Jun 25, 2011

Canadian National Road Cycling Championships 2011

I drove the Mazda5 out to the race course, drove two laps then hopped on my Specialized S-Works Amira for two more rounds on Thursday, the day before the 2011 Canadian National Road Cycling Championships.  I felt like dirt, and I had for the last few days.  How's that for blunt?

M.C. Lemelin massaged the cords out of my legs on Thursday night.  Friday morning, after preparing a whack of eload bottles she worked on the Pistons again.  She saved me. 

The 8 lap race started at 6pm.  Each lap included a steep twisting climb up Rattlesnake Hill, just outside of Burlington Ontario.  Cassette of choice: 11-28.  I didn't want anything more, or anything less for that puppy.

My excellent teammate MoJo (Moriah-Jo MacGregor) was out on a break for almost the entire race.  At a certain point she was up to over 4 minutes ahead of the peloton.  I knew the other girls were getting scared.  I loved it.  They worked hard to bring her back, and with only 5km to go MoJo was back with us.

On the final climb, Véronique Fortin of PK Express cranked it up the hill, and nobody could follow.  I managed crossing the line in second position. Thanks to MoJo, I didn't have to work at all during the entire race, had she not been out front the whole time, who knows if I would have gotten then chance to spray champagne around for the first time in my life.  Congratulations to Denise Ramsden who crossed the line in 4th place, and consequently earned herself the U23 Canadian Road Cycling Champion title to go along with her U23 Time Trial Champion title that she had won only the day before.
Chris Redden
www.canadiancyclist.com


This race was extra special to me because it was the first time that my family has been there to cheer me on.  My mom, my Aunt B and Aunt Elke, my cousin Grant, and my Opa and Oma were there rooting for me and the entire Juvéderm Specialized Mazda team, blowing the conch shells and holding up the coolest banner I've seen to date.  Thanks guys.

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