After my European race block and a couple of training weeks at hone, it was time to dive back into some Canada Cup Race action. Sherbrooke Quebec is about an hour south east of Montreal Quebec and has one of the best race courses I have seen anywhere in the world. The course is on a ski hill and features long climbs, both single and double track, rocks, roots, and super run high speed descents. Adding to the experience is the back to back UCI race days!
Eastern Canada has had a crazy heat wave the past week or so with temperature reaching near 40C with the humidity. Race day would be no exception… Day 1 was the C1 race, a standard XCO format with 2 long climbs and 2 descents. The course has been more or less the same for a number of years and it doesn't get old. I struggled off the start line, clipping in well but blew out of my pedal a few pedal strokes into the race. Luckily there was a 2 minute climb straight up the ski hill that would allow me to get back on track. I wanted to focus on having a positive race that I could take some confidence from. This meant riding my own race and starting a little bit conservatively with the insane heat on the day. I settled in to my rhythm just outside the top 10 and stayed there for the remainder of the race. At times, the top 10 was within 15 seconds but I was unable to close the gap to the riders ahead. It was an uneventful day on course where I rolled in for 11th in a very strong field.
Day 2 was a C2 event and almost all single track! With some rain over night, the course has slick sections but was more or less dry. Crazy hot again… My body was definitely a little tired from yesterdays efforts and I felt very sluggish during my morning spin and warm up. I struggled off the line again but remained calm. I was able to make a number of passes in the first lap to slot my self into 10th position. I was with one other Quebec rider for a number of laps but felt I was a little bit stronger so stayed on the front. I pushed the pace and tried to stay as smooth as possible too real in riders ahead. With 2 laps to go I made a big push on a decent and linked the effort into the following climb. I could see the rider ahead of me and knew I needed to make contact asap. This dig distanced the rider behind however I couldn't get across the gap. I would ride the last lap in solo to finish up in 9th place.
While the results are not spectacular and a step back from last year, I am happy with how I rode. My race form is trending up and each race seems to be getting a little better. The fields were very deep, with a world cup winner on the start line as well as numerous national champions and Olympians. I hope to keep this momentum going into the next races.
A couple of tips for racing in extreme heat:
Be careful of finding red line in the first 15 minutes of the race, a lot of damage can be done off the start when temperatures are high
Start cool, shorten warm up and do as little as possible to be ready to go, you don't want to start with your engine half overheated.
Use cooling strategies such as dump bottles, ice vest, ice in jersey to keep core temperature down for as long as possible
Hydration is the obvious one, days leading in are just as important as the day off and after. Drink mixes are critical on these hot hot days.
National Champs 2023, Kentville Novascotia
Thursday night short track:
A 1.15km loop with no climbs, a few corners and limited passing. It was a tight little grass crit. The elite and U23 fields are combined for the XCC discipline, meaning this would be a highly contested field. I had a 3rd row call up and looking around knew it was going to be a fast race. I got off the line a little slow and came through lap in in 26th place. I looked ahead and realized that there were no gaps from the front to where I was, just a long line of strung out riders. The race awsnt over for me but I had alot of work to do. Lap by lap I woked my way forward, picking off raiders every chance I got. It was a course where if you werent moving forwards, you were moving backwards. I payed attention to a few things throughout the race. FIrst, I was always looking a few wheels ahead to see who was holding wheels and who was letting gaps open. IF I noticed gaps opening, I made a point to move ahead of that rider ASAP. I avoided sticking my nose in the wind unless absolutely necessary. With such a fast average speed (31kph) and so many big powerful riders in the field, I avoided using my matches dragging others forward. Heading into the final lap i was just outside the top 10. I knew positioning on this final lap was everything so I went full gas in the last straight away and made a number of passes in one of the few corners you could make moves in. I closed the gap here to the leading group that I was just a few second behind moments ago and kept it flat out for the final lap. I finished the day in 8th place, 6 seconds off the winner. I am super proud of this race and how I rode. It was a course that really didn't suit me and I was able to battle back form adversity to have my strongest result of the season.
Friday through Saturday, my focus was all on the XCO. I wanted to rest up and make sure I was as prepared as possible for this one. The forecast looked very threatening, with much of Nova Scotia under a flash flood advisory. This made tire choice a little more challenging. The course deals with water well however with so many racers on course and a number of hours between the rain stopping and start time I opted for full mud tires. I ran the new maxxis severs with inserts front and back at 16 & 17 PSI in the 2.25 tire. The set up was great, highly recommend this tire.
I had an average start in the race and slotted into the first single track just out side the top 10 with a number of rider still in touch. My body felt good and I was confident I could ride back through the field. Entering the single track it was apparent that I made the correct tire decision. The course was wet and heavy with mud sticking to everything. For the first 1.5 laps I was riding in 11th, with the 10th place rider in sight the entire time. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and went down briefly at the end of lap 2 and lost some time. I struggled to regain my rhythm for the next lap and a half but held my position. The mud continued to dry out and got heavier as the race progressed. Shifting continued to deteriorate and accumulate on the bike. I dropped my chain at the end of lap 4 and lost around 40 seconds trying to remedy the issue. With all the mud, it was super challenging ot get the chain to re set on the chain ring. I finally got my self sorted out and got back on track. I was now in 13th place. I was able to reset mentally going on the the last 2 laps and pick off 1 rider and get within 20 seconds of the 11th place rider. I finished the day in 12th. While this isn't the result I hoped for i gave it my all and was able to battle through some adversity. The conditions were very challenging but made for some fun riding.
Mud Riding Tips
Tire pressure as low as possible
Braking Points need to be early and delicate, nothing extreme
Wax lube is your friend!
Use a fender to keep as much mud out of your eyes as possible
Post Nationals
With so much travel, it was nice to have some down time after the race. A few days exploring the east coast with my mom and a few days off the bike were very nice. The season runs right into October. I want to ensure I am mentally and physically at my best for the last 2 world cups of the year. My next events are MTB Provincials, MTB Marathon Nationals and the last 2 world cups of the season in October!
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