Thanks Joel! Excellent work out there.
4 Likes
Glad you enjoyed Luke! Next year I am lining up with you Elites 
4 Likes
I was actually caught behind that crash, and it ruined the race for me! I was keeping in the chase group easily but got stuck behind and never made it back on. Did a hard effort on the rail trail to catch back on but missed it by about 10 seconds.
Just glad I stayed wheels down, but in hindsight I probably lost upwards of 20 minutes because of it. Ended up in smaller, less efficient pace lines and having done a hard effort, never quite fully recovered. Ah well! That’s racing for you.
6 Likes
You were somewhat lucky then!
I wasn’t pulling much before that point but decided to move up based on one or two riders. we had the one guy who’s chain was skipping and I just didn’t want to be near him, just in-case it went wrong at speed. The cooperation on the rail trail would have made it hard for anyone to really get on.
The climb out of Cambridge pretty much destroyed the group though.
2 Likes
I feel that Matthew! I was also chugging along with the front group until my wheel issue. Actual wheel fix took three minutes, but the lost momentum, losing the front train, and having to work to catch up to other groups made it hard.
Excellent job though, lessons for next year.
Loving everyone’s posts, so awesome.
1 Like
Have to add my thoughts as well. First off thanks to David for uploading the video. It was fun to relive the event. Second, this was my first race wearing WCC colours. As mentioned above the kit really does stand out. It was easy to spot club members in the corrals, as they passed me and at the finish. Third, not having done this event before I really didn’t know what to expect. I have a 4.5L top tube bag on my bike that I carry tube, pump, tools etc. It is convenient and lets me carry whatever else I may need on a ride (wallet, phone etc.) Unfortunately I left it on. At one point in the mud shoots the front fork and the seat stays got so clogged up with mud that neither wheel would turn. I had to stop and get rid of the mud but they quickly clogged up again. Tried dragging the bike but the rear would pop up and I came close to falling over the top of the bike. Eventually I got the bike shouldered but it was very uncomfortable with that bag in the way. Best advice I can give is be prepared to shoulder the bike and do it as soon as you have to dismount. It would have saved me alot of time. Fourth, when I exited the section where David had his mechanical the Marshalls stopped a group of us. The traffic on Hwy 5 was really backed up so they decided to let it clear. That cost us probably 5 minutes. Those in late waves ( I was in 3) might need to expect that in the future. Otherwise, it was great to see so many club members out. It was nice to experience the hurt of racing again and the smiles at the finish.
10 Likes
I was lazy this time and didn’t put spikes in the shoes but that can be a good option if you expect to run the mud. Personally I tend to not shoulder the bike in the chutes, and use it to help with staying upright, especially if it is really slippy.
In past years they used to have a power washer on the first mud chute, so if things got really bad you could make your bike rideable.
4 Likes
How about running through the mud full tilt with road shoes 
! Choices were made…
Lol I survived
GCN video on the ride is up: Gravel Riding Top Tips with Canada’s Coolest Cyclist - YouTube … More on riding the Dundas area in prep for the race, but nice to see Ontario and Canada profiled.
2 Likes
Wow a hammerhead ad where they wont stop talking about moose. Really not impressed with that video and hopefully they actually cover a bit of the race a in a different video. In my opinion quite a poor representation of gravel riding in the area and P2A. One of the last lines from Maghalie sums it up “You almost haven’t seen anything” because they hardly left the city.
1 Like
I feel that a bit Chris, hit hard when Maghalie Rochette starting talking while riding about how she could see the climb coming, even after Manon downloaded the route in the café and already highlighted the hammerhead. Having that said all GCN’s videos have a large section of product placement. Great to see some of Dundas though, and a bit of the leadup before the race. And also seeing two legends of course like Maghalie and Manon. Still enjoyed that. The P2A YouTube page uploaded a quick summary that did a nice job.
3 Likes
I hadn’t really thought of it but that could be a reason why I’ve watched almost no GCN over the past year. It just feels like one product placement after another.
That’s about as good as a recap of the race as I could imagine. Enjoyed that video much more. Also who’s that guy sprinting up the final hill at 2:01? Looks familiar don’t you think @mrafuse Somebody had some energy left after 100km.
2 Likes
Am I famous now???
2 Likes
Absolutely 
1 Like
Looks like GCN did do a follow up video on the race: The Legendary Gravel Race You Need To Know: GCN vs Paris Ancaster - YouTube
4 Likes
Found some images from the race, kind of random but they look to be free downloads. See one or two of @Matt_Bannon in there!
I found myself reading this tonight and missed this. Who would do such a thing!
1 Like
