Entries Tagged 'road cycling' ↓

As a part of our regular sunday road rides, this upcoming Sunday we will be diverting into more of an urban setting – heading downtown to take part in the Ciclovia event.

Still start at the same time at the shop, but we will be heading north instead of south.

More info about the event here: Ciclovia Winnipeg

Congratulations to Alter Ego team member Leah Kirchmann and Woodcock team member Karlee Gendron for dominating the podium in their last race in P.E.I yesterday. The medals cap off a long, hard week of racing for the entire Manitoba team. Full results from the Games can be found here.

Wpg Free Press article – click here.

Woot, woot Team Toba!

Manitoba Cyclocross Race #1

The season starts off on Sunday, August 30th with Manitoba Cyclocross #1, brought to you by the Olympia Cycling Club. We’re trying an new venue at Crescent Drive Park which should be a fast course.

For those who do not have an MCA license and want to give cyclocross a try all you need to do is buy the MCA citizen license and we’ll let you into the race for free! For that matter, you will get into all remaining races* for free (excluding the Provincial championships) with a citizen’s license. To help you get ready for your first cyclocross experience a group of experienced racers will be offering a free clinic on the ins and outs of cyclocross at the race site starting at 2:00.

For more information go to: www.olympiacyclingclub.ca  or www.cxmb.blogspot.com. Registration forms available at: http://www.olympiacyclingclub.ca/?p=1304

Date: August 30th
Location: Crescent Drive Park
Times: races start at 3:00 for the kids, 3:45 for B and citizen, and 4:45 for A
Cost: Citizens and 15 and under free, all others $10

*all participating organizers

Day 1

Longmont CO.

Dave and I got here early and got to borrow some bikes ( RS’s ). We road up from Longmont up to jamestown, and I mean UP. it took us 1hr 10 min to get up to Jamestown. then we went past Jamestown, and the road got f*&^ing steep….. for the next 35 min, it was a brute of a climb. but we topped out after climbing for 2 hrs total. Both of us wanted to turn around a few times, the lungs were burning and no gears left ( cervelo RS’s come stock with 50/34’s, and we both needed more gears )  and the road still when up and up. We both “paperboyed” accross the road a few times. Once we topped out on the climb we turned around and it took us around 10 min’s to get back down to Jamestown ( easly going over 90km/hr quite a few times ) and then working the rest of the down hill down lefthand canyon back down to Longmont.  My legs are so tired now…..
Beer and Pizza was so good……

now it’s off to lay down and rest for tomorrow, New toys and Sales meatings and a few more epic rides up in the “hills” here down in Colorado

Day 2

Well it was more about Work. Loking back over Cervelo 2009 and how the year was and what transpired.

The launching of the Test Team and what they have accomplished so far this year, both Men’s and Wm’s teams was a big undertaking. Looking back it was fun to see the underdog fight and come out on top for the month of June, and Having the top rider in the pro tour all in their first year. Hopefully Thor can take the Green jersey all the way to Paris.

We looked at Test Team Travel, and wow, if only I didn’t just do a Kitchen reno. You can sing up, fly to watch the team race, but you get a CTT kit, a chance to ride some of the Race route and then have dinner with the team after. I don’t think I could ride and hang out whiht Mr. Armstrong, But you could ride and hang out with Thor or Carlos…..

Then we got to see all of the new 2010 Cervelo’s, and wow. I might need / want a new ride for next year. That’s all I can say at this time, untill after interbike…..That afternoon Dave and I only had one and a half hr’s to ride, so we headed out for a hot 90deg F ride in the sun……Not as much climbing but we had a nice spin. That night Cervelo took 50 of us out for a great dinner in down town Boulder. Dave was all over the Mojito’s and I was enjoying the Wine ( our glasses kept on filling up)

Day 3

This was a free day to rome, on the RS’s. Once we sat down with our Cervelo Rep to go over what we might bring nito the shop for 2010. That was easy…. a few of these and some of thoes…. Then we got ready to Ride…. But we were all glued to the Lab tops watching Heinrich Haussler delivering a stunning solo victory. Very cool.

Dave and I headed up to Jamestown again in a group of 10, I watched Dave ride away up the road up with a bunch of Cat1 riders…… Dave held on and reached into his suitcase of courage for the next  3-4 miles, then he smartly stopped and then road with me…. I thanked him for stopping,  But he laughed and told me he was riding at 95% just to keep with them and they just kept dropping gear after gear. Dave and I then road up smartly to Jamestown, picking off a few riders that got spit out the back. We got to the top and then ripped down hill, both of us carving down the turns trying to get all the way down with out using our brakes.  What a great way to finish up a riding I mean Buying trip.  It was work trip…….

