The women’s team finished their season at the Tour de Gatineau in Ottawa. A race that was on hold for three years, this year the event was back in full force.
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After recovering from sickness at Nationals, a wild and beautiful Gastown Grand Prix, and a stint at home, I jetted across the pond to Belgium, for a month of Kermesse racing.
Had an awesome time racing across North America with the Red Truck racing team. Started off at the team Airbnb in Oxnard where I was able to meet the riders and get some cool rides in the sun of California. First race was Redlands Bicycle Classic which was a quick turn around from my long flight.
Prior to joining Red Truck, one of the last times I had stepped on the top step of a Provincial podium was in 2019 when I was still a Cat 3 racer. That day, no one else showed up, and it bucketed. This time around, things were a little different
The infamous Waterville Road Race kicked us off for a second consecutive year as Stage 1. With gloomy, overcast conditions, it seemed a bit grim to be heading out for a 3hr slugfest, but the energy was high.
Following the windy Time Trial stage earlier in the day, the race continued with the Rookard Custom Pools Downtown Criterium, an exhilarating night-time crit right in the heart of Wenatchee.
Here it is, the first big objective of the season kicks off in a fast and furious fashion at the Redlands Bicycle Classic (RBC) in California. In the run up to the race, the team had spent a week in the testing hills of Thousand Oaks for team training camp with their passionate sponsors.
Red Truck Racing has had a jam packed start to the season in California. Kicking things off with a team camp in Westlake Village, the group got some hilly miles in the Santa Monica Mountains before making their way south to Redlands. The training seemed to pay off as the girls team had a strong showing at the long standing race, Redlands Bicycle Classic.
This year, the Canadian Road National Championships were held in Edmonton for the first time since 2010. Having nationals a bit closer to home was an exciting prospect, as it meant the team could drive out and have our full set up with team trailer, tents, and trainers at each event.
The Agency Omnium started off this past weekend with a short and fast time trial prologue around the farmlands adjacent to the Victoria airport. The course, an exciting T shaped, pancake flat, 6km prologue that had four major pinch points including two U turns, as well as a few rouge dog walkers and the odd on course parallel parker.
After a successful weekend at road provincials, the team made its way to the Island for the return of the Agency Cycling Festival (formerly known as The Robert Cameron Law cycling series). Friday night’s time trial was a new course; located in North Saanich it was a hop, skip, and a jump from the ferry terminal.
Red Truck Racing had a strong eight man squad to control the race with two key objectives: 1. To maintain the lead in the Agency Omnium for points awarded throughout the weekend (the criterium was the final race of a three day series) with Red Truck riders Daniel, and Alex Fraser-Maraun sitting first and second going into the final stage and, 2. To win the Provincial Championship available to the day’s winner of the criterium.
The first stage of Joe Martin was led with a lot of nervous energy and excitement. It was a particularly hot and windy day and we knew it was going to be a tough one. The women’s peloton rolled out just after noon for a grueling few hours.
The Waterville road race was the first stage of this year’s Tour de Bloom stage race. Typically this wildly windy 90km stage is the last of four. The morning of the race we drove up to the race which is sort of on a plateau above the valley and geared up in the cold.
And that’s a wrap with the Redlands Bicycle Classic, one of the hardest stage races in North America
It was a true pleasure to be back at Redlands Bicycle Classic. Generally speaking, when the teams competes this early in the season, most of us are flying in after a cold winter of training. This year, we were fortunate to have timing on our side, and as such, our Californian team camp began two weeks before the race, allowing us to acclimate to the heat.
This is just the start of our race season so we are so excited to build upon this. This week was very special for me and I cannot wait for what is ahead. I feel like I saw all the hard work I have been putting in this winter shine through this week. I am eager to get back on the race course with these girls in RED!!
Valley of the Sun was my first race weekend with Red Truck and stage race in a while. I was eagerly awaiting the racing and sunshine. Sunday morning was the final stage of the weekend, the downtown crit! The time trial and road race was done, and our tummies were filled with lasagna from the night before.
On a mild, if not overcast, day in Maple Ridge a strong team of Red Truck Racing’s finest lined up at the start of the Thornhill Circuit Race. The previous day Barry Lyster had promised sun, and so there was... sort of. Well, if not the presence of sun, at least the absence of rain. Still, a bite in the air meant the pre-race lathering of layer upon layer of embrocation until our legs gleamed so bright it was as if the sun was out.
While most of our teammates travelled home after Valley of the Sun and some warm weather training, a small but mighty part of the team stayed down south to race the Tucson Bicycle classic: a three day stage race around Tucson, Arizona.
The Valley of the Sun stage race in Phoenix Arizona was our first race of the year as a team together. For me, it was my first test of the year to see how the legs were going into the season. After a long winter mixed with lots of schoolwork in university, as well as quite a bit of time spent on the indoor velodrome, I was excited to get back on the road and do such a cool stage race in such a cool place.