There was a mountain bike OCup/Canada Cup race at Horseshoe Resort sponsored by Superfly Racing on Sunday. The Horseshoe OCup is always a fun technical course...and because it is a ski resort, there is always plenty of climbing. And apparently the heat made this year particularly challenging! Congratulations to all participants and to all podium finishers. Getting on the podium at a Canada Cup is always a special thing...right serious??
Lover of the heat
JeffS was on hand at Horseshoe to take pics...you can check them all out here to see if you were lucky enough to be a model. Actually, JeffS really made the rounds this weekend!
I was not at Horseshoe. I opted for more mileage...so I joined these two medical professionals...
Blaze and misconceptionz. They were riding the Ride To Conquer Cancer as the medical support crew and invited me to join them (I have First Aid/Responder training as part of my Kinesiology/Education degree).
However, these guys don't just do the RTCC...they ride to the start on the Saturday; which adds at least another 70km. And then they ride the Sunday....and ride back home from the finish...adding another 90+km to the Sunday....to make for a near 400km weekend!
So Saturday at 5am I left my house riding to Spencer Smith park in Burlington to meet up with Blaze and misconceptions to get to Toronto for the 8am start time.
In case you didn't know...the early morning views on the lake are a beauty!
We often forget how fortunate we are to live where we are, and the beauty of nature that exists right outside our back door.
So, when they showed up...off we went...into the sunrise...
The ride into Toronto went mostly without incident...mostly. There was a point where we were passing over a bridge, and a possum popped out of a water drain and hissed at Blaze. Blaze almost lost his 'stuff'...but now he and the possum are best friends....
70km and then we were at the start...and met with all the other members of the medical support team...but the coolest thing was to see the mass of 5000+ cyclists together in one paddock!! A sea of bikes and spandex...scary. Then the start...
We let a few hundred riders by...then we mosied in. Our job was to stay towards the front of the group and tend to incidents as required or as were called in (Blaze was in constant connection on a phone).
The start was stop and go...a crowd of riders, some experienced...but mostly not so much. About 15kms further it began to stretch out...and opened up. And we were off north and then west towards Hamilton....the end goal for the day for the official riders was MacMaster University. And the route was very well planned with aid stations every 20 kms or so...and all very well stocked with food, snacks, water, and fluid electrolytes. Which was more than necessary with the heat...
And so we went...mostly without any undue excitement...and mostly flat until we hit our 120km mark ...(with our 70km pre start...)...then there were hills...a couple of good ones to make sure you were still awake!! Then...at our 160km mark ...we ran into this guy...
Yeah...that's JeffS....on his fatbike! He was riding with his wife Elaine (I think)...
and his brother was out there too...
Anyways...after a brief sprint to chase him down...(if one can sprint after 160kms)...he was kind enough to take a couple of pics (yeah...believe it or not...he took pics!!)...
That is the look of pain of trying to catch JeffS...even on his fatbike...
misconceptionz....why is he smiling???
Anyways....after that raft of excitement...it was another 20km to the finish...I peeled off for home (I live a couple of kms from Mac). Blaze and misconceptionz carried on to the finish...then rode on to Blaze's house (another 15kms for those guys!).
And that was it...day one done. 180+kms...
And with day 2 ahead...with another 180+kms expected...and even hotter temperatures!! And saddlesores!
And with that...in an unprecedented move (OK...I think I've done it before)...we will leave off here for now...and continue the story tomorrow. Yes!! A cliffhangar!! A Wednesday post!!!
Sorry...please, no yelling!!
I promise...it will be short!!
Stay posted!!
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