Rest = Dilithium Crystals

It's been three weeks since I completed any structured training or racing and I am in awe of the results.

Back in Whistler after my first season, I was just trashed. Every day for ten days I became more fatigued as my body relaxed. The last time I'd had a "body" vacation was a three week non-road biking stretch in August 2009 right before I entered into my last year of University.

Now, after playing a few days on the mountain bike to stay sane these last 21 days (blown away at just how hard you can go on the dirt), I brought out the Felt F1 for a day of intervals in preparation for the RBC Whistler Gran Fondo and Canadian Sprint Challenge next week.

Energy levels are way up...my power on all the climbs is higher than anything I've done all season...personal bests of two climbs today & my thirty second sprinting power is at an all time high, over 1000 watts! What is happening to me!

For all the local Whistler readers:

@ VO2 Max Intervals (9/10 Perceived Exertion Scale)

Kadenwood: 8.36 (6.9%) (5.47w/kg) * current record @ 7.49 (7/5/11)

Taluswood: 7.14 (6.7%) (5.60w/kg) * new record

Bobsled: 10.42 (7.3%) (5.24w/kg) * new record

1 Full Sprint: 0.28 (3.0%) (15.0w/kg) * new record @ 1005watts

Cyclocross Bike For Sale

It is almost time to go racing in the mud...do you need a bike? Well I might be able to help you out. I have 1 bike, very high end and light ready for sale at a great price. I also have a second racing bike great for entry level racers who also want to ride the road.

Check out the easily downloadable powerpoint presentations via media fire (see links) and send me an email.

Don't know what cyclocross is? Give me 3 minutes to convince you....

Orbea Cyclocross 48cm

Katerina Nash's CX 2010!

DOWNLOAD UPDATED POWERPOINT SHOW HERE

NEW PRICE with Williams Wheels! $1500 CAN

Nov 6th, 2011

Colorado St.5: And if you thought.....

Well if you thought Stage 4 was a nail-bitting journey to Steamboat Springs with Team Exergy driving the front of the race, Stage 5 was way more epic!

WOW! Reading the team's recap of the day, one in which Team Exergy was the most active it's been all week, I am just floored!

Salas & Applequist driving the front

Sneaking away on Rabbit Ear Pass

Photo Courtesy: TeamExergy.com

Click for Stage Recap

Stage 5 was such a team effort that Exergy lost a rider...hear Caveman Krogg's that story...

Get caught up on yesterday's stage now before today's final stage 6 in Denver.

WETBANDITS GO BOOM!

Colorado St.3: EXERGY CRUSH

Although I'm back home in Canada resting after a long season of racing, the internet is making it easy to follow the team down at the US Pro Cycling Challenge. In case you've missed it, here is today's selection of news on the team.

Article #1: Tad's Team Recap

"At 40km to go, and the break under 2minutes, Team Exergy went to the front ....ultimately ending up with Fast Freddie hitting the front at 350meters to the line......"

Local News Article:

Manual For Speed - Stage 4

Manual For Speed - Stage 3

Back in the Saddle Again!

Great Article today from Eric Mackenzie at the Whistler Question. Click to read!

Don't miss my team at the Tour of Colorado this week. You can watch live coverage on Versus (stateside) or the Tour Tracker online (Canadian viewers). Another great source is the Manual for Speed's facebook page.

Witness HeyBuckShot's artistic awesomeness NOW!

Enjoy my weekly fav from the Wetblog too!

Louis La Roche - Scenery Mixtape Part 3 by louislaroche

2011 Canada Track: It's a wrap

I finished up my season here in Bromont, Quebec today. The only event remaining in the Elite omnium competition was the 1km TT (or kilo). This event is run with aero equipment despite its 65-70 second duration but it usually comes down to who can hurt the most. It's four lap distance includes a fast start followed by a slow death, with average speeds above thirty miles per hour.

I'd need to speed faster than both Jean-Michel and Jake to move up onto the podium and ultimately it didn't happen today. However, it was nice to finish the season with such a hard event as it provides the chance to really leave everything out there on the track.

Hats off to an awesome ride by Cam MacKinnon who posted a new kilo track record for omnium competitors with a scorching 67.2. Jacob and Jean-Michel snuck in ahead of my 69.8, securing the omnium podium.

Although I didn't plan on competing for the overall omnium podium due to no training time and some heavy legs from a long season, the game changed once I got close. However I did travel to Quebec for podiums in the individual events and fortunately I was able to achieve that.

So a big thanks goes out to CyclingBC for their continued support. I always really enjoy my time living and racing with the team; with it's wide range of Olympians and first year riders, it's a relaxed but focused group of motivated racers....great team environment!

Also a big thanks to Muscle Memory Fitness center who provided funds for my participation in this event. Their support over the past 14 months have been fundamental in the pursuit of my track goals.

Official results. So 4th overall in the omnium (despite my first event brain fart) including podium finishes in all of the mass start events! I'm looking forward to more track training and racing starting after the RBC Grand Fondo.

