I am now in Bromont, Quebec after what has been an exciting month of racing and traveling. It started relatively light with my 3rd Pro 1/2 race at the KW Classic. After about 30km of the race a break of 4 was up the road and a pack of about 60 rode along about 2 minutes behind it. It stayed like this for about another 40km and with 70km to go I went for the bridge, bringing 2 others with me. We eventually caught them and had a quick group going but with 2 10km laps left I fell victim to cramping despite feeling really good and I got dropped and had to settle for 10th, being caught by a duo of riders before the line. I am happy with 10th out of 60 odd as a first year junior racing Senior but I wonder what could of been had I of not cramped up?
After this I did more research and testing into my cramping and figured out a solution just before my next big race, Nationals. I finish 6th place in the TT 6 seconds out of 4th which is a bit of a bummer but it still left me in good standing to make the national team pool. In the Crit I tried my luck four times but the fast average speeds were too hard to stay away with. I am just happy I didn't crash like some contenders did in the gong show that made up the first 10 laps. It came to a sprint and I was a little poorly placed and caught behind the wheel explosions of a few quebec riders and rolled across in 30th or so place with the first group. Now for the one I had really been waiting for, the Road Race. A relatively challenging Classic like circuit that suited me yet in the end was not selective enough. Our group of 80 was whittled down to 1/4 of its size but I still didn't like those chances I made a few late attacks with 6km and 800m to go but both were short lived (-100m gap). My first one was good and for a little while our group was only 7 riders, but the descent shortly after brought everyone back together. I had my sprint planned well prior to the race I thought and I was sort of right. I figured everyone would go too early on the 150m uphill sprint and I found myself going way better then everyone at the 50m to go mark. One variable I didn't see however was how the road went form essentially 2 lanes to 1 and I found myself boxed in, destined to 10th place. We rode well as a Team over the weekend and a big thanks to my teammates, mechanic Sean Kelly and coaches Brendan Arnold and Mike G!
In the end I got selected for the Worlds Team pool and I am quite happy! I will be racing with Team Canada at the Tour of Abitibi World Cup starting Tuesday the 18th of July and afterwards they will decide who goes to Worlds and who goes to Commonwealth. How it works this year is that we will have 5 or 6 at Worlds (2 are guaranteed National Champions Alex & Emile) then 3/4 from any of us 3 Quebec riders a Manitoba rider or BC rider and me from Ontario. Whoever doesn't get picked will go to England with either 1 or 2 of the alternates to race Commonwealth. I have some exciting times ahead that is for sure.
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