Saturday, August 29, 2009

XC Provincials

This weekend is the Alberta XC Provincials in Hinton. Nathan Froehler (Hinton race organizer from 2002) came up a few days ago and we've been sprucing up the trails he built over a decade ago into what is becoming a kick ass xc course. People will suffer tommorow on the relentless course, especially in the 30 degree heat. If your sitting at home this weekend not sure what to do you can still show up tommorow morning and sign up on race day and transform a non eventful weekend into a biker riders ecstasy. Go to www.albertabicycle.ab.ca for more info.
Rumour has it Crazy Larry will be on site heckling riders as they ride through in pain.

The 9.5 km course is wild and rugged with a super sweet 7 min technical decent followed by a cruisy 18 minute climb back up to the start all of this taking place in the middle of the wilderness with moose and grizzlys around as we saw both yesterday. We will be putting out jars of honey along the course to insure more Grizzlies are out to watch the race tommorow. Tune into TSN or CTV Sportsnet TV tommorow night for full race coverage or if they don't make it out you'll be able to check out the post race report on www.pedalmag.com.

Monday, August 17, 2009

TR3

Chalk one up for the treeplanting legs. After having a rougher start to the season the legs caught on fire for the Solo version of the TransRockies and I came across the line after 3 days of epic riding as the first TR3 winner. Roddi Lega and Colin Kerr kept it close but I was pretty at home in my first ever stage race in Canada and was able to ride away on the last couple days. The Transrockies is a super pro stage race, the best organized one I've ever been at and definatly one I'll be headed back too. For now the body and mind are wrecked so its off for a 4 day horse trip with Dad into the backcountry.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

TransRockies

The Tour de Bowness road races went like this:

1 km Hill Climb- Blew lungs apart trying to keep up to Jamie Sparling, finished 11th

1 hr Criterium- Sketchy 7 corner circuit with 45 elite riders, being use to riding with mountain goats in the mtns I was sketched riding with a large pack so hung off back until end and finished 22nd.

80 km circuit race- learned road racers are crazy bastards and dont know how to relax. super fast pace, attacked off the front with Sparling, blew up like Iraq and finished in chase pack.

After the little journey into the warped road racing world its back home to the mtns to take on the 3 day solo version of the Trans Rockies. Tommorow is day one which starts with a 1200 m vertical climb up Panorama ski hill.


Throughout the event I will be posting daily reports on www.sleepmonsters.com