Roster for the 2014 World Championships

Canadian National Team. 2014 UCI Road Cycling World Championships.  Ponferrada, Spain  (not all athletes present in photo)  Photo : Canadian Cycling (Canadian Cyclist)

I am proud to be representing Canada at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain.  Thank you for those who have helped me earn this opportunity, and to those who have believed in me.  It is an honour to represent Canada.

CyclingNews.com article : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lex-albrecht-wins-appeal-to-race-world-championships
Editornial by Laurent Martel : http://laflammerouge.com/cyclisme-canada-je-ne-comprends-pas/
Statement by Cycling Canada (English) http://www.cyclingcanada.ca/sport/cycling/news/lex-albrecht-joins-canadian-team-at-road-world-championships/
Statement by Cycling Canada (French), via Veloptimum.net : http://veloptimum.net/velonouvelles/14/COMM/9sept/CyclismeCan23.htm

Kermesse of The Year

I did my first, and only, and last, kermesse of 2012 in Belgium.  I would have liked to have done more but the season is pretty much at its end.

A kermesse is a race based around a festival with foodstands, circus rides, and lots of cycling fans.  In Belgium, there are several every week.  Most kermesse courses are around 5km long, and we race many laps, so the spectators can have a decent show. 

Often times the roads are narrow, sometimes as narrow as a bikepath, sometimes there are cobble sections and sometimes there is ''road furniture'' (they love this stuff over here) scattered around the course.

Pretty wild decor hanging from the celing at the race registration spot.  (Which is of course, a bar.  It's a kermesse, afterall)

Sign in! A kermesse costs 10 Euros to enter, and 5 Euros are given back upon return of the race plate and bib number.  A concept we don't use back in America.

Today, I raced a 16 lap, 82km race with my Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies teammate Leah Kirchmann, and fellow Québécoise, Karol-Ann Canuel as a training in prepartion for the World Championships.  We decided not to race in Team Canada kits, to stay off the radar.

Karol-Ann, Lex, and Leah. -Bruno Forrestier

I was in an early move that didn't stay away for more than a full lap.  Shortly after, Leah got away and with one other rider.  In the meantime, I covered every attack I could, in case another small group would bridge up to my teammate.  It proved to be a tough task, but I managed.  It was also good positioning practice for me, because I knew I had to stay up at the front of the hyper dynamic group at all times. 

Lex Albrecht covering moves and taking care of business while Leah Kirchmann was off the front with another rider.  -Bruno Forrestier

On the final lap I decided to take the lead through the corners to control the pace and not get gapped by other riders.  Towards the end I let a couple of other girls taste the wind a bit, and I stuck behind in their draft.  But, Karol-Ann tried to rescue me as I lost my 3rd wheel position just before the finish, because the bunch sprint for 3rd was too much for me to handle and we both finished in the swarm of other racers.

Lex going first through the corners, peloton trailing behind. -Bruno Forrestier

Leah stayed away for the entire race, and just barely lost the cat-and-mouse sprint game to her breakaway companion.  Impressive 2nd place Leah. 

Leah Kirchman in second place at today's Kermess

Our soigneurs wiped our legs, arms, and faces, fed us, (I'd better not get used to this, or I'm going to be in trouble back at home) and we rode back home to flush out our legs. 

Congrats Leah!

I'd call today a sucess!

Welcome to Ardèche

The international collection of teams has arrived in Ardèche.  Our accomodations are not typical, we're staying in a four-star campsite.  I'm sharing a fully-equipped cabin with my Canadian and Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies teammate, Joëlle.  There are plenty of activities for the campers here, a small water park, tennis courts and soccer fields and access to a river in the gorge for kayaking.  Our priorities are different though, we're here to race.

This morning, my Optum teammates, Joëlle and Leah, came out for a spin to ''open up the legs'' a little bit before our short prologue race that will kick off the 6 day event this evening. 

Leah on her Orbea TT bike

One of my favorite places to ride is alongside the gorges, going through a tunnel, way above the river.  Check out this short video of one of the scenic roads Leah and I rode on before the race!

We returned and our soigneur, the famous Michel from Belgium, had plenty of food for us to complement what we'll eat for the week.  I'm not sure about the 4.5lbs of butter, at least it will make our fridge look full...

I'll make sure the coffee gets put to good use but I'm questioning what we're going to do with the butter!

Optum-orange Lazer sunglasses look cool even with the maple leaf kit!

I'll Tell You How Stage 3 Went...

(Team Optum-KBS getting ready #EXGT: Team Optum-KBS getting ready #EXGT)

After some quality recovery with my Compex Sport Elite Machine (check out @Lex_albrecht on Twitter for pictures) following Stage 2, the pistons were feeling pretty good.  Stage 3 of the Exergy Tour started with 3 km neutral out of Crouch, ID, and then Optum put out a few attacks, and covered a few more.  It was going well.  

We entered into the feed-zone at an unusually early point in the race (only 38.3 km in).  Most riders didn't even bother taking a bottle.  I had plenty of Clif Shot drink mix left in my bottles and the 10+km climb was about to begin anyways.  Nobody wants to haul around extra weight uphill for the fun of it.

A break with Optum's Janel Holcomb got away on the climb.  The field split up as we ascended, and all of the Optum riders were in the front group (execpt Janel, who was off of the front).  As we crested the top of the climb, the pace kicked up and the 5 km descent before the second climb began. 

Today, I remembered my Mavic shoes, my Thule backpack, my Lazer helmet and frame-less Lazer Magneto sunglasses, but I left my balls at home.

I got dropped on the darn curvy wet roads, and just as I clawed back to the lead group, I got dropped again as we entered into the day's final descent.  Not cool.

What is cool though is that as the lead group neared the finish line, Jade Wilcoxson launched some strong attacks against the field, keeping the pace high and the pack organized.  Carmen Small and Janel gave Leah Kirchmann a sweet lead out, and Leah just barely missed the victory, which German national champion Ina Teutenburg took home instead.  2nd place podium for Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies.  Way to deliver the goods LEAH!  And Jade is back in the top-10!

Way to go girls!

If anybody saw where those balls are at, shout me a holler.  

(P.S.: BIG ups to Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, who WON THE GIRO D'ITALIA!)