So if you are looking to get information on the Tour de France, it is likely you can not get enough information and opinion on the action. So, we thought we would present some links that are useful for following the Tour in 2009.

Official Tour de France page
Cycling News
News site Reddit’s TDF stream

and of course if you just want to read up on the Tour de France, you can never beat Wikipedia.
Wikipedia TDF

To keep everyone in the spirit of the Tour de France, here is a link to Time’s Top TDF Moments.

Time Magazine’s Top Tour de France Moments

Here is a nice gallery of Norco’s Spade flip-flop single speed / fixie urban bicycle. Already available, and are priced at $809.99. If interested in one, contact us for availability. These are in high demand at the moment and may be tricky to get a good supply of.

So I decided to pass on the Sunday morning club ride to take in the highly talked about Back 40 mtb race in Morden.  Now I can see why people continued to talk it up all year. 

You had a few choices 80km, 40km,20km and a kids catagory plus it was open to everybody as in you didn’t need a MCA license to take part.  I decided to do the 40km as it was pretty much the first time this season I was going to do anything other than coach KOM on my mtb so I figured I’d play it safe.  It was a good thing I did as I would have never finished the 80km with my legs beginning to cramp about half way into the second lap and my technical skills are nowhere near where they should be.  That aside the single track was super sweet that just seemed to flow perfectly.  Sure there was the odd bridge thrown in (I tried to keep count but then decided to focus on not bonking) along with a couple of creek crossings and two road sections that were a sight for a sore butt when all you’ve been doing is road riding. 

Post race you got a slice of pizza, cookie and pop which is pretty good post race eats if you ask me.  Anyway it was a great event and hats off to the organizers Tim and Kevin plus all the other behind the scene volunteers that helped out because even though these guys are good they’re not that good.  JK

Great Job Guys!

That’s all for now,

Allan

Yes it’s true, I attached a race plate to my Cerlevo, pinned number to my jersey and entered a road race. It’s been 5-6 years since I’ve road raced. The nerves were certanly getting to me, day’s before, and all after noon on the day of the race. The nerves settled down once I registered and started my warm up.  The race was a  week night Crit race at the formal gardens at Assinaboine Park. Short, Sweet and a lot of fun. 

The race started out by the Jr. Provincial team setting pace, so I hopped in 4-5 wheel. 3 or 4th laps in, and a Woodcock team member came to the front and set a high pace. I thought ok let see what you can do, I covered for 1/2 of a lap. Then on the east side he pulls aside and I pulled through and upped the pace. Coming around the long corner, I drifted to the west side to gutter him, and he didn’t like it one bit….. but I held my line and held pace. And that was the race line. The wind was from the east so easy to gutter people on both sides. Ah the old race tactics came back quick.

next few laps Rod V. worked with me and we got away, Dave p. caught us and couldn’t work. Rod and I worked, well he work harder. The two of them were killing themselves. then Matt caught and helped a bit. We got a 1/2 lap on the feild, then Matt pulled  through and told me to get on his wheel, He hammered, that killed Rod. I told Matt not to kill him self, but 3/4 of a lap later, he pulled off and told me that he was done. Then I was by my self and  less than 1/2 of a lap from catching the feild. Allen who got dropped helped me a bit and then I caught on. I sat in a litle bit and then pulled out front. 
I pulled away from the group, so Rod couldn’t close, ( I don’t think he was, but I looked back ever corner to check). and then with two laps to go I simply road away from the few other lapped riders that hung onto me.  Soloed the last lap to take the race proper. 

Over all I felt good and had more. the frist bit of the race I was sitting up front and leading a fair bit, I kept thinking, this is not what my coach want’s me to do. But I felt good, and I was going with the flow. 

Winer work pays off. but still room to improve. It was good to be back on the Start line, but it was better crossing the finish line .

More racing to come.

Sunday’s ride is a go!  I won’t be there but don’t let that stop you from coming out on Sunday at 9am.  Jeff, James and Dave are in charge this week as Dan is away on a wild adventure with the Provincial Team at Bikes on Broadway.  The forecast is looking up but with the way things have been going it could have changed by the time I’m finished blogging.

Anyway for those of you that ride this weekend…enjoy and keep the rubber side down.

See ya later,

Allan