Book of Chad

Earlier this year I decided I was going to race the provincial road race. I didn’t have any real expectations other than I wanted to finish the race and not get pulled by the commissars. The day before the race I went out to check out the course since I would not have time the morning of to get a lap in. I met up with Kimberly Chen who had raced the TT on the same course earlier that day and we went around looking for places the race would be won or in my case lost.

The organizers put out a course map that showed a single 4km climb at 3.9%. In reality the climb was three climbs the first of which went up at between 8 and 10% the second that went from 10 to 16% and a third which went around 5% with flat areas between them. This is a much harder proposition than what the course map leads you to believe.

The group was very strong almost 60 riders in the combined Masters A and B group set off. Out of the bottom of the course the group slowed on the first lap and I just peddled away. I was not planing or expecting this to happen but I went into the first climb alone and was able to go my own pace. about 10km later the group caught me on the down hill and I slotted back in. I got my 15 minutes of fame anyways. the next 3 laps were a combination of slow and surges as people tried to get something to happen.

Every time the group went up the hill we lost a few riders and the field shrunk. On the 4th lap I was in big trouble, already on the 3rd lap going up the hill I had fallen back a bit and had to make an effort to stay on, but this time it was my turn. The speed increased and as I tried to match the legs just could not respond. Although I kept pushing hopeful that I might reconnect it unfortunately was not to be. I rode the course for a while with Mike Dawson since we got dropped together but he called it a day as we went into the final climb. Sunil, another dropped rider caught up to me and we kept each other company until the finish.

I learned a lot and was happy to get this race under my belt. Next time there will be new goals to reach. I was really happy to have Lindsay on the sidelines in the feed zone handing me bottles with race food. I went through 4 bottles in the race and would have been completely destroyed without the hand-ups.

RACE: BC Provincial Championships Road Race
Distance: 102 km
Time: 2:52:27
Avg Speed: 35.4 kph
Avg Power: 212 W
Place: 17th