so I was stoked to be back. No rain really but it had been raining for at least two weeks straight to again nice and slick. Unlike the last race were there was lots of room for the start this time it was very very tight. They lined us up four across and in the forth row I think. With little to no room to work with I knew I would be hard pressed to get to the front right away. When the race started I started moving up as fast as I could. I gave myself a lap to get to the leader, and hoped I would be able to get up there at all! I got tangled up in a crash early on and did have some heavy traffic to deal with but made it to the front of the race in only a half lap! I was stoked to have gotten there and decided that I should just keep it rolling. It stuck! I managed to again grow my gap every lap and won with a larger margin than the week prior. What a great feeling to go back to back and prove to my self it was not a fluke!

After my wins I decided to ask about upgrading to a higher category. For those of you unfamiliar with the cycling world, I had been racing without a race licence which meant I could only race in the "C" category. This is for unlicensed racers and those new to the sport of Cyclocross. To race up a category a race licence is needed. I e-mailed Cycling BC and asked if there was a way for me to race up a category for the final race weekend of the year. We were able to figure out the details and make it happen! I was stoked to be able to take a swing at the next category up and see what happens!

What happened ?

Well the rain kept falling all week and I was excited to get back to some racing! This was going to be a 2 race weekend. The first race was in White Rock and was my first race in the "B" category. The racers should be faster and the race was for sure to be longer. The course was different from the the one a couple weeks earlier and was in great shape after having a race run on it before my race start. I figured I would just get to the front and have a real go at it. I made it to the front after about 2 or 3 mins of racing and held it for a little over a lap before I fell apart. I was having a hard time with the flat, windy and bumpy sections of the course. These sections required "power" riding, not my specialty. I much prefer speed, climbing and technical. I did my best and battled through finishing 6th. I truly had no expectations going in besides wanting to feel good and strong for the whole race. That did not happen but I did spend some time at the front of the race and I know not everyone gets to see the front. The highlight of Saturday was being thanked buy my fellow racers for moving up a category ! Usually I stick around and check out the rest of the racing but this time out it was so cold I bolted for home as soon as I could. The bike needed some serious love after the super muddy race. I spent a couple hours at the shop getting the bike back to race ready condition for Sundays Provincial Championships.

The Provincials are run on age category only unlike the other races in the year that are based on ability or experience. So for the second time in the weekend I was racing against a new bunch of guys. Only 40mins from my door to the course in North Vancouver was a nice change from driving to all over the freakin place chasing these races. I liked the course and hoped for a better day than the day before. We lined up grid style and I went as hard as I could from the gun. I didn't make it to the front of the group but was in the lead group for about a lap before they pulled away from me. I settled in to the pain cave and hoped that O would see a couple of the guys in front of me again when they blew up. That didn't happen. I wasn't feeling my usual self and at the mid point of the race while trying to pass a lapped rider I crashed heavily on my right side. The rider behind me passed me and got a gap I wasn't able to close. I spent the remainder of the race chasing my good friend Niels. (<--that's him in action) I didn't catch him. I finished 8th. Sitting there after the finish taking it all in I was initially disappointed, but as time passed and riders kept finishing I couldn't help but notice that a had handily beaten at least a couple guys that got me the day before. So all things considered not a bad way to finish the season. Just enough of a beatdown to let me know I have work to do but signs I can take these guys. The next 10 months will be spent getting faster and meaner to make it happen.

I am hoping I can put a race on in Squamish so I can introduce this awesome sport to all the bike nuts up here.....more on that when I know more.


Check out some Pro Photos from provincials here:

http://www.johnirvinephotography.com/MahonCX2009/

I think John did a good job of capturing the mood of not just the day but of cross in general !


Thanks for reading !!!!

Armand

Hard core

I was feeling all hard core when this pic landed in my in box. That's right folks he's jumping a fire during a cross race. Well then !!!! Those island guys are more than a little nuts. (as you can clearly see above!) That's my man Eric flying the Republic colours and doing 'em proud !!! That's some motivation for the rainy rides over the next few days.

Halloween weekend

Happy Halloween !!!! Lets start off with some pics of some happy pretty girls. Looks like fun huh?




Then there is me.....bit of a different take on the whole dressing up thing.....a bit dark some might say ! I don't know who that mime is.....




After a great night with friends and an unplanned trip to the Griz' I was up early and off to the cross race in Aldergrove.



We loaded up and were rolling by seven. Leaving misty Brackendale behind us we enjoyed an amazing morning for the drive out the valley. All week the forecast was for rain, lots of rain so the sun was a welcome surprise ! Wet ground and sunny sky's are perfect cross conditions !!!!

We made it to the venue way early and unlike last weekend I enjoyed a nice course inspection and a solid warm up. The course was again great ! Lots of fun stuff to be had, a run up that was just the right length, the descent was tricky and off camber, the grassy sections were wet and slippery, and it was WARM !!!!



