Gastown

Race report from Canada -eh?

The boys in orange are up in Canada for the remainder of the BC Superweek. The forcast, rain with possible showers mixed in -nice. Ever try riding over wet cobbles at 30 mphs and with a hairpin corner?

Tonight, was the Gastown criterium - 136 guys started maybe 30 finished the 50 lap event. 10 laps into the event, some 20 to 30 guys or so who started on the back where gone. Dougie O was in a 5 man break with Oleg Grishkin of Navigators, Svein Tuft of symmetrics and someone else whos names escapes me. Tuckerman bridge up to the break for the EB. The six worked semi well together, a few of the guys where skipping pulls and I think Dougie noticed that and attacked the group, but was caught, Aaron counters. This split the break group in half. Aaron, Oleg and rider X went up the road while the others where absorbed by the hard chasing bunch.

This break was moving, Aaron was take some long pulls and charging up finishing straight incline driving the break as again one of the break riders was not doing his share of the work. Back in the bunch, Kirk had gone down on the wet slipper course and was making his way to the pits as the field continued to drop guys right and left as the bunch was dead set on bring back the break that was a about 20 seconds up.

As more laps went bys so did more guys mading their way into the pit with torn numbers, flat tires and scuffed equipment from doing the Gastown slip and slide.

Aaron's break was finally caught after a couple of laps, Tuckerman attacked, once caught, Kirk O'Bee countered, that was it - game over, that was the break that would stay; Kirk O'Bee, Svein Tuft and Oleg Griskin. Kirk did a couple more slip and slides -poor guy. The break hit 30 second mark, the hard charging bunch could make time on them . . Brad Fairall, however was able to jump out of the bunch and start making time on the break. After 10 laps or so, he caught them! Now that was impressive.

With 6 laps to go and no more free laps after 5; Svein Tuff crashes out of the break. He was dang lucky that he did it on lap 6 and got back into the race . . . .Tuckerman, not so lucky. With 2 laps to go, his rear wheel went and the pit guys wouldn't give him get a wheel change to finiish. Dang! With so little guys finishing at least he could have placed, even at a lap down do to the "no more free lap rule." -oh well, you win some, you lose some.

After crashing a few times, Kirk hung in there and finished 17th. It was a tough race with the rain and wind so hats off to all NW guys who showed up to race Gastown - Dougie, EvanElken, Johnny Sundt, Chad Nichols, Morgan Schmitt, Brad Payne, Dan Harm, Logan Hunn, Aaron Tuckerman and Kirk Carlsen.

Maybe it will be sunny for the Giro de Burnaby? - One can only hope . . . .now it's off to bed, I have 5 bikes to wash tomorrow.