By Bayley Simpson
Calabogie 2015:
Calabogie this year was probably the warmest it has been in all of the 3 years I’ve raced there. This was now my second race in Elite 1/2 racing up from Junior. After Good Friday, where a break stayed away, it seemed like everyone wanted to get away. It was an interesting race having a few teams en masse from Quebec coming out, as well as the usual Real Deal’s and NCCH teams. As well there were two riders there from Silber Pro Cycling and they were the most marked riders in the pack by far. It was a very fast and aggressive race the whole way through always having riders off the front during the race. Some small breaks got away for little bits but they would always be brought back. Wearing the Jet Fuel colours, even though I’m still a junior, you are a marked rider. I tried to get into a few breaks with Derek Gee from the OCA project, but they would let him get a bit of a gap and when I would try to bridge, I would have 6 riders following me, so it never really worked out. OCA Provincial coach Sean Kelly found himself in a break for a good 10 laps which was good to see. With 6 laps to go there was a break of 5 up the road including Ed Veal and Derek St. John of Silber Pro Cycling that could have almost been the winning move, but the field chased hard and brought them back with a lap to go. Sitting mid pack heading into the last lap, I knew exactly what I was going to do. Knowing the finish straight was a tail wind section I knew there was little chance I could win the sprint in my junior gears. I slowly moved right up to the front sitting about 7th wheel with 3.5 km to go when Derek St. John went again and Veal followed, as did I. We had a gap on the field and I knew Ed was waiting for the sprint, so as soon as Derek swung off, Ed sat up and I attacked to the other side of the road. With a little under 2km to go now I crested the top of the little rise and begun heading down and spun out tucked for a second and then continued again hard into the cross wind. As I hit the little sweeping section right before the feed zone and I hit the final stretch and took a quick look back and the field was coming hot behind me. Going as hard as I can 200m…..100m… 50m and I hear something to my right and look across and Ed comes flying past me on the other side of the road. Followed by another 6 riders and I finish in 8th. 50 m from my first win in an O-Cup and that being in Elite 1/2 as a Junior! Disappointed of course being so close to winning, but I’m really happy I gave it my all but I just didn’t quite have enough to make it all the way to the line! I’m happy with my race as i was aggressive the whole way through, and gave everything in the last few km's. Now I'm looking ahead to Springbank where hopefully I will get another shot at getting that win!
Calabogie 2015:
Calabogie this year was probably the warmest it has been in all of the 3 years I’ve raced there. This was now my second race in Elite 1/2 racing up from Junior. After Good Friday, where a break stayed away, it seemed like everyone wanted to get away. It was an interesting race having a few teams en masse from Quebec coming out, as well as the usual Real Deal’s and NCCH teams. As well there were two riders there from Silber Pro Cycling and they were the most marked riders in the pack by far. It was a very fast and aggressive race the whole way through always having riders off the front during the race. Some small breaks got away for little bits but they would always be brought back. Wearing the Jet Fuel colours, even though I’m still a junior, you are a marked rider. I tried to get into a few breaks with Derek Gee from the OCA project, but they would let him get a bit of a gap and when I would try to bridge, I would have 6 riders following me, so it never really worked out. OCA Provincial coach Sean Kelly found himself in a break for a good 10 laps which was good to see. With 6 laps to go there was a break of 5 up the road including Ed Veal and Derek St. John of Silber Pro Cycling that could have almost been the winning move, but the field chased hard and brought them back with a lap to go. Sitting mid pack heading into the last lap, I knew exactly what I was going to do. Knowing the finish straight was a tail wind section I knew there was little chance I could win the sprint in my junior gears. I slowly moved right up to the front sitting about 7th wheel with 3.5 km to go when Derek St. John went again and Veal followed, as did I. We had a gap on the field and I knew Ed was waiting for the sprint, so as soon as Derek swung off, Ed sat up and I attacked to the other side of the road. With a little under 2km to go now I crested the top of the little rise and begun heading down and spun out tucked for a second and then continued again hard into the cross wind. As I hit the little sweeping section right before the feed zone and I hit the final stretch and took a quick look back and the field was coming hot behind me. Going as hard as I can 200m…..100m… 50m and I hear something to my right and look across and Ed comes flying past me on the other side of the road. Followed by another 6 riders and I finish in 8th. 50 m from my first win in an O-Cup and that being in Elite 1/2 as a Junior! Disappointed of course being so close to winning, but I’m really happy I gave it my all but I just didn’t quite have enough to make it all the way to the line! I’m happy with my race as i was aggressive the whole way through, and gave everything in the last few km's. Now I'm looking ahead to Springbank where hopefully I will get another shot at getting that win!