Tour de Bowness

Who's in for the Tour de Bowness?

MC - Dallas

Women - 2 - Sandra (The Elusive Quad), Kelly (Crit, RR)

Cat2 - 5 - Keith (Crit, RR), Trev (Tour), Jared (Tour), Carson (Tour), Dennis (HC, RR),

Cat3 - 3 - Ryan (Tour), Stephen (HC, RR), Harley (Tour)

Cat4 - 5 - Rob L. (Tour), Clarke (RR), Thomas (Tour), Joel (Tour), Dan (Tour)

Cat 5 - 14 - Tom K. (HC,RR), Matt (Tour), Darcy G (Tour), Rob. W. (Tour), David M. (Tour), Mike Hoang (Tour), Darryl (HC, RR), Mike C. (RR), Mark (Tour), Carl (Tour), Chris Hooper (RR), Rick (Tour), Paul R. (RR), Peter Verburg (RR)

[Editor] OK, guys... a short Hill Climb like this requires a massive warm up with some short intense small chainring intervals prior to the start. I will try to get there early and set up my mag and be warming up early. Let's warm up 'en-mass'. I love warming up while listening to dudes that have just raced, with the 3-up format, there are some fun stories. We don't have a tent or truck this weekend due to the 70.3, but just look for me (Trev).

Tour De Bowness Crit Preview

A first person ride-through of the 2009 Le Tour de Bowness Crit Course to get you pumped to race this weekend!

www.tourdebowness.com/race_crit.html#video

Joel

[Editor] Another thing to get you pumped. We are currently FIRST Road Team in Alberta!

It's on !!

Here are our two posters for our events. If you have the capability, print them out and start plastering them everywhere. Tell your friends and workmates we have a Citizen's Class again!! I want that dude with the paniers to show up again.

Sponsorship for the JayLap

Guys, does anyone have any experience with asking companies for 'help' in return for advertising. I am looking at asking companies that will directly help our bottom line. Like: does anyone have a relationship with Tim Hortons?? Last time we bought everything, but would they be willing to throw the food to us in return for there logo on our wicked awesome poster (which is coming soon). Is there a company that can donate some prize money? Is there a company that can donate 5 vans for follow vehicles? Is there a motorcycle club that wouldn't mind riding with the racers to take video or something cool like that? Please come forward if you can take on one of these tasks.

I will be making up a detailed schedule of events in the next few days that will detail where and when we need people. Then you guys will have the opportunity to sign up yourself or your volunteer.

24 Hours Solo update.

His name is Dallas Morris and I suspect he's tougher than you. Having conquered the Race Across the West, Dallas decided to use the 24 Hour Solo World Championships MTB race as his cool down. You may be sickened by this but rejoice in your mere humanity as Dallas is clearly a bike riding machine sent back in time to ride bikes. But to those who know him the story is much different, in fact they would tell you that this is just another day in the life of Dallas Morris. Racer, Teammate extraordinaire, Cycling Advocate, Volunteer, Teacher (to the newer racers), etc. Once Cross season is done there are rumors that Dallas will make his UFC debut with his newly honed fighting style of 'Bicycle Kicking' and 'Bear Stalking'. Dallas, congrats I toast you and your recent victories. I hope you understand why I will never do the cabin ride with you. ;-)

Congrats to the rest of the Speed Theorists that were competing. I look forward to hearing your tales.

From the 24hrs Site:

DALLAS MORRIS: “This was my cool-down from the Race Across The West.”

Vic Armijo

Every solo rider at the 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championship finishes with some physical remnants—saddle sores, blistered feet or hands, general fatigue and “dead legs.” But fifth place rider Dallas Morris (CAN) started this event with all of the above. See, just over a month ago he raced and won the Race Across the West, the sort of “junior” version of the Race Across America that “only” goes from Oceanside, California to Taos, New Mexico; a distance of 1141 miles. “If I hadn’t done the Race Across the West I would have been up with the leaders here. I coulda been a contender,” he said after crossing the line here today. “I was already fairly battered when I got here,” he added.

