Canada Day Crit - what a riot!

Drove up to the chuck with the whole family in tow for the Canada Day Crit on Friday. I have to say it was a great event. For those of us with family it can be a challenge mixing racing and family time but not this time. While the kids picnicked in the infield (which was surprisingly devoid of mosquitoes), watching bands, pow-wow dancers and screamed for ice cream, I got to put my mind to racing.

The course was awesome. A few hundred meters from the start/finish was the climb. Short and punchy with a false flat into a headwind at the top just to make it interesting. It finally flattens at the top just in time to corner hard to the left again and come screaming down to the finishing stretch. It's not often you get to sprint in your 11 toother but here you needed to.

The format added the final bit of spice to the party. It's a points race where every 4 laps the bell rings and all hell breaks loose. 4 points for 1st, 1 for 4th and the final lap is merely worth double points. What results is fairly continuous action and one of the most interesting races I've done yet. The Cat 4s had 28 laps so 6 sprints total.

While the format favors the sprinters, the course is better for a climber. As a guy who is OK at each but not a specialist in either, I liked my chances. A patient of mine who has done the race many times kept the advice simple 'stay at the front and get points in every sprint'. Sounded easy!!! In the end though that is what I was able to do. A break did get away after the 3rd sprint and the PRW team had 2 men left to mark the chase so in the end it stuck. I did wind up with enough points for 2nd place and enough prize money to buy Pizza and beer for the in-laws. Couldn't stay awake for the fireworks though, those 28 climbs won out in the end.