Castelli and Canadian Cycling Magazine Italian getaway finalist Angella Goran

After two weeks of taking entries, seven finalists in the dream cycling getaway to Italy by Castelli and Canadian Cycling Magazine have been chosen. Now it’s up to you to pick the grand prize winner, the person who will ride in the Maratona dles Dolomites sporting full kit by Castelli. To vote for a finalist, scroll down, check the box and hit Submit. The deadline for voting is June 2.

Help send a lucky winner to Italy!

Finalist

Angella Goran
Ottawa

Angella’s entry

At 6 a.m. the sunshine rises as spring is in full bloom in our nation’s capital city, Ottawa. With just the sounds of the birds and the flowers opening to greet the day, the crisp fresh air sends me chills every time for the first few kilometres as I clip my shoes in to the pedals and put the wheels to pavement to head out before most of the city awakens. The morning adventures can head toward the famous Gatineau Park up to the Champlain Lookout or south of the city along the historic Rideau Canal or better yet the western townships where there are rolling hills and fields that go for miles that remind me of cycling across The Prairies but a few years ago.

Cycling is and has been a part of my life ever since the first time I learned to ride a bike when I was a little girl. But it has only been recently, in my 30s, that I have discovered more about cycling and the best part of it is the love for cycling and community in the sport. In 2013, a journey that was one of my bucket list of things—“I hope to do this lifetime”—came true and will never be forgotten as I set out across our country in support of our youth, parks and wildlife for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s National Bike Ride. The communities I saw along the way to the people that made them colourful will always be remembered. Smiles from children still look at me every morning today as I prepare for my training rides to give me the message of hope. There is not enough words that can describe the true sense of meaning or joy that comes from cycling especially when endless hours are mapped like that of this past ride where miles of topography were scaled. Our great nation is made of mountains that reach to the heavens to fields that bleed of gold and royal blues and lakes that look as big as some seas.

Cycling across Canada opened my eyes to feel more in love with the bike, our country and the opportunity to share this with others. It has been since this journey that I have started to train and compete in this sport and share in mentoring others to get them in to cycling; especially women and younger girls. In 2015-16, my goal is to challenge the Canadian record for the one-hour pursuit on the velodrome in Milton, Ont., and race at the recently announced national road championships being hosted in Ottawa/Gatineau. For me, cycling is all about the challenges, but more important, the adventures that come from them. Even in the sport of triathlon, where I have represented Canada at Long Course Worlds, the bike by far was what I couldn’t wait to be on after the swim and didn’t want to stop when the run portion approached.

The opportunity to represent Canadian Cycling Magazine and Castelli in taking on the gran fondo and the seven iconic climbs would be a dream come true. The seven peaks of the Maratona dles Dolomites in Italy are a challenge I am up to the task for.

Cycling for me is a Cinderella story and if the shoe fits to have this challenge be a part of life’s story I cannot wait for the opportunity.