Cyclocross Provincials & the season ender.

Yesterday was the 2009 Cyclocross Provincial Championships hosted by Speed Theory.  Keith Bayly designed a really nice course with lots of off camber climbing and descending, a 40 stair run-up and plenty of hairpin loop-de-loops. The day started off with blue sky, and a crisp but not cold morning air. SOme of the best conditions we’ve had so far this cx season. Just before the women’s race a massive wind storm blew into the school yard and almost decimated some parts of the course; tearing ribbon and breaking stakes. The volunteers got out on course and sorted all the carnage out in time for the womens start.

I was unsure of how I would perform at Provincials. I had fairly low expectations after last weekends “Beans & Barley” cx race. I really thought I felt good until I went anaerobic in the first 500m. I never came back down from red line and subsequently had to really lay off the gas leaving me in 19th place overall.  I was super sick on Monday after that race, so I wasn’t sure if I would be well enough for Provincials.  As the week progressed towards the Provincial race I was beginning to feel pretty good and figured I could give it a go.

I took it fairly easy at the beginning of the race. I was a bit afraid to redline too early and not be able to recover like the weekend prior. The strategy worked pretty good. As I eased into my pace the guys who were keen for the victory and well out of my ability took off and began their own race. I settled in ahead of most of my main competitors and then let the suffering begin.

Once we hit the stair run up I was holding a pretty goo position in about 5th or 6th. I soon realized that the stairs were to be a menace for this race. Just before the stairs was a winding snaking section where you got a bit of recovery. So what do you do when you get some recovery you hammer it. So just as I would come up to the stairs I would be feeling a bit better then would sprint as fast as I could to the top. Then wham the wall would hit every time at the top. It would take so long to recovery from the stair efforts that I would eventually get passed by 2 or 3 guys.

I ended up battling out the last 2 laps with  another guy. We ended up in a sprint finish where I nudged him out for a top 10 result…well 10th to be exact. Not to bad,  I’m pretty happy to end my season off with a top 10 at cx provincials. Cheers to 2009; a great season of racing!

Photo of me suffering on the stairs

More photos by Keith Studios