Paris to Ancaster 2010

Sunday, April, 18 2010

We had a great showing today with six riders; Andrew, Gary, Lorne, Mark, Scott and myself all in attendance (Andy decided not to race so that he could stay home and get some beauty sleep ... or remove stitches, not sure which). For those who don't know already, Paris to Ancaster is Ontario's own "spring classic" but instead of cobbles, it features plenty of gravel roads, tractor paths, and single track ... and mud, lots of mud.

After three years of relatively dry and fast conditions, this year featured a lot more mud and some very slick trails. A strong tail wind ensured quick times for the leaders but the finishing times really don't tell the story. The course was tough and the wrong tire selection (and in a few cases, the wrong bike) meant plenty of sliding off the trails and slipping in the corners.

The results aren't on the site yet ( http://www.parisancaster.com/results.html ) so I can't give you the precise times but Andrew took the team title with a sub 2 hour finish. Scott, Gary, Mark, and Lorne all came in a few minutes after the 2 hour mark. I took the Lanterne Rouge (literally) with a 2:25. Note to self, bring TWO spare tubes next time.

I had my PowerTap running today and the numbers were (seasonally) good. 2+ hours at 250W (268W normalized). If nothing else, it was a fantastic day for a trail ride ... and a hard workout.

- Cary