For the second year in a row, Canadian Road Nationals took place in Ottawa/Gatineau. The time trial was in Gatineau and it was the same course as last year. As I rode this course as a junior last year, I was familiar with how challenging it was. The difference this year was that I was now competing in the U23/Elite category which meant that the distance of the time trial was 10 km longer. Instead of racing 16 km, I would now be racing 26 km.
The course featured rolling hills and fast descents, which made it challenging to find the right pace to have a successful time trial. Going into the race, I wanted to take advantage of the climbs as that part of the course played to my advantage. By going harder up the climbs, I hoped to make up enough time so I wouldn’t lose too much time on the descents. I felt fairly confident going into the race but still unsure of what to expect.
The first part of my time trial went pretty well, I felt good on the climbs and was finding a good rhythm. On the way back, I found that I was riding smooth but felt I could have been stronger on the flats and the descents. Overall, my first U23 time trial went well; however, my pacing could have been better and maybe I could have gone harder on the climbs to make up more time.
I still have a lot of work to do to keep improving on my time trial and being more comfortable on my time trial bike as well as improving my pacing.
I am thankful for the opportunity to have competed in the 2017 National Championships and I am already excited for next year!