Hell of the North: 14-year-old phenom Ashlin Barry beats all the adults

Ashlin Barry, son of Tour de France rider Michael and Olympic silver medallist Dede, is certainly proving that he has good genes. The 14-year-old took the victory in the 90 km Hell of the North on Sunday, which took place north of Toronto. The race, which goes through a mix of farmer’s fields, gravel roads and asphalt, was held in cold temps and windy conditions.

In the women’s race, Julie Toole took top honours in the women’s Hell of the North.

“It felt good to race outdoors again after such a long winter. I really like the course as I train on those roads with my parents,” Ashlin said. “It’s also very nice to be able to race in an event that my grandfather started when my dad was my age.”

The winning break of three with Luke Valenti (whose uncle, Jason was once Ontario provincial road champion) and Adam Miller went ahead with 20 km to go.

Ashlin has been riding on the track, training with the junior provincial team, as well as medalling at the recent junior track nationals. “Racing on the track helps a lot with learning to pace efforts, conserve energy and make good decisions in a short period of time,” he added. “I felt confident leading into the sprint but my legs were getting tired into the final kilometres so I knew I needed to follow any moves closely.”

In the Heck of the North, the slightly more “civilized” which sticks to pavement and runs 70 km, Chris Caruana won the men’s with Sara Frangos taking the women’s. Although the riders didn’t hit any of the famous farmer’s roads, the fierce wind and tough climbs made for a challenging event.

Hell of the North

Men

1. Ashlin Barry (Mariposa – Jetpower)
2. Luke Valenti (Toronto Hustle)
3. Adam Millar (Ascent Cycling)

Women

1. Julie Toole (Blacksmith Cycle)
2. Carmen Sweet (Uxbridge CC)
3. Karen Patterson (Uxbridge CC)

Heck of the North

1. Chris Carruna (CCF Racing)
2. Victor Nicolet (UTRR)
3. Shannon Hunt (Ascent Cycling)

Women

1. Sara Frangos (Real Deal Racing)
2. Frances Jewett (Uxbridge CC)
3. Paolina Allan (UCC)

Full results are available on RaceTiming.ca