I always feel a little different when I pin a number on my back. Primal instincts perhaps ?

Race report (the super short version): Went out HARD from the gun and led for a time then blew up. Faded to around 7th before making it back up to 3rd. I was riding with an other rider and on the last lap decided I had better make a move to loose him before the finish. So I attacked him at the start of the lap as the first part of the lap was a better place for me to take time I felt. All was going to plan as I was able to pull out a bit of a gap by the top of the run up. Then it all started to fall apart....when I remounted I kicked my rear brake and it jammed under the rim. I didn't notice until I had ridden a little ways. I was forced to stop and deal with the issue. My gap was gone!!!! So plan B. I was a little spent from my effort to get a gap so I decided to sit on and wait for the final straight and make one more effort there. Good plan right ? Well It turns out I forgot the plan and tried too early to get around him and ended up getting pushed into the tape in the last turn and despite my near vomit inducing sprint effort I was not able to get past him. AHHH !!!! So lost the sprint for 3rd. That's my racer boy way of saying 4th takes the edge off....sort of !!

Really...that was the short version !!!!!

One of my favorite things about racing cross is it's done by 11:00 AM and you have the rest of the day to do with as you please ! It was such a nice day I headed for the Beach !




Skipping rocks in White Rock. Chilling. Then of course there was the steak, beer, views and company but I've dragged this one out long enough !!!

'til next time !

Armand

Photos from the weekend action !

Surfing for some pictures of the weekend action and found a few good ones ! Cross is so much fun you will have to come out to an event and check it out ! That is my friend Neils in the 4th photo looking good in the republic jersey !!! Neils kills it on his single speed cross bike....you may have seen him ripping up the a toonie race or two this year. It's all training for cross season !!!

Short shifting !!!

Today was a bit of a quiet day at the shop so I decided to short shift it. I closed @ 3:00 and spent the afternoon with Jada. We had a killer time going to the Squamish Elementary Halloween Carnival. Kids and chaos and smiles all over the place. Jada got a $0.50 Manicure and played a ton of games. She was stoked to run into one of her best friends Athena. They were born on the same day and always have such a good time together. The highlight was Jada winning a a cake in the cake walk. It was great to see so many people out having a good time with their family's. I will be back next year for sure !!! Kudos to Angie Venakamp for organizing such a great community event!

First blog post ever !!!!!

I decided that it was time to share some of my adventures with anyone who happens to be interested.

So lets get on with it !!! On Saturday I raced my second cross race of the season. After crashing out of the first race of the year a few weeks ago I was stoked to redeem myself. The venue was a cool little park in Port Coquitlam. The course designers had us using the entire park and had a very fun course for us. The highlight was the playground section were everyone had a different line or strategy and the spectators were treated to all sorts of clumsy action. I got a solid amount of pre-riding in prior to the race and felt I had all the tricky parts figured. I could give you the blow by blow race action but I'll save that for your next shop visit. The short version is I was 3rd and quite happy to make it around the course without falling down like I did last time ! Mission accomplished ! A big shout out goes to Squamish local Tony Bachler for winning the first cross race he has ever entered (and kicking my ass !).

The day did not end there....Tony and I were so stoked from our race we decided that we had better get some more racing in our legs so we headed back to Squamish just in time to ride the Lunar Enduro. The Lunar for those that don't know is a 6hr mountain bike race. Tony and I decided we would ride until it got dark. I ripped off a fast lap on my cross bike then hung it up in favor of my mountain bike as it was just more fun that way ! Captain Republic crushed it and won the race wearing the wrestling mask the entire time !!!! I pulled the pin as the temperature dropped and headed home to crash out.

But wait there is more !!!! Sunday Sunday Sunday. I woke up late and thought I was going to have to take a pass on the days racing. Just as I was about to roll over and go back to sleep my phone rang and it's Tony with a "Lets go! I'll drive!" that's all I needed to hear. We pinned it straight to the race in Maple Ridge just in time to have to talk our way through registration. I rolled up to the start just as they were setting up the start grid. So no warm up or course inspection today !!! It was a very cool course laid out on an equestrian cross country course. Lots of cool features but very rough !!! Again I could go into further details but the bottom line is it was not my day. No major issues but just couldn't get going. 6th spot not so bad but I know I can win so it is a bit rough. Oh yeah worth noting I was beaten by a dinosaur, a cave man and Tony (again!). Tony won his second race in a row good job man !

Monday was supposed to be a day off from work and from riding but.....I did some wrenching in the morning and then the sun came out !!!!!! I decided this opportunity should not be wasted and headed up Squamish Valley with Kelly. The legs felt good and it was cool to watch Kelly's face as he discovered the Beauty of the valley for the first time ! Java at the Bean to finish it off proper!

A good few days to say the least !!!!! Only one race this weekend and I feel like it is going to be mine !

Stay tuned,

Armand