Day 3 of the GP Cycliste was destined to be my last. I have never been, nor ever will be, a good criterium racer. Crits, as they are affectionately called, favour those with legs about twice the size of mine. I always considered myself to be just fine at crits. I could hold my own, maybe finish in the Top-10 in Alberta crits. Oh boy, was I ever in for a surprise in eastern Canada.
Alberta criterium races are a tame affair when compared to eastern Canada. They’re slower, shorter, and far less aggressive. Alberta crits max out around an hour, but out in Ontario and Quebec it’s not uncommon for them to be more than 90 minutes. In terms of speed, in my experience, Alberta races are 2-3 km/h slower. This lethal combination of speed, length, aggressiveness, and danger makes for a tricky race. Especially when you are suited to hillier racing. Saguenay wasn’t the worst crit I had experienced, but in hindsight I had already lost the mental battle. From the start I was at the back of the field, chasing the wheel in front of me after each corner. I tried, without success, to move up on a few occasions but I was already hurting. Eventually I was off the back and lasted a few more laps before the commissaire pulled me from the course. I wasn’t too distraught that my race was over; I had lasted a good while longer than I had expected after the first day baptism by fire. I knew that I couldn’t help my team in the race the next day, but I knew I could help Tim, our soigneur. Tim was truly a blessing for those 4 days in June. He spent his time off work travelling to the race with us and looking after anything we needed. It is so incredibly helpful to have someone like him with a team during a stage race. The whole team was run like a well-oiled machine. I was grateful to have a behind-the-scenes look the night after the crit, helping Tim prepare sandwiches and bottles for the next day. Another shoutout has to go to Glen and Jay, who worked tirelessly to make sure everything was planned for the next day. They were our directeur sportifs, mechanics, team managers, and every other position that a team needs to fill. The next day was a true test for everyone racing. A long, gradual hill with a fierce crosswind split the field as Tim and I watched from the feed zone. The indefatigable Derrick St. John made the lead group that stayed away for the rest of the day. There was a huge number of DNF’s that day, but I was proud to see that no-one from RwR threw in the towel. Derrick eventually finished 5th, a big result for the team. In the end, it was unforgettable experience. In hindsight, while I may have been a little disappointed in myself, I knew it was a learning process. I knew I’d be back stronger and with more experience soon enough.
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Christian GomesI'm a bike racer Archives
February 2018
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