GP Cycliste Gatineau 2013

I raced the 4th edition of the UCI 1.1 Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau with the Canadian National Cycling Team.  Our roster was cut a little short with one athlete injured, and another one with a last minute race calendar modification that had her racing overseas.

Denise Kelly, Candice Vermuelen, Véronique Labonté, Kinley Gibson, Véronique Fortin, Lex Albrecht

I raced with:
Véronique Fortin (2011 Canadian Road Cycling Champion)
Véronique Labonté (my teammate from 2011)
Kinley Gibson (a second year junior, super strong track racer, and great hotel roommate)
Candice Vermuelen (track specialist who went on to win a race the next day in Niagra Falls. What an athlete).

The 12 lap race (122 km) started out at a slower pace than in previous years.  A few riders attempted to throw some attacks, but all attempts of creating a break were smouldered.  At one point Claudia Haussler (TIBCO) attacked on an uphill and I jumped on her wheel, thinking it might be a move that could stay away for awhile at least.  The two of us were reeled back within a kilometer.  But by the 6th lap, Steph Roorda (Specialized-GSD Gestion) attacked and escaped from the peloton.  I waited until a nice little kicker came up in the course and gunned it.  I got away from the pack and rode until I caught up with Steph just before the feedzone.  We worked together to stay away for another 3 laps.  Suddenly I heard ..."Lex.  LEX!"  Music to my ears.  I glanced behind me and it was my teammate Véro Fortin bridging up to us.

The three of us worked hard in hopes of staying away until the end.  Our team director, Denise Kelly drove up alongside us and handed me a delicious Coke.  I hate Coke.  Except in the middle of a race.  Then it's DARN good.  But with just 1 lap left to go, TIBCO and Optum managed to reel us in. This was was perfect for them; Both had a team full of sprinters and great leadout riders.  It was also probably to their advantage to have the most teammates together up there to drill the pace and set up the win for their final sprinter before the finish line.  In the end, Shelly Olds from TIBCO took home the victory.

So, hey, we knew we had little chance to win out of a bunch sprint.  However, we did a decent job of making our plan of a break work.  I wanted the Maple Leaf on the first step of the podium, regardless of who was wearing it.  "Close, but no cigar" (the big, fat, stinky kind- why not?) is a lot more satisfying than sitting around in the peloton and not risking anything.

I think we would have needed an additional rider from another strong team there with us in that break...but that's not what they wanted.  Bike racing is all about pedalling hard and lots of strategy.

ONE thing that I have to mention about the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau is that the spectators are awesome.  I heard my name yelled out so many times around the course! And, I was thrilled to see the plethora of people who came to watch the show.   

This is probably the coolest thing that I saw all day though (it definitey added a few extra watts to my pedal stroke in the breakaway, each time I rode past!):

Thanks W. Saunders for getting a photo of this sign for me, and thanks to the girls who made it! WOW! :)

CHECK OUT SOME GREAT PHOTOS OF THE GP GATINEAU FROM CANADIAN CYCLING MAGAZINE BY CLICKING HERE!

Lex Albrecht looks ahead to the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau

I spoke with Matthew Pioro from Canadian Cycling Magazine about the upcoming UCI races in Gatineau, Québec (May 17 - 20).  They're two of the biggest international calibre womens' cycling events in Canada.

Check out what we discussed, and find out how to follow the race LIVE here! 

(http://cyclingmagazine.ca/2013/05/sections/news/lex-albrecht-looks-ahead-to-the-grand-prix-cycliste-gatineau/)

Grand Prix Cyclist Gatineau

Optum Pro Cycling Presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies raced the 3rd annual UCI 1.1 event, Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau, in Gatineau Québec.  Some of the best cyclists in the world were on the start line.

Canadian Cycling

The weather was perfect, there was a slight breeze, blue sky, and it was just hot enough to need a few more bottles than usual.  This year's edition was longer than the previous years, just over 130km.  There was a great spectator turn out, hearing the crowd's enthusiastic cheers, and their blue cowbells clanging was extra motivation. 

Canadian Tara Whitten was out ahead of the pack for a good part of the race and when she was brought back, the attacks began.  No break ended up staying away.  With about 2km to go, there was a crash on an off ramp coming out of the Gatineau Park (which is kind of like the little cousin of my FAVORITE place to ride in Québec: Le Parc National de la Mauricie) and onto Boulevard les Allumetières.  This split the pack up a little bit, but fortunately Optum riders, Joëlle Numainville and Carmen Small were ahead, and not affected in the slightest.  In the hairpin turn with about 400m to the finish, nobody went down this year, luckily.  (In the first two editions of the GP Cycliste Gatineau there were NASTY crashes there). 

Joëlle and Carmen continued working together and ended up in 4th and 5th overall.

We're flying off to Boise, ID right after the race for the Exergy Tour where we'll continue to race our Orbeas hard.

Nothing Like Flags to Get Pumped Up!

The Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau is back for it's thrid consecutive year.  I arrived in Ottawa, Ontario from my home in Québec, Québec yesterday while two Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies teammates (Canadian U23 road and time trial champion, Denise Ramsden and American Carmen Small) raced the 20 km time trial of the Gatineau Grand Prix Cycliste in the Gatineau heat. 

The road race will take place on holiday Monday, beginning at 9:30am.  Here is the Optum roster this time around:  (ALL of our Canadian riders are here!)
Lex Albrecht
Denise Ramsden
Leah Kirchmann
Joëlle Numainville
Annie Ewart
Carmen Small

It was great to see the display of the Canadian flags coming out of our nation captial's airport.  It was another boost to my patriotic excitement that's stemming from the pride of having a prestegious UCI event right here in ''my own backyard''.  Backyard...that's relative, but I'm happy to be racing in Québec, in Canada.
Come out and cheer on Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies tomorrow!