Canadian National Points Race

Cam MacKinnon (HR Block) 2nd, Jean-Michel (Rocky Mountain) 1st, Ben Chaddock (Team Exergy) 3rd

Courtesy of Tim Sherstobitoff (CyclingBC's super seigneur!)

2011 Canada Track: Diggin In

Sneaky Sound System- We Love (FireFlowerz rmx) by FireFlowerz Courtesy of WetBandits @Wetblog

Day 1:

Back in Bromont today for another stab at track racing. After forgetting to switch my warmup gears for my race gears, (there was no warmup today because of dew so my first lap on a velodrome since last August was a racing speed in sprinting fashion = zippy do dah!) I raced the flying 250 metre (1 lap) in a very small gear and subsequently went quite slow. Placing 9th out of the 11 omnium contenders, I now have a nice little handicap for the rest of the week.

But I made up for it with some aggressive racing in the Points race, taking a lap early. However another group of riders took a lap (albeit over the course of more intermediate sprints) and ultimately bumped my points total to that of 3rd overall. But hey! my first national track podium! Not bad for just clicking in!

However I needed to show that I can use tactics better so in the elimination race (where the last rider across the line every two laps is eliminated) I needed a strong race. After finishing 13th out of 20 riders last year, I was very focused. I decided to move up earlier that I would have otherwise on the sprint laps and thus made it to the final two riders, up against Cam MacKinnon (International level sprinter on the track in 2008 and 2009). Instead of 2 laps, the final two riders get three laps. I was now in my first ever match sprint! I started ahead and moved up and down the track banking to maintain my speed while confusing both him and me....""what was I going to do? I know he will attack with 1.5 laps to go like how he won the final sprint in the points race. Is it 2.5 laps to go now? Oh no, I don't think that's right, it's 1....oh crap! He is going! Push push push but he is gone and I roll across a few seconds later to go second, moving way up in the omnium to 4th overall. Solid.

Day 2: Another good day here in Canada.

After what was thought to be just a wash with heavy rain in the forecast, we woke up to clear skies and a drying track. The day started with the 4km individual pursuit. I actually started the day 4th overall (not 5th like I estimated last night). To move up to the podium, I would need to pull out 5 points on my BC cycling comrade Jacob Schwingboth.

After a poor start from the automatic release machine, I got up to speed and held very consistent pacing. This is good as consistency in the pursuit is critical, saving that extra for the final kilometre is critical. I was able to clock the 5th fastest time. Happy with the ride, I went 3 seconds faster than last year, 3.5 seconds off the top time. This moved me farther away from an overall podium as Jacob went 3rd.

Omnium Points are calculated by the summation of your placement in each event: 1st place gets one point and so on, lowest score wins the omnium.

In the 10km scratch race, I needed to find a way to get a large points advantage over Jacob and Jean-Michel (overall 2nd place). Very early in the 40 lap (13 minute race), a three man break formed of riders out of overall omnium contention including Erik "Sleepy" Mulder of CyclingBC. With 22 laps remaining they almost had lapped us after the top riders marked one another. None willing to work too hard in case there was a counter attack. From laps 22 to 9 to go however we worked as a group and brought the breakaway back to a half lap. At this point the pack slowed and I took my big chance. I had to lap. My attack came just as everyone was looking around and I quickly established a large gap. By the time I settled into the effort and realized that they had let me go, I had 6 laps to get all the way across. With 2 laps to go the 3 man break up the rode caught the main field just as I reached the "almost" draft. Erik attacked immediately under the field (who very sportsmanly rode high on the track as the break and I came through. I followed Erik's attack and his breakaway companions quickly dissappeared from view. With a 1 second time gap on me, only 1.5 laps remained for the Scratch Championship and a chance to put at least two riders between myself and Jean-Michel (who was back in the group of lapped riders). Erik held strong and I faded with a half lap to go, the main bunch sprinting by for 5th. Fortunately I held on for 2nd though and moved way up in the podium after Jean-Michel finished 8th, Jacob, 6th.

The final event was delay due to rain and will be run early Thursday morning, a 1 kilometre time trial.

Current Standings (1 event remaining)

Cam MacKinnon: 12 pts

Jean-Michel: 19 pts

Jacob Swingboth: 20 pts

Ben Chaddock: 21 pts

Erik Mulder: 28 pts

All Results

Cycling BC Camp

Track Bikes getting their tan on!

Mostly warm today with some clouds for shade

MuscleMemory Fitness has again been a big supporter of my racing here this week!

Thank you!

Team Exergy: Aight no team I'd rather turn myself inside and out for.

I'm here to represent them in Canada.

Felt Bicycles sponsor some of the top track riders in the world, I am looking forward to more pedal time in the coming months!

Elk Grove: St.1

Disc Wheels & Aero Helmets

Carlos crushing it! Courtesy Cyclingnews

Tour of Elk Grove Prologue Results

Ride your bike!