British Columbia Super Week: Tour de White Rock

Warning to readers: This post is extremely long due to the fact that I have not won a major race in a long time. When you win races everyday like some people, then a report is no big deal. I have taken full advantage of this opportunity to write a race report about an awesome experience and a great win. Therefore, I have tried to translate my excitement into words, which has led to a lengthy report. Thanks to everyone for all of your continued support.

The Tour de White Rock takes place in White Rock, B.C. about 12 miles from the Washington state line. White Rock is a gorgeous town with beautiful ocean views and perfect temperatures for racing along the Pacific Ocean and of course the best fish ‘n chips in Canada. The setting of White Rock is much like that of San Francisco, California with the steep climbs and narrow twisting roads that wind through the neighborhoods overlooking the ocean. We would be racing each day along these roads with some of the roads being a 23% grade and even higher.

The first stage of the Tour de White Rock was a short but very difficult hill climb time trial with an interesting Drag-Race style format. Two riders would race at the same time up the climb for the best time. The riders that placed the five best times would have a five-up drag race to the top to decide the winner of the stage and the first overall leader of the race. My typical pre race jitters had me confused on how I would perform. I went through the usual routine of telling my teammates “I feel good”, a bit later in the warm up, “I don’t feel so good”. If you have gotten to know me at all “I don’t feel so good” usually translates into I am going to have a good legs and a good ride.

The climb was just under one kilometer long and there was a nice false summit just after the 18% pitch at about 600 meters in. Although it wasn’t to long there was still a bit of strategy involved and going to early would definitely have you struggling the last 200 meters to the finish line. I made it through my first climb to the top with the 3rd best time of the day. This would put me in the final 5 up sprint for the stage placing and the overall lead after stage one. The final was a bit more strategic than the first all out race to the top and it would be myself versus Canada. The strong Canadian Symmetrics team put three of their riders into the final heat with me and one other Canadian rider. My strategy was to wait for one of the Symmetrics guys to attack and I would follow hoping to win the sprint at the top. Halfway up the climb it was the newly crowned Canadian National Champion Cam Evans who attacked. Digging a bit deep I jumped on his wheel and we had a big gap on the other riders. Cam attacked over the top of the climb and there was about 100 meters to the line. At this point I was still on the hoods and running out of gears. Cam and I were both suffering like dogs and giving everything to get that extra bit of power out of the cranks to shake each other. Finally I dropped to the 11 cog in the back, clenched the drops in the handle bars and dug for everything I had left in my scrawny chicken legs. I looked back to see that I had a good four bike lengths on Cam before pumping my fist with excitement. It is my first big win of the year and my first ever overall leader’s jersey. I was so shocked and couldn’t believe how I felt on the climbs.

The following day was the criterium in downtown White Rock. Luckily the crit suited me very well with a climb on the back straight and a downhill finish. The race would come down to the climb on the back. Before the race began we decided that we would not race to defend my overall jersey, but rather try to get Evan and Hoppy up there for the finish and I would try to stay in the top 10 to score some points and hold onto the overall leader’s jersey. The Symetrics guys got right to the point and attacks started coming right away. David Veilleux rode like a possessed mad man and covered moves, bridged gaps, and made sure that no move was up the road without a Jittery Joe’s rider in it. Austin did the same, but a little more gracefully. I was a bit excited and racing on good legs and pure motivation to maintain the overall lead.

As the attacks continued I followed the guys that were a threat to the overall jersey. With about 10 laps left in the crit the race came apart on the back straight climb and I found myself in a group of eight guys. Four of them being Symmetrics, but none of them were the guys in the G.C. With two laps to go it had whittled down to a group of 7 and still four of the Symmetrics riders. There was a small gap opening on the downhill finish straight with one lap to go. I closed the gap and by then I was at the bottom of the climb and coming up fast with momentum. I went for it and attacked with everything I had. Unfortunately I had misjudged my opponents and they all jumped right on my wheel and I was in poor position. They countered my attack and I rode in for 4th place. Big Evan cleaned up the field sprint for 8th place and Hoppy ran 12th just behind Evan. I was a bit disappointed with myself for going to early, but my goal was to score some points to maintain the leader’s jersey and I ended up getting a solid lead before the final road stage the next day.

The circuit road race would prove to be difficult with only five of us to try to protect my overall jersey. I learned so much about how it feels to protect a jersey. You have to be on your toes constantly, drinking eating, spinning and watching everyone. Your team is taking care of you at all times and everyone will attack you without hesitation.

The circuit had two very steep and difficult climbs that suited me very well. Maintaining good position and watching the G.C. threats was most important in maintaining the leader’s jersey and that was my sole focus all day. I didn’t care who went up the road, as long as they were not a threat to the overall.

Again there was no time wasted in attacking us and Austin was away in a break the first time up the lesser feed zone climb. He stayed in this break for a while making sure that no one would ride away. Eventually this break came back and as the laps wore on the group got smaller and smaller each time up the longer difficult climb. We stayed sharp and rode tough watching every move that went up the road and bringing back the threats to the lead. Soon the race had whittled down to a group of about 20 riders and I still had Austin and David in there to help me. They kept the tempo high on the front to keep the riders from attacking. With only four small circuits left in the race it came apart on the climb. One of the G.C. threats attacked and I was alone and had to follow. I covered the move but still had a bit farther to go to the top of the climb. Immediately Cam Evans, another major threat, attacked. I tried to go but the legs were just a bit tired from the previous day and the many attacks I had already covered up the climbs. That final attack was the nail in the coffin. I cracked like an egg and clawed my way over the top.

Coming into the finish I was again out-numbered by the Canadian team and knew that I would be no match in the sprint. Just hanging on, I clawed my way to the finish and crossed the line in 9th place and enough points in the overall to hang on the leaders jersey and win my first big stage race.

The team rode awesome all weekend and I surely the jersey would have been lost had we not had the combined experience and strength to finish the job. We are all riding very well, but strength is not enough. It was great having the veterans of the team Jeff and Evan to keep me from doing unnecessary work and wasting energy. Austin was always there with good advice and making sure that I had plenty of food and drink and staying out of the wind. And of course there is the token Canadian guy on the team David, who is by far the strongest 19 year old I have ever seen ride a bike, who just gave it his all the entire time. I think he even attacked me once in the road race by accident and went up the road with a couple laps to go. Either way, we road awesome and I am very happy to have finally contributed to the teams success and have my first stage race win. It has been an exciting few days of racing with many unknown challenges that were overcome. Next up is the Tour de Gastown in Vancouver. Look for us to continue our foreword momentum and win some more races.



Photos by Greg Descantes (www.descantes.com)

Thanks!

Matt

David puts the hurt on.

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