2013 Grand Prix Gatineau rider profile: Candice Vermeulen

On Wednesday, three days before the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau, Candice Vermeulen was looking forward to an easy two hour training ride with a couple of sprints. The weather was warm and sunny, perfect for someone who describes herself as “not a bad-weather person.” Still, she can persevere in the nasty stuff. On Sunday, Vermeulen rode through rain and snow at a particularly foul Lake of Bays race in Ontario’s cottage country. “That was the most miserable day on my bike, ever,” Vermeulen said. “I couldn’t, for the last 10 km, feel my hands or my feet. I couldn’t shift gears. I couldn’t see for half the race as I tried to squint through the snow and the grit on my glasses.” She finished second in the elite women’s category in a race many top riders simply abandoned.

Vermeulen started racing almost four years ago with a focus on the track. At last year’s track national championships, she placed first in the keiren, first in the team sprint with Sara Byers and third in the scratch race. For the St. Catharines, Ont.-based cyclist, Vermeulen’s “home track” is London, Ont.’s Forest City Velodrome, almost 200 km away, where she often trains on Wednesday evenings. Another regular training venue is in Mississauga, Ont., at the Midweek Cycling Club’s Tuesday night criterium series, a mere 100 km away. When contrasting the riding she does at each location, Vermeulen said, “Tuesday nights we turn right; Wednesday nights we turn left.”

Vermeulen’s appearance at the 2013 Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau will be her second time participating in the event as the 2012 edition marked her debut. “It was a huge eye opener for me. I had never raced in a field that size. It motivated me to train harder and to be more prepared for the next opportunity,” she said. It was also her first time participating in a team presentation. Her teammate Rhae Shaw gave her some guidance that ranged from discussing race strategy to little things, such as helping to pin race numbers on. This year, Vermeulen will likely be offering help to riders new to the event. She’ll also be able to put her own training and burgeoning experience to the test.

The weather forecast is something Vermeulen can look forward to as well: sunny and 20 C.

On Saturday, tune into our live coverage of the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau.