MTB O’Cup #6 - Buckwallow

Buckwallow ON

After recovering from a broken collar bone, Oggie races to an impressive 3rd Place at Buckwallow

After a 2-year hiatus the Ontario Cup Series is re-visiting the perennial CLASSIC. Buckwallow is a legendary race course set amidst the wind-bent pines and granite-enriched landscape of Muskoka country.

The course at Buckwallow, while reasonably flat, presents a number of unique challenges for the racers. While countless rocks, roots, and more rocks..., including some huge boulders and “whale backs,” the course challenges one’s bike-handling skills and nerve. 

We were very pleased to see that despite these challenges, our Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs put in a great collection of results. Amongst the Team, we were also very pleased to see Oggie race to a 3rd Places finish, after just recovering from a broken collar bone. 

Our Team’s Results

• Bevin Reith, 6th Place, Master Sport Men (40-44)
• Brian Moosie, 10th Place, Master Sport Men (40-44)
• Bill Packham, 5th Place, Master Sport Men, (60-64)
• Melanie Chambers, 5th Place, Master Sport Women (40-49)
• Larry Woo, 5th Place, SingleSpeed Men
• Mark Brusso, 6th Place Master Expert Men (30-39)
• Oggie Sokolovic, 3rd Place, Master Expert Men (50+)

Tour de Terra Cotta

Terra Cotta, ON

A proud Sarah after her road race debut... and a bit of bling, picked up by Ayrton.

Envisioned by Senior Cycling Olympian Ted Webb in 2005, the Tour de Terra Cotta began as a collaborative effort between the community and the Brampton Cycling Club. In 2008, the race became a 100% community-driven event and has grown to include close to 700 racers, attracting participants from across Canada, the United States and internationally.

The race takes place every summer on the long civic-holiday weekend (a long weekend for some, but not for all) and features a totally closed road circuit in and around the village of Terra Cotta. A highlight of the race is the Heritage Road climb, a little “bump” that certainly puts the hurt into the legs after several laps of the circuit. 

We’re very pleased to see that six of our Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs got out to do their civic duty on this Holiday Monday and participated in the Tour de Terra Cotta Road Race.

Axel Froner - 10th Minime Time Trial and Road Race

It was a day of tens for Axel, finishing in 10th place in both the time trial and the race. This result put him 10th place overall for the season. Great year. Next season will be even better. 

Sara Pa‎rgari Cohan - 4th women's 30-39 -  26 km Beginner road race 

Sara was competing in her first ever road race. She described her race as "a very positive experience for me and highly motivating". She is (pictured below) showing a "look of proud surprise" on learning of her result.

This isn't a one off for Sara. Expect to see her back on the road race circuit sometime next year or sooner.

Tim Bender - DNF - 52 km Intermediate Road Race

Tim described his Civic Day race as "one of the worst days on a bike in recent memory". The combination of Tim's kids, only allowing him four hours sleep, the heat and Heritage Hill took their toll. No need to despair, Tim will return stronger this fall @ the Milton Velodrome. ‎Hopefully his kids will play ball. 

Steve Hart - 26th Men 40-49 (56th overall) - 78 km ‎ - Open Road Race

Steve spent far too much time taking wind on the 3rd lap causing him to dropped like a brick on the fourth lap of nine. Plans to do more crits in the future, to work on being more aggressive when it comes to fighting for position. Steve did manage to stay on the lead lap, and picked up more than a few minor places. near the end. So all was not lost.

Ayrton Dick - 1st Men 20-29 (20th overall) 78 km - Open Road Race

First year racer, Ayrton Dick took first place in his category, which isn't all that impressive, since he was the only competitor. What is impressive, was his 20th place overall in very tough field of 90 plus riders. Ayrton rode, what is becoming his signature race strategy, of racing a clean quiet race then mixing it up at end. It appears to be working for him. 

Ian Ptolemy - 14th Men 50-59 (40th overall) - 78 km - Open Road Race

Ian rode like the steady ‎veteran he is. Managed to hang with the main group to the end, but struggled on the last lap with some brief cramping and nearly dropped off the back. On the last stretch, a kind, B1 Evo rider took pity on him and gave him a push, allowing Ian finish with main group.

Thanks to Steve Hart for collecting the content for this report. 

Six in the Hood, MTB Relay

Port Colborne, ON

Derrick, Andrea and Miro... all smiles, prior to a little 6 hours of fun

Presented by the Short Hills Cycling Club, this 6 hour relay race is grass roots racing personified. The course didn't feature a lot of massive climbs, but it was very rocky and technical featuring lots of bridges, rocks, technical ups and downs, more rocks, tight twisty single track, and rocks. The heat at this season’s race was incredible and added to the difficulties of the day. 

The Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs had a small group out at this event, and they all put in an impressive set of results.

• Andrea Bowker - 3rd Place, Womans Solo
• Derrick Cho - 9th Mens Solo 45+
• Miro Zgavc, Shannon Ford-Smith - 2nd Place, Tag Team Mixed (Shannon, a former LapDog Club Member, was on loan from Team Race Against Cancer)

Thanks to Miro Zgavc for collecting the content for this report.

Summer Epic 8 Relay

Hardwood Hills, ON

Robyn Duke celebrates her 3rd Place finish at the Summer Epic 8.

The Epic 8 Hour Mountain Bike Relay is all about the camaraderie, sportsmanship and the gritty, hard-core enjoyment of riding with friends.  The Epic 8 Hour relay is a personal and team challenge to complete as many laps as possible. 

As has been the recent trend of late, we have been seeing more of our Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Racers challenging themselves in the various solo categories in the Epic 8 Series. The Summer Epic took place at Hardwood Hills, just north of Barrie and home of the recent Pan Am Games Mountain Bike Race. 

• Jason Ma, 17th Place, Solo Men Under 40
• Richard Bowers, 9th Place, Solo Male Men, 40+
• Barry Cox, 11th Place, Solo Male Men, 40+
• Miro Zgavc, 5th Place, Solo SingleSpeed
• Robyn Duke, 3rd Place, Solo Female

Oggie Sokolovic also put together a Team of friends and they finished in 1st Place in the 3-4 Open Team Category.

Niagara Duathlon

Niagara ON

We are very much enjoying the fact that several of our Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs have been pushing the bounds of their athletic endeavours and have been delving into the world of Multi Sport.

We recently had Jocelyn Stephen participate in the Niagara Duathlon. In her own words... 

I made a game day decision to switch from the tri to the du today due to high posted levels in the water.  (I have a very busy next 4 weeks and did not want to risk getting sick).  Since running is my weakest segment, I really had no idea what to expect.  And, with the heat/humidity today, I tried to race smart and not worry as much about my placing.

My age group finish was 4th, and I came 9th overall for women.  

Run #1 - I took it easy and just tried to concentrate on keeping an even pace and turning over my feet.  I ran faster than I thought I would.

Transition #1 - the guy racked next to me had his bike facing the same way and really close to my bike, so my handlebars got caught.  My hands were so wet that I struggled a bit with the knobs on my shoes, but overall, not too bad.

Bike - they changed the course due to construction so there was no escarpment climb.  The route was really flat and fast for the first half.  After the turnaround, there was a head wind for pretty much the rest of the way.  I was happy that I passed a lot more people than passed me.  I concentrated on keeping a high cadence so was satisfied with my time but my heart rate was really high the entire ride

T#2 - Some guy tried to rack over my running gear and someone else stood blocking the aisle with his bike (what is wrong with these people?).  Then I had calf cramps as I slipped my feet in my shoes.  Just keep going

Run #2 - the heat was really incredible...almost unbearable as there didn't seem to be any airflow through the forest, or on one of the side streets.  The first 3.5km went well but then the calf cramps started again (pre-existing calf injury).  So, this is where I decided to be smart and walked a little after each water station.  I am not happy at all with my pace for this segment - lots of work to do on the run.  

Overall, I am satisfied...as I wasn't training for a du, it was hard to have an overall goal.  At least now I have a benchmark.  I finished and can still walk :)

My next event is Orillia on Aug 16th and then either Guelph or Lakeside (or both).

Youth Road Cup #4

Windsor ON

Axel at speed...

The East Side Riders hosted the annual Windsor Youth Cup at the famed Ciociaro Club crit circuit. Over 75 riders made the trek to the border city for a day of great racing.

We were very pleased to have young Axel Froner at the race flying the colours for the Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Team

• Axel Froner, 9th, Minime Boys

MTB O’Cup #5 - Endur-O-Cup

Albion Hills, Bolton ON

Bevin and Brian, power up the trail at the start of the Albion Hill O;Cup, Endure.

Following a 2 year absence from the MTB O’Cup circuit, our Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs MTB racers were very happy to see a welcome return to the trails of Albion Hills for the 5th race in this year’s Provincial series. 

Following hot on the heals of the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice, the trails at Albion Hills are a long-time favourite of many mountain bikers. This venue features very fast flowing single track and the infamous Green Monster climb. 

The folks at SuperFly Racing (race promoters) also decided to shake things up a bit with Enduro-style racing for the 10am and 11:45am sport-level events. This featured extended race courses for these racers.

Our Team's Results:

• Bevin Reith, 12th Place, Master Sport Men (40-45)
• Brian Moosie, 22nd Place, Master Sport Men (40-45)
• Mike Chalovich, 10th Place, Master Sport Men (50-55)
• Derrick Cho, 15th Place, Master Sport Men (50-55)
• Melanie Chambers, 5th Place, Master Sport Women (40-49)
• Larry Woo, 10th Place, SingleSpeed
• Mark Brusso, 6th Place, Master Expert Men (30-39)
• Ban Bandurka 12th Place, Master Expert Men (30-39)

Ironman Muskoka 70.3

Muskoka, Lake of Bays

Our Multi-Sport advocate, Thomas Hughes participated in this weekend's Ironman Muskoka 70.3 Race. 

In his own words...

What could be better than spending the hottest day of the year in Muskoka? Spending 5:42 of it at race pace!

Swim : 41:32 this is not a PR for me, but an otherwise acceptable swim. I was actually in the mid pack with this swim, so that is something.

Bike : 2:58.02 (31.9 km/h). I had a rough go on the bike. Enough said. I only passed 300 people on the bike. But a few people passed me, which is unacceptable. Unacceptable. 

Run : 1:51:58 Given the course elevation, I was happy with this run. I managed to reel in a dozen people in my category. That probably isn't indicative of my running prowess, but that I didn't otherwise crush those people on the bike.

In 2012 my time was 05:59:54. So, improvement yes, but there is still so much room to grow. I hope.

Northumberland Humbler, MTB Marathon

Northumberland Forest

LapDogs MTB Director & Team Racer, Bevin Reith... always a welcoming personality at all events. 

The third race in the XC Marathon Cup Race Series, took our Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Racers to the sweet single track of Northumberland Forest. 

Racers had the option of two distances. A full, two lap 70k challenge of a shorter 35k single lap race. 

With the threat of heavy rains, our racers were extremely lucky to fit the full race in before the deluge of the summer arrived on Saturday afternoon - as a result, the course was in superb condition and everyone finished dry! (if sweaty)

The LapDogs are a big supporter of this race and with the help of our Sponsor, Mill Street Brewery, we provided the six-packs of Mill Street’s finest brews for all the winners in each category. 

Full Marathon 70k

• Bevin Reith, 8th Place, Master Men
• Brian Moosie, 9th Place, Master Men
• Steve Hart, 13th Place, Master Men
• Barry Cox, 15th Place, Master Men
• Gus Ryan, 12th Place Open Men
• Andrea Bowker, 4th Place, Open Women
• Robin Duke, 5th Place, Open Women
• Kate Morgan, 7th Place, Open Women

Half-Marathon 35k

• Ian Ptolemy, 6th Place, Master Men
• Richard Cecconi, 33rd, Master Men
• Damian Fleetwood, 1st Place, Under 20 Men

Multi Sport - Something New for the LapDogs

As our cycling Club continues to mature, many of our members as looking to expand their athletic horizons and bring in some new disciplines and challenges. 

For 2015 we are very pleased to now include a fledgling Multi-Sport Program, championed and lead by Thomas Hughes. Those of us who are long time cyclist as still a bit confused by the addition of swimming and running, but we do take great pride in seeing new opportunities for our Club Members

Welland 1/2 IronMan

As we are new to understanding this sport… what better way to introduce it to you but with Thomas’s own words….

Swim 2000m (officially) 44:42. This is a slow swim. Then again my garmin says it was 2500m. I was swimming with people in my wave. The lesson learned is that if you are swimming with people who are slow, you will be slow. 

Bike 90k 2:25:41. 37.1 km/h. This is a PR for me. How many times can you say "on your left" as I passed through the hoards of swimmers faster than I. I have been working on "incremental gains". Getting more aerodynamic, less rolling resistance, etc. You can train 100 hours for a 2% gain in power. You might get the same result from learning to ride with your shoulders tucked down. 

Run 21.1km 1:49:03. This is also a PR for me. Torrential rains made this a little epic. I have been working on my stride, and it has paid dividends. 

Total - 05:09:43. (13th in my age group, 73rd overall in the race) I was hoping to break 5, but a slow swim and some "issues" in transition made that impossible. My powertap wasn't working. My top was inside out. I haven't raced in two years and my transitions showed it. 

I did get a shout out from the race announcer for Dukes (I was wearing my cycling jersey on the run). 

For those of you thinking of going long, the Barrel Man 1/2 Iron is in September, and uses most of the same bike course. I highly recommend it as a first long course race, and registration is still open.

Guelph Triathlon

We would also like to let to know that veteran Marcus Boyle also like to add a bit of swimming and running to his cycling. He recently participated in the Guelph Triathlon were he Placed 1st in the 50-54 age catergory and finished a very impressive 28th overall.

We are looking forward to seeing more MultiSport results in the future as this season for this type of racing has only just begun. 

Wild Ride

Wildwood Conservation Area

Once again a great event with a wide variety of riders.  Kids races, single and double lap categories in a fun and friendly atmosphere at the Wildwood Conservation Area.  This year was a little wet but all the LapDogs finished well!

• Claire Humphrey, 3rd Place, 25K Solo Female 30+ 
• Bevin Reith, 4th Place, 50K Elite Male 
• Richard Lee and Neil Curry*, 5th Place, 25K Team Male 

* on loan to the Lapdogs

Tour de Waterloo Road Race

St Jacobs, ON

The calm before the storm... 

In just a few short years, The Tour de Waterloo has become a classic and favourite race for many. Unlike a typical O’Cup race with distinct categories of racer, the TdW allows riders from all classifications race together in one of three different lengths. Club level riders can test themselves against elite racers, including ex-pros such as Steve Bauer. 

Thanks to loads of encouragement from our very own Steve Hart, we had a huge field of participants that included many racers from the Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Race Team rubbing shoulders with many members from our LapDogs Cycling Club… many whom were participating in their very first road race. 

For those who participated, it was a great experience and who nows… we may have convinced a few of our “rookies” that joining the formal race team is not as daunting as first thought. 

46km Race

• Kate Morgan, 1st Place, Female

79km Race

• Luke Lorenzini, 1th Place, Male 30-39, 
• Timothy Bender, 66th Place, Male 40-49
• Ola Mazowiec, 1st Place, Female 30-39
• Jocelyn Stephen, 4th Place, Female 30-39
• Sarah Fasullo, 8th Place, Female 30-39 
• Brenda Zurbi, 12th Place, Female 40-49

133km Race

• Nicholas Sidhu, 21st Place, Male 20-29
• Russell Slater, 9th Place, Male 30-39
• Chris Dunbar, 22nd Place, Male 30-39
• Robbie Lejasisaks, 30th Place, Male 30-39
• Jeff Perry, 39th Place, Male 30-39
• Steve Hart, 20th Place, Male 40-49
• Tim Griffin, 30th Place, Male 40-49
• Adlen Bourafa, 43rd Place, Male 40-49
• Michael Cranwell, 8th Place, Male 50-59
• Jean Michaud, 6th Place, Male 60+

Team Results 

Based upon the first 5 racers of each Team/Club who crossed the finish line

• LapDogs, 6th Place Overall

24 Hours of Summer Solstice

Albion Hills Conservation Area, Bolton, ON

The official start of summer brings with it the annual 24 Hours of Summer Solstice. A longs-standing tradition for many, this mountain bike race offers opportunities for Teams and Solo riders to race around the clock on a course that is fun, fast and flowing. 

While no formal multi-person Team was entered by Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs, several from the squad still got together with friends and fellow racers to enjoy the challenges that this type of event offers.

We are especially proud of Richard Bowers, who decided it might be “fun” to attempt 24 hours Solo. Richard finished in 13th Place and completed a very impressive 10 laps. 

MTB Canada Cup / Ontario Cup

Hardwood Hills, ON

A wet and extremely technical race course was on hand at the combined Canada Cup / Ontario Cup race at Hardwood Hills. This venue is home for the upcoming 2015 PanAm Games and it gave our team a chance to race on the same course as those who will competing at the games. Hardwood Hills has invested a great deal in the development of this new course and the racers were not to be disappointed as the degree of difficulty was taken up a few notches with the addition of very tough climbs and several new technical features that would test all. 

Your Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs raced extremely well and pulled in a solid collections of points.

• Mike Chalovich, 7th Place, Master Sport Men 50-54
• Derrick Cho, 11th Place, Master Sport Men 50-54
• Melanie Chambers, 7th Place Master Sport Women 40-49
• Mark Brusso, 6th Place, Master Expert Men, 30-39
• Dan Bandurka, 14th Place, Master Expert Men, 30-39
• Larry Woo, 4th Place, SingleSpeed Men

Youth Cup #3, Tour de Speed

Newmarket, ON

Was good to see the young pups back out on the race course at the third Youth Cup of the 2015 race season. We’ve take great pride and joy watching this development of out two young LapDogs as the begin to cut their teeth and develop into serious racers. 

We’ve said if before, but its worth repeating… the future of our sport and Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs, looks bright. 

• Finlay MacEwen, 2nd Place, PeeWee Boys Time Trial
• Axel Froner, 9th Place, Minime Boys Time Trial
• Finlay MacEwen, 5th Place, PeeWee Boys Road Race
• Axel Froner, 5th Place, Minime Boys Road Race

Wilmington-Whiteface 100

Wilmington NY

A great group of friends and teammates at the Wilmington 100 Race.

Taking place in the heart of the Adirondacks, just down the road from Lake Placid, this year’s Wilmington 100 drew 352 participants from all over the US and Canada. This year’s course was considered to be the toughest to date. Racers faced 2300+ metres of climbing with the addition of a nasty muddy, wet, rooted and rocky hike-a-bike section that challenged the races in the last 10k of the race after already pushing it hard for 100k. 

A qualification race for the famous Leadville 100 (taking place later this August), your Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Race Team had a highly visible presence at this event with 9 racers from the MTB Squad participating. 

Your Team’s Results:

• Kate Morgan-Constable, 6th, Female, 30-39 (246th Overall)
• Gus Ryan, 63rd, Male 30-39 (238th, Overall)
• Robin Kay, 3rd, Female, 40-49 (207th Overall)
• Andrea Bowker, 6th, Female, 40-49 (267th Overall)
• Mark Thurston, 49th, Male, 40-49 (134th Overall)
• Francois Boivin, 104th, Male 40-49 (280 Overall)
• Michael Cranwell, 6th, Male 50-59 (73rd Overall)
• Jouko Haapanen, 15th, Male 50-59 (125th Overall)
• Ian Ptolemy, 17th Male 50-59 (134th Overall)

We'd like to give a special shout-out to Jouko who did this race only a week after participating in the Dirty Kanza. 

Many of these racers will also be together this coming August at the Leadville 100 taking place in Colorado. 

MTB Canada Cup #1 / O’Cup #3

Horseshoe Resort ON

Dan Bandurka leads out Mark Brusso at the start of the Master Expert Race at Horseshoe.

The Race Promoters at Superfly Racing took it to the next level with it’s first-ever combined Canada Cup/Ontario Cup! The course at Horseshoe was much-improved and featured better spectatorship, a challenging race for the riders and a unique resort atmosphere!  

The Duke’s Cycle Cannondale LapDogs MTB Squad had a small but enthusiastic group at this event and together the put in a great collection of results, including two podiums

Your Team’s Results:

• Ed Reading, 18th, Master Sport Men, 30-39
• Mike Chalovich, 4th, Master Sport Men, 50-54
• Derrick Cho, 7th, Master Sport Men, 50-54
• Melanie Chambers, 1st, Master Sport Women, 40-49
• Mark Brusso, 2nd, Master Expert Men, 30-39
• Dan Bandurka, 9th, Master Expert Men, 30-39
• Alex Sanchez, 11th, Master Expert Men, 40-44
• Larry Woo, 5th, SingleSpeed

Road O’Cup #6, KW Classic Road Race

Hawkesville ON

Team Rookie, Ayrton Dick, takes his first road race podium at the KW Classic.

For the 28th running of this race, the KW Classic Road Race returned to Hawkesville, Ontario. Presented by the Waterloo Cycling Club, the course consisted of an 11.3 km circuit with a long climb up Hawkesville hill and then coming back down the hill enabling riders to reach speeds of 70 km/hr. The remainder of the course took riders along the rolling hills and flats beside the picturesque Conestoga River. The finish features a long straight away with rolling hills and a little kicker hill coming into the town of Hawkesville.

Your Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Race Team results:

• Ayrton Dick, 3rd, Elite 3 Men
• Brent Vanderveen, 16th, Elite 3 Men
• Nicholas Sidhu, 27th, Elite 3 Men
• Steve Hart, 34th, Master 3 Men
• Tim Griffin, DQ, Master 3 Men
• Steve Martin, 41st, Master 2 Men
• Matt Deluco, DNF, Elite 1&2 Men

Dirty Kanza 200

Empora, KS

Jouko about to begin a big day in the saddle... and then just over 15 hours and 200 miles later looking no worst for wear.

Founded in 2006 with only 35 participants, The Dirty Kanza 200 was one of the first racers of its kind in the new “Gravel Grinder” category of events. This event now attract upwards of 1500 participants looking to test themselves on the Kansas Gravel in an around Flint Hills. 

Not for the faint of heart, the Dirty Kanza 200 event requires riders to spend anywhere from 12 to 20 hours on the bike. 

This year’s event also features several “portage” and “hike a bike” sections due to unusually high rain fall in the days leading