BC SuperWeek 2015

BC SuperWeek 2015

After the 2015 Nationals disaster, I was looking for something to re-focus on. BC Superweek fit the bill just right. I am not a Criterium rider, but BC looked like a great opportunity for me to get some experience in some of the fastest Crit racing in North America. The week consisted of six Criterium races and two road races, one of which was a UCI race. The highlights of the week would be the Gastown Gran Prix, which has a long history and is the most famous Criterium in the North America. I would be teaming up the NCCH team, Jack Burke, Brandon Etzl, and our 2nd guest rider Issac Leblanc.

I stepped off the plane at noon on Friday, I had 7 hours until the first races start in Delta. I met the guys after they returned from their morning ride and we packed the car and got driving in Vancouver traffic. I was tired to say the least, but determined to start the week out on a high. The Crit had a hill in it and that made for a fast start as people wanted to be in a good position and attack up the hill to try and break the pack. I was only able to hang on for about half of the race, I got completely cracked trying to chase back to the pack on the uphill after giving away far too many positions on the corner leading into it. I didn’t like it much, but I found it easy to put behind me, I had so many opportunities over the next week.

The second of the Delta Crits was a flat course with some big open roads, it was again fast. All Crits are. I had my race face on and I was fighting for position in the peleton. I was able to hang on just fine and also managed to dodge an early crash. I was too often finding myself drifting backwards and then putting in efforts to move back up, obviously I still needed to work on this crucial skill of positioning. I was in about 30th going into the last corner, nothing special, but there was a big pile up as the H&R Block train all hit the group at the same time and I was stuck right behind it. Not a bad day, just nothing to show for it.

It was after this Crit that we finally managed to get somewhere to stay as a team. An amazing family in North Vancouver offered to put us up. They already had three young kids, so we were all a little surprised, but we were desperate so we took them up on it. It turned out the three kids were cyclists and the Dad was a Sales Rep. for a cycling company, so we all got along incredibly well. I can’t thank them enough for being so accommodating. The four of us got settled in at about 11:00 p.m. that night and that was when I could turn my mind to the following days UCI Delta Road Race.

The Delta Road Race was going to be the most important race for me during the trip, followed by the White Rock Road Race at the tail end of the week. Jack and I were the ones really looking forward to the road races so it was game on for us right from the start. Jack and I took turns covering early moves, using quite a lot of energy on the flat course. I was near the front all day, and loving it. When I saw the right moment at about 80 km into the 140 km race, I bridged up to a small lead group, I brought with me about five other riders and that was that, a group of 11 riders were now off the front and quickly gaining an advantage on the peleton. We were going pretty hard and our gap grew to one minute and that was where it stayed for the longest time. The group had three riders from the Silber team including race favorite Ryan Roth. I thought the move was going to go all the way, but there were obviously people behind trying to make sure that didn’t happen, as the gap never went over 1:10, and we were really going for it. At the 117 km mark, we were caught. I was surprised that Silber did not really drive it home, but there was another attack immediately and Jack was right in it, this move was only three guys. Jack did an awesome ride to be out there for just under 20 km and the three guys were caught within the last kilometer, as the bunch sprinted. Mixed up in the sprint was Brandon who surged into 3rd place and got the best young rider at the race. It was an awesome day for us, good teamwork all around.

We had a rest day on the Monday which I really needed to really get over the Jet Lag and fatigue I had built up now. We went for a ride around Stanley Park and explored the running and hiking trails with the kids we were staying with. After that Monday, I fell in love with Vancouver, (specifically North Van.) and I could easily see myself living there. The only problem that week was the forest fires. The prevailing winds just the week before had been blowing smoke into the city and lowering the air quality past a point that would have forced the organizers to cancel the races. Luckily that did not happen but the pictures that we were shown were mind boggling.

