Gallery: Spring gravel racing at the Hell of the North
Cold conditions greeted participants of this early spring classics in Ballantrae, Ont.
Riders were bundled up for the ride.
The terrain around Ballantrae is rolling countryside.
Racers of the Hell of the North ventured off road.
Riders wore heavy insulated clothing to stay warm in the cold weather.
Despite the weather the racing was still spicy.
It almost looks like fall with the forest floor covered in leaves.
The peloton rolls through rural Ontario.
Mud splattered riders.
On the attack in the cold.
A treacherous snow covered section
Riders had trouble staying upright
It was hard to choose the right line.
The men's winner crosses the line as snow begins to fall.
The men's podium.
The women's podium.
The Hell and Heck of the North opens up the spring mixed-surface racing season in Ontario. Over Easter weekend, riders chose whether to tackle the more technically challenging 90 km Hell of the North which featured plenty of off road riding or the 70 km Heck of the North which could be ridden on a road bike. The conditions were cold with some snow even falling. Riders were bundled up for the day of racing.
Mike Little (Ascent Racing) won the men’s 70 km Heck of the North while Paolina Allan (Highgate Racing) won the women’s edition. For the more gruelling Hell, Nathan Chown (Team CF) took the win while Annie Nanowski (Bateman’s) won the women’s Hell.
For full results visit ontariocycling.org/results/hell-of-the-north/
