Provincial Road Race Championship

Sunday, July, 26 2009

Provincial Road Race Championship  - Burlington Ontario

Another typical weekend in Southern Ontario.  Tornado watch, torrential rains and a good showing for PFR.  Here is a blow by blow of the M1 race from Rhys:

  • Scott set a hard tempo lap 2 up the climb while poor Martin was out the back with a flat.  The field was completely strung out, good job Scott.
  • Andrew did the same lap 3 and put the hurt on.
  • Andy and Andrew did great work lap 4 on climb up front, keeping tempo.
  • I went lap 5 to bridge to Jason Vincze (Sound Solutions), the eventual winner but he wouldn’t come with me as I went by so I was hung out to dry for a lap.  I soft pedaled the descent hoping some favorites would bridge but no dice.  I had a nice gap but knew it was worthless so took it a little easy and took in nutrition.
  • Lap 6 and 7 and 8 were hard tempo on the climbs splitting the field up quite a bit.
  • Some small break went lap 9 but were pulled back
  • Lap 10 Ed Makarchuk Sound Solutions, went flying off the front but we caught him at start/finish for last lap.  We were now down to about 50 riders from the 100 that started.
  • Last lap we hit the climb and Jason and Don Zuck (Z- Team) went.  Stirling Mcarthur (Healing Cycle) tried to bridge.  I gave everything to get to Stirling but at the top of the hill Kevin Davies (Wheels Of Bloor) had pulled the group back to us and Jason and Don were away.  Not far away though and if it was just Kevin we probably would have had the chance to bridge but no dice.
  • With the group there were a couple of one off attacks.  This was allowing Jason and Don even more time away.  Then with the hard corners at the bottom of the descent they gained the extra few seconds they need going through it with 2 people vs. 50 to take first and second.
  • Last corner I was sitting about 12th wheel about 4 riders behind Steve Heck (Trek Store).  I wasn’t pleased where I was but it sure turned out to be the right spot (vs. in front which I was too cooked to get to!) as they washed out and 3 riders went down.
  • Inside corner and slightly delayed I gave a “triathlete sprint” for 18th.

The PFR boys in blue were up front quite a bit today.  The climb was much tougher than expected and the race became a bit of a race of attrition. 

- Rhys