Back to racing, first up was the UBC Gran Prix, this was the first race that Pro-Continental team UHC was coming to, and they stayed the remainder of the week. The race was hard but not too bad, there was one corner which I simply would not have put into a Crit but we managed it safely, most of the time. I was able to hang on just fine and move up well on the uphill part of the course, but I kept giving away positions when the road went from four lanes to one on the corner. It was frustrating but I finished it fine, just more experience to put into the bag. The following day was Gastown GP , this was the big one, the most prize money and the most well organized. I didn’t make it to the end but I soldiered on as long as I could, that being about 2/3’s of the way through it. With the near 180 degree turn at one end of the course and nearly 160 starters, it was single file and very difficult to move up. I was getting beaten down the whole time but I was looking to finish the race, but one little mistake took me out of it. I was going into the 180 with a lot of speed and there was a big group of riders going around the corner in front of me, there were so many that they had slowed to a near halt. The way was clear for me so I came into the corner carrying as much speed as possible and rounded it with good vision of the other side then there was a rider who had fallen and I was on a collision course with him. I slammed the brakes and lifted the rear wheel off the ground, I managed to stay upright but the gap I had left myself was an impossible one.

The following morning, the Global Relay Organized a group ride that all of their sponsored athletes, including myself attended. It was awesome to ride with some of the top guys in Canada and the UHC team. We had a huge number of young kids come out from youth clubs all over Vancouver and Victoria. Riding next to the “Pros” was terrific yet I still felt a closer tie to the kids who were riding with us and I found it rather strange to be considered one of the ‘pros’. I chatted with some of the kids, and saw my NextGenU23 teammate Alec Cowen, and SmartStop pro rider Kris Dahl who is one of my mentors, doing the same thing. It was good to go for a relaxed ride with those guys before the Burnaby Crit that night. Burnaby was for me, the easiest of all the races, even though it did have a complete 180 degree turn. I was following Kris Dahl all day and he showed me all the best lines through all the corners. I was motivated to get a good result in this race as I was able to move up and hold position well. Going into the final few laps I was in the middle of the pack and Silber had the peleton lined out. I was locked into my position and as one of the their lead-out men pulled off the front and drifted back it created gaps and I was caught behind one, yet again, no result. Overall a very fun race, I was enjoying myself out there because I felt so strong.

After Burnaby, we entered the final part of the week, with the Tour de White Rock featuring yet another Crit followed by a road race. I had my focus on the road race, but I always want to race and have fun in the Crits. I only lasted about half of the Crit, it was a hard one and I was suffering like crazy trying to move up on the hill each lap, and eventually it became too much for me and I was dropped. I fought on as long as possible and when the lead car caught me I pulled out. I’m never happy to DNF, no matter the circumstances. I was determined to get a good result in the final race of the week, the White Rock road race. Brandon and Issac knew the profile and said that it was a hilly one and they would just try to survive the 2500 meter day; sadly they did not. I however was feeling pretty good out there. I was covering breaks with Jack for the first few laps of the 10 km course, the pack was not letting anyone go just yet. There were two climbs per lap in the course and after about 5 laps the field was getting a lot smaller, that was when a move finally went. I had already made and effort and missed it, Jack was unable to cover the move. The two of us were left in the peleton which had slowed and the vibe seemed to be just to finish. One lap later I found myself talking to Matteo and Garrett. Just a minute after I passed Garrett leading into one of the climbs he comes around the pack with a huge turn of speed and stomps his way up the hill, leaving a trail tired riders. I responded like many others but was unable to close the gap to him. Garrett soloed up to the lead group and then just a lap later attacked them to take the win, solo. I was hugely impressed more so because he had missed the initial move, and when I was talking to him, he seemed to want to just ride it home. I was pleased to have finished in the second group, a couple of minutes down on the winner but I was happy with how I felt out there and it was a better way to end the week compared to the previous day’s DNF.

I was taking off the night of the race, but I was super disappointed to miss out on the adventure the guys had planned for the following day before their flights. Hiking up Grouse Mountain, and then doing some cliff jumping into one of the rivers very near our host housing. I said my goodbyes to our host family who had gone above and beyond what anyone could have asked for. I thanked them again for that. Leaving their house felt like leaving home, that is how accommodating they were to us. I’d like to thank NCCH for having me along and the Global Relay Bridge the Gap for helping me to get out there and finding somewhere for us to stay on such short notice.

Next up- I am off to Europe with the NextGenU23 squad as we tackle Euro trip number two. On the calendar are two, five day stage races and the usual Kermesse races, one of which is in our home town of Tielt-Winge, look forward to hearing about those races and living in Europe in the weeks to come. Thanks for reading!

# NextGenU23

-Edward Walsh