So I guess it has been a little while since I posted something… I’ve had good intentions, I promise.
I was going to write something about the cookies I made with my leftover cream cheese from the burgers, and then I was going to write about the pizza I cooked for the De Veers, and then I was going to write (jokingly) about how I almost forgot to pin my numbers on last week in Vaudreilles because it had been so long since I raced. But I didn’t have the energy nor did I actually feel like I had much interesting to say. I don’t particularly like writing and just telling you about what I did each day, I want to write when there is actually something interesting, something that I might actually want to read myself if I were you.
But this weekend was the Classique Montreal-Quebec. I was a little anxious with the distance and the stories. But I knew I could handle it. There were a lot of logistics to figure out (Thanks Marc!) and a lot of support needed (Thanks Vince, Nick, Shane, and Amy! You guys are all awesome!).
I was pretty anxious and excited at the start (what else is new?!?), but once we got rolling I felt a lot better.
The beginning wasn’t too bad. It was especially good when Marc got in the break at about 30km. It started ramping up at about km 70 or so and we were trying to sit on any Garneau or bikereg guys who went. Nothing stuck.
We went through the neutralized section, across the dam, and I HURT on the climb right after. I got gapped, but was with a bunch of other guys. We were rolling, but then I saw Derrick and some other Garneaus not really pulling, so I wasn’t trying so hard. Then they were trying to attack. Eventually we got onto a big open highway with a headwind and 3 of them were pull HARD. I sat on and let them pull through. I also had all my teammates in the group ahead, so I didn’t have to work. They eventually brought the group back.
Marc’s break got brought back and then we had Mike in a big move, so we were just watching again. I was marking the big guys trying to go at that point. Mike’s break got brought back at about 200km (it went from 3:00 to 0:45 really, really fast, and that’s when things started to get hard). I covered as much as I could from Donnacona (the beginning of the finale) and I was HURTING, but making it through. I maybe tried to do a little too much. I put in one hard dig at about 10km to go, but I couldn’t hold a gap, then on the final climb (which was harder than I was expecting) I got gapped pretty good. I rolled through with a small group and finished with them behind the 2 main groups.
I’m pretty happy. It was hard. I learned some things. It wasn’t the best result, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. I told myself I was either going to get in a move in that finale or I was going to die trying. I really wanted the former, but I guess I’ll take latter…
Until next time…
::SAdamson
