Thursday, January 21, 2010
2009 Cycling Season
The Calgary Team IF Racing has had a good showing @ the local weekly Tues. night crits
Throughout May and June the Calgary team has participated in numerous provincial level events (Velocity RR, Aerobic Power ITT, Pigeon LK RR, Speed Theory ITT, Banff Bike Fest (HC, Road Sprint, ITT & Crit), Devon GP)
Results in the above races have been top 10-ish save for Banff Bike Fest which was a larger (equivalent to US NRC level) and a team of one was hard to compete. I ended up in the 20s overall.
Did a 600km 3-day 'tour" for the Alberta kids cancer foundation. The cause is great, the riding was superb and the people were fantastic. And there was lots of interest in the IF SRR (kitchen sink as it was referred to on occasion) road bike...the word is getting out that stainless steel is as cool as carbon.
Canmore 24hrs of Adrenalin on a 5 person team...we won. I suffered a lot, took couple of weekends off to 1) visit with my girlfriend and 2) my folks who came from Ontario.
Provincial Masters RR was on the weekend...one word. WINDY. Tough race. I tried to get away as it was short (100km) I was dangled off the front for a while, short leash, ended up 6th. That's OK as I considered it training and blew up.
Prov. Hill Climb 5th…hard
Local equivalent of a Rapha gentlemen's ride (we've written Rapha Continental about it but haven't had much success)...it's a 220km loop with 3500m of climbing in Glacier NP in Montana. the loop if you care to Google maps it goes...St. Mary to East Glacier Park over Marias Pass, East Glacier to West Glacier over Kiowa Pass, West Glacier along Lk. MacDonald over Logan Pass (via "Road to the Sun") and back to St. Mary. We do it as a "one day" assault...leave Calgary @ 6am, riding by 10am, try to be back at the cars in 8hrs total time and drive back home
Cross season was short…6 weeks long highlighted by back to back podiums twice. Once in Calgary on two very different courses…snowy and cold and then warmish, sandy with lots of climbing; the other in Edmonton on fast rolling courses in a river valley. Cross season was also filled in with our local Tues. series which I managed a couple of tune up wins in expert and then pack fill in elite as the timing of cross is tough to co-ordinate with work.
I’ve now transitioned to XC skiing in order to prep me for next year… which I plan on continuing my Monday shop rides which serve as an introduction to riding for shop customers affiliated with the store that sells IF here in town as well as another down the street…got to grow the sport regardless of business competition. I will also continue to support the MS bike tour (I started when I found out Steve Elmes (IF founder) mother suffered from MS) and I will also support the “Tour for Kids” cancer ride where I raised about $2000 for the charity.
On the racing front I want to pursue all of the provincial “A” level races with the hopes of riding Canadian Masters as they are in the west in 2010.
I met up with Chris Wurster (IF team mate) in New York in Nov, 2009 and we tentatively made plans for a larger grass roots get together.
Throughout May and June the Calgary team has participated in numerous provincial level events (Velocity RR, Aerobic Power ITT, Pigeon LK RR, Speed Theory ITT, Banff Bike Fest (HC, Road Sprint, ITT & Crit), Devon GP)
Results in the above races have been top 10-ish save for Banff Bike Fest which was a larger (equivalent to US NRC level) and a team of one was hard to compete. I ended up in the 20s overall.
Did a 600km 3-day 'tour" for the Alberta kids cancer foundation. The cause is great, the riding was superb and the people were fantastic. And there was lots of interest in the IF SRR (kitchen sink as it was referred to on occasion) road bike...the word is getting out that stainless steel is as cool as carbon.
Canmore 24hrs of Adrenalin on a 5 person team...we won. I suffered a lot, took couple of weekends off to 1) visit with my girlfriend and 2) my folks who came from Ontario.
Provincial Masters RR was on the weekend...one word. WINDY. Tough race. I tried to get away as it was short (100km) I was dangled off the front for a while, short leash, ended up 6th. That's OK as I considered it training and blew up.
Prov. Hill Climb 5th…hard
Local equivalent of a Rapha gentlemen's ride (we've written Rapha Continental about it but haven't had much success)...it's a 220km loop with 3500m of climbing in Glacier NP in Montana. the loop if you care to Google maps it goes...St. Mary to East Glacier Park over Marias Pass, East Glacier to West Glacier over Kiowa Pass, West Glacier along Lk. MacDonald over Logan Pass (via "Road to the Sun") and back to St. Mary. We do it as a "one day" assault...leave Calgary @ 6am, riding by 10am, try to be back at the cars in 8hrs total time and drive back home
Cross season was short…6 weeks long highlighted by back to back podiums twice. Once in Calgary on two very different courses…snowy and cold and then warmish, sandy with lots of climbing; the other in Edmonton on fast rolling courses in a river valley. Cross season was also filled in with our local Tues. series which I managed a couple of tune up wins in expert and then pack fill in elite as the timing of cross is tough to co-ordinate with work.
I’ve now transitioned to XC skiing in order to prep me for next year… which I plan on continuing my Monday shop rides which serve as an introduction to riding for shop customers affiliated with the store that sells IF here in town as well as another down the street…got to grow the sport regardless of business competition. I will also continue to support the MS bike tour (I started when I found out Steve Elmes (IF founder) mother suffered from MS) and I will also support the “Tour for Kids” cancer ride where I raised about $2000 for the charity.
On the racing front I want to pursue all of the provincial “A” level races with the hopes of riding Canadian Masters as they are in the west in 2010.
I met up with Chris Wurster (IF team mate) in New York in Nov, 2009 and we tentatively made plans for a larger grass roots get together.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Western Canadian XC Champs...
This is a record number of posts ever...on any type of forum.
I've still been XC racing. Races of note in the past few weeks for old(er) people such as myself have been the Western Cdn Championships where I managed a 1st in the 10km CL and a 3rd in the 20km SK in my respective...how can I say this without feeling inferior??....AGE CLASS.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
XC skiing
I've been doing some more ski racing with Banff Ski Runners...this is me @ a recent Bow Corridor skate race...I came third in a 3 up sprint...guess I need to work on that part.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
New IF Cross bike
Can't for for the new bike to show up...I got a surprise paint job. Jill @ IF did me up a 2008 prototype vs. the team colours...it's sweet. Now all I have to do is build it once my left thumb heals from my nasty roller ski crash the other day
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Way too long...
Attached is a race photo...
It's been way too long...too much work, home renos and life...lot's of riding, roller skiing and some racing...although I've not seen much of the racing since it's been pouring rain here in AB since who knows when.
Also many thanks to Celeste and the crew @ Schwalbe tires for hooking me up again this year...www.schwalbetires.com
It's been way too long...too much work, home renos and life...lot's of riding, roller skiing and some racing...although I've not seen much of the racing since it's been pouring rain here in AB since who knows when.
Also many thanks to Celeste and the crew @ Schwalbe tires for hooking me up again this year...www.schwalbetires.com
Monday, February 11, 2008
11 Feb. 2008
In an effort to keep my sporting life real for those people and companies that have been kind enough to sponsor me I've begun working on this post...stay tuned as it clearly is a work in progress.
What have I been up to...
Thanks to IF bikes....www.ifbikes.com and http://www.ifracing.org/ you can see our team site as a WIP as well.
Me suffering and looking generally bad at the 2008 Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet...many thanks to Rudy Project www.rudyprojectusa.com and Exel poles www.exelsports.net .
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