Ask Oli: What races are you targetting this year?
Racing in the Pacific Northwest, Oliver Evans hopes to find an opportunity to win a race but helping a teammate out and just having fun would be equally as fulfilling
In 2015 I finished 103rd in Stage 2 of the Tour of Walla Walla. In 2016 I finished second. I think it would be nice to beat 103rd again. But we’ll see!
To be blunt, I haven’t chosen a race to focus on at this point. I’m just super excited to be racing in the Pacific Northwest again at some of my favourite races of all time. Walla Walla is certainly one of my favourites, and it suits me well when I’m fit, but I know that I’ll be coming into this season with a different level of fitness, and I’ve taken a two-year hiatus from this race. Having the goal of winning it may be a tad bit far-fetched. Walla Walla may serve more as a fitness gauge for me.
I think that my entire team has a solid chance at doing well in the PNW’s stage races. My goals this year are far less personal, as I hope to contribute to the team as a whole and help other riders gain valuable results in their upward journeys through cycling’s ranks. I’m delighted at the prospect of being on a team that feels like a team and excited at the fact that I’m excited about racing bikes again. I hope to be a positive addition to any race roster.
I’ve quit cycling. Twice. But I always get back on that damn narrow saddle and grip those goofy looking bars before much time has passed. Before I know it I’m racing some other clown in lycra up a hill steeper than anything a bike should attempt. The fact is that I love this sport and, naturally, I love racing anytime I’m riding.
My biggest goal this season is to thoroughly enjoy it. I want to go into every race with ambitions, a level head and I want to be happy while doing it. I believe that applying to Trek Red Truck Racing was a step in the right direction, and that I’m therefore well on my way to achieving my goal.
It would certainly be nice to win a race this year. I have yet to pick which one I’d really like to aim for. I may or may not pick one. Either way, I will race hard. That’s the bottom line. If I win, I win. If my teammate wins, that works too! If someone else wins but I had fun, that too is a personal victory.
Oliver Evans 20-year-old cyclist from Winnipeg, currently living in Victoria. In 2019, he will race with Trek Red Truck Racing.
