Cranky rides the nationals

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I raced in the 2011 Immunity-FX Canadian Road Championships over the Canada Day weekend. It was hot, painful, and full of suffering – everything a bike race should be.

The races were held in the Greater Toronto Area, so there may be local references in this post that won’t resonate with people in other parts of the country. My apologies to the rest of Canada.

The weekend consisted of:

– A Time Trial, in which I did not compete;

– A Criterium, in which I was lapped and pulled;

– A Road Race, in which I finished in the last group.

Doesn’t sound great, I know, but it really was outstanding.

My experience of the “Nationals” went like this:

On Friday, I picked up my Race Packet. The Race Packet (capitals mine) contained two bib numbers, one frame number, and two zip ties. On the table there was a cardboard box full of safety pins. I helped myself.

This being the Nationals, I was expecting a welcome letter from Stephen Harper or the Queen, but there was none.

The first thing I noticed was the quality of the safety pins and the bib numbers. These were much nicer than anything you’d see at a local Sunday race. The numbers were glossy and the safety pins were large and robust. It was clear this would be a first-class experience.

Part 1: The Criterium (Friday)

I am not good at crits. I have only ridden four of them, and I have not yet finished one. My primary goal with this one was simply to finish, and I failed in that objective. My secondary goal was not to crash, and I succeeded at that.

Another positive is that I hung on for more laps this time than I managed in the last crit I raced. I worked hard for 27 minutes and then got lapped by the leaders and pulled off the course.

I’m going to keep showing up for crits until I finish one, and from there I’ll just get better and better at racing them. Look for me on the podium sometime around 2027.

 

Part 2: The Road Race (Sunday)

The Road Race was in Burlington. The course is nowhere near as tough as the elite men’s course, but that’s okay, because we’re not elite men. We’re old men. Some of us (though not me) raced elite once upon a time.

Despite not featuring any 20-percent grades, the course was still challenging – 10 laps of an 11-km loop that features a moderate climb, a couple of short power climbs, and a long, fast descent. This was going to be a race of attrition.

Three guys took off early, followed by a group of about 40 riders. I managed to stay with this group behind the break for seven laps before getting dropped on the climb on the 8^th lap.

I ended up with four other dropped riders. It turns out we were the last four guys on the road. More than two-thirds of the field had dropped out, and we were the last to finish the race. We rode it out at a civilized pace, discussing how ridiculously hot it was and how we were all exhausted. “I’m so completely out of gas right now that I think I’m burning bone marrow,” said one guy.

I was running on fumes coming into the final turn after 112 km. I let a small gap open up and my companions rode ahead of me. As I crossed the finish line, every muscle in my legs was cramping, including some I never knew I had, and a few new ones that I had grown during the last couple of laps of the race.

I have never worked so hard in my life to finish a race. That’s why, despite finishing at the back, it was such an outstanding experience. Of 127 starters, my companions and I were among only 39 riders who finished. It might not look so good on paper, but I can tell you I’m really pleased that I finished.

Just wait for next year. I’ll be top 35 for sure.

– – – – – – –

Thanks to Craig Fagan and Midweek Cycling Club for organizing an outstanding event, and a big shout out to my friends and teammates who put in top-10 performances this weekend: Rob Chiocca (8^th in the Master B crit), Mike McKee (10^th in the Master A crit), and Mark Rasile (4^th in the Master A road race).