#LEXvsLARAQUE

#LEXvsLARAQUE ended up being even more "exciting" than we bargained for.

Snow was falling, the air was cold, but the anticipation and excitement of #LEXvsLARAQUE was energizing!  Georges blasted off of the start line with a huge effort.  I followed, hoping that he wouldn't hold his pace for too long.  Otherwise, the climb was going to be a lot more painful than I had planned for.  To my surprise, several hundred meters later where false-flat section began, and where Georges should have had the greatest advantage, he had already fallen behind.

Helping Georges with his cleats & pedals (I can't win against a guy who cannot manage to clip in!) Photo : Guy Maguire (#LEXvsLARAQUE)

Approaching the finish line for my first victory celebration #LEXvs LARAQUE. Photo: Guy Maguire

I won fair and square in the cold and snowy race up the Mont Royal.  The gap was so big that I decided to go back down and finish George's final few hundred meters with him ... so I could win twice.  I pulled out some good sportsmanship spirit and encouraged Georges.  Then, punched it over the finish line ahead of him, again. 

Photo : Guy Maguire

George's huge effort left him totally exhausted, so much that he wasn't responding to anybody once he crossed the finish line.  After a couple of minutes, I was quite scared and flagged down an ambulance.  (I wanted to beat him, not kill him!)

Photo : Guy Maguire

Photo : Guy Maguire

Photo : Guy Maguire

Photo : Guy Maguire

CBC Montréal was at the race (along with around 100 other spectators), and filmed this report :
http://www.cbc.ca/news/george-laraque-loses-bike-race-1.2837627

Thank GOODNESS, Georges was okay.  He got out of the hospital about as fast as he blasted off of the start line of our race.  We laughed about it all over lunch at Crudessence.

.@GeorgesLaraque pensait pouvoir battre @Lex_Albrecht. Il s’est plutôt retrouvé à l’hôpital… http://t.co/kDDJxzBufk pic.twitter.com/OdHKyglJsL
— Yahoo Quebec (@YahooQuebec) November 17, 2014

Lex Albrecht vs. Georges Laraque

It's ON! Are you in the Montréal area?  Come out to see a true battle go down this weekend. 

What's that saying about "picking on people your own size"?  Georges Laraque is probably 4 times bigger than me, is an adamant proponent of vegan-ism, and has an impressive 13 year NHL career that he finished off with the Montréal Canadiens in the bank.

He is also convinced that he can beat me in a cycling race in Montréal.... Game on. I'm up for the challenge.

Georges Laraque VS Lex Albrecht. Sunday November 16 2014, come and watch the battle go down! 
photo source: http://www.rds.ca/1.480303

Photo credit : Brian Hodes

Georges and I are going to see who's truly the fastest this Sunday November 16.  We'll be racing from the base of Mont Royal's Camilien Houde climb.  Who do you think will win?  Let us know on Twitter (@Lex_Albrecht and @GeorgesLaraque) using hashtag #LEXvsLARAQUE


 Where : Camilien Houde.
   Start : Just after the final set of lights at the base of Camillien Houde
   Finish : Crest of Camillien Houde (marked by a while line across the road).
 When : Sunday, November 16, 2014. 10 am. (show up early, around 9:30-9:45!)

I don't know what I've gotten myself into, but I'm determined, and I could use all of the support you can give!  Come share your energy, cheer for your favourite and watch the battle go down - Let us know that you'll be there with an RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lex-Albrecht/137026036359510?ref=bookmarks

Professional cyclist Lex Albrecht.  Photo : N. Paquet. Kipphoto.ca