This race heaped more torture on his already damaged carcass, “I bashed my feet on some rocks and think I may have broken a toe,” he said. “Really, you think you broke a toe?” I asked. “Let’s find,” he said as he sat down and pulled off his cycling shoes. “No,” he said as he examined his obviously abused feet, “But that toe nail is going to come off. And it’s just barely grown back from what I did to here last year!” And then there are his hands, which both bear blisters on top of the calluses he developed at R.A.W., despite him having taped them up, motocross racer style. “This course is fun, but it pounds your body in ways you’d never think possible,” he said, “You’ve got to be sharp all the time or there are going to be bad things happening—the rocks, the roots, the holes, it’s all tough.”

And then there are the large carnivores, “I saw a grizzly bear this morning, about a two-year-old, a scruffy little guy.” Morris sorta fed the bears early this morning too when a meal that he had in his pit didn’t sit well. “I’m almost a hundred and ninety pounds, so I need some real meals. I’d had a Mr. Noodles and a Coke, I had some rice mile and some chocolate covered espresso beans and about half-way up the first climb and—release the demons trail side! I felt a lot better after that. I even ended up doing a really fast lap afterward!”

But despite the toughness of this event he says that “We ain’t sweatin’ this twenty-four thing, because look what we did last month. After doing that 1100 mile event, this is like my cool-down, you know.” Still, Morris said that his race season is effectively over, “I need to heal up and recover completely. Last year I did this event and then two weeks later I did Trans-Rockies. Not this year.” But for a bike obsessive like Dallas Morris, the break between seasons is short, “The first cyclocross races of the season are at the end of the month,” he said with a gleam that revealed his true anticipation.

Dallas competing solo at 24 Hours of Adrenalin.

Dallas will be fighting off some of the best off-road, two-wheeled, endurance athletes in the world in Canmore tomorrow ... and through the night into Sunday. 24 hours website.

Usually this event is big enough that the solo guys are covered on Cyclingnews and VeloNews.

Good luck Dallas.

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Cloverlawn/Keephills ITT seems to be cancelled

FYI, the EMCC ITT scheduled for next weekend (July 25) is not on the ABA calendar anymore... and the EMCC website doesn't mention it either.

Photos and Videos from last night.

Don Huber of the Highwood Cycling Club took some photos and videos of the race last night.

Thanks Don.

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Did you get a weird email from 'Blogger' ??

It seems that everyone on our 'Reader List' got an email today that Blogger thinks we are a spam blog. Not sure why we got singled out, but I have sent in an 'Unlock Request', so please disregard this email. Thanks, Trev.

Friday Ride and Social

I'm a single man for a week so I get to do stuff not normally afforded a married man with kids.

I challenge all Speed Theory Cat 5/4 and women to kick my sorry ass. If I lose, I'll buy the 1st round of beer at my house after. (In other words, expect a free beer at my house). All others can unofficially race amongst themselves.

Here's the plan:
6:30pm - depart from 22x and 37th street SW
Head S on 733, W on 549, N on 22 and E on 22x (about 53km) AKA, the Road to Nepal loop #1

[Editor:] Also look on Training Ride Forum for a ride posted by Trev for this Sat.

HERE IS THE BIG NEWS !!

Sorry for the delay, I didn't want to announce anything until all our ducks were in a row with the ABA, Alberta Transportation, etc.

Stoney Trail Constructors (Lorie Holte) have agreed to completely suspend all work on the entire section of NE Stoney Trail for the weekend of Aug 22nd and 23rd !! This means that we have approximately 21km of completely finished double carriage way 5 lane highway for the ENTIRE WEEKEND. (This makes for 42km of closed highway)

I didn't want to let an opportunity like this get wasted, so we have decided to put on a 3 stage Stage Race, beginning with the Provincial ITT Championships on Sat. morning, then a wicked Criterium in the evening, then an amazing Road Race on Sunday.

Stoney Trail Constructors have said the highway will have its final coating of concrete and will be mostly painted and completely signed by the end of August. This means that we will be racing on completed highway!

The Provincial ITT Championships: This will be a 40km event with one hairpin at 20km (this will be an 8 lane u-turn, so hardly reason to slow down). Racers will have 5lanes in EACH direction to simply put their heads down and hammer. This will be a PB course and a true test of just how fast you can go for 40km. The only significant elevation change will be going over the 16th avenue interchange, which has about 10meters of vertical. This event will be part of the stage race or a racer can choose to race this individually. There will be a citizen class just like for Race the Ring, so even non-ABA members can come out and give this unique course a try.

The Metis Trail Criterium: This will be a completely unique opportunity to incorporate highways and interchanges into a Criterium. We have devised a course that utilizes the on and off ramps of the new Metis Trail / Stoney Trail interchange to make for a super exciting Criterium with slight elevation changes and a 5 lane highway sprint finish! This will be ultra spectator friendly and should be a safe and fun course. We are going to label this race 'The Equalizer' as we will give time bonus' for lap primes and finish so the non-ITT specialists are motivated to try and destroy the ITT guys and make back time.

The TdF style Road Race: Here is the super awesomeness. The road race will be approximately 130 - 160km for the Cat1/2s (successively shorter for each Cat down) and the peloton will enjoy the ability to race on the ENTIRE highway. There will be no center line rule. It will be as if Columbia-HTC just signed you and you are free to form a lead-out train or Saxo Bank just released you to go on a crazy break. We have a special great section that includes a trip around the 16th avenue fly-over interchange clover-leaf that will introduce several short steepish climbs on each 40km lap.

I am really excited to be announcing this and hope this club and all other clubs embrace this event as it should go down as one of the most unique opportunities for Albertan cyclists in a long time.

(We are giving the Prov. TTT Champs to Jasper)

(Thomas and I will have a detailed volunteer list up soon to sign up for)

Trev

I got this email today.

Dear Club Presidents.

The Recreation and Transportation Committee of the Alberta Bicycle Association is seeking the views of Albertans, both members and non-members of the Alberta Bicycle Association, regarding cycling in the Province of Alberta. We want to use this information to advocate for the needs of Albertans to improve their cycling experiences.

This survey will take approximately 10 minutes. We greatly appreciate if you can forward the following link to your members or can post it on your website.

Start Survey

Kipp Kaufmann, Executive Director, Alberta Bicycle Association

Stampede RR 2009- The Womem's Race

First of all, I want to congratulate Amanda for completing her first RR!! It was great to have another female teammate to ride with. As for the race, it was great! My race tactic was the same as always- stay with the group and have fun! And that's what happened. The 6 participants started out together, but half way around the first lap we split up into two groups. I managed to keep up with the "Big Girls" (more experienced riders) until the middle of the 3rd lap, when I dropped my chain on the series of hills along the back side of the course. Unfortunately I had to stop to put it back on, and despite my efforts, was not able to catch up to them.

I big thanks to the bici and synergy ladies who layed the hurt down and made me suffer! Also, great to see so many other speed theorists out there!

More Tales from Sunday's Stampede RR

Just to add to the dittys penned by Trev and Dan, Sunday was great! Nice work to all Speed Theorists and supporting casts...
As for the A race, a few of us had been plotting what to do and when (thinking that we would be able to control the race like the Elite guys did so admirably), however, the wheels of any plan we had well and truly fell off as the main bunch rolled past the feed zone on the second lap and a couple of fast looking Bici lads made a jump with two Synergy guys quickly bridging the gap to make for a breakaway! Not wanting a good group to get away without Speed Theory flying the flag in there I leapt off to catch them up. Six of us worked together pretty well and maintained a good gap on the rest of the riders. Things began to spice up a little on lap four with a couple of riders testing the water and turning the screws a little. By lap five the six men became four. I wasn't keen on a sprint finish so tried to drop the other guys twice on two separate climbs on the backside of the course - alas, it was futile as there was no fooling them of my intentions. Looked like we were going to duke it out to the bitter end. The final few km saw the tempo up a little, the four men became three, one of whom (not I) tried one last desperate attempt at glory and shot off with about 2km to go. The remaining Bici lad and I got back onto his wheel, and the sprint was now on as we all battled for position. There had been reminders called from the side of the road earlier on that it was an uphill finish so be wary! I attempted to bide my time, but with momentum and excitement on my side I began to roll beyond the two other guys and had to jump start my sprint way out!!!! Neglecting to realize that not all Brits sprint like Cavendish (especially not the skinny stick men like me) I thought I had it easily, but those last fifty metres seemed like miles to the old legs and I imagined that Bici lad was coming up quick. The wobbly legs just managed to squeak me over the line in first (phew) and so a good outing for ST in the race!
Obviously the elite fellers did an incredible job too, and it's always just great fun to be riding around a nice course with a bunch of team mates.
On a final note, here's the musings of Scott Martin about why cycling is what it is and why we do it.....

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trail head, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain,there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tidily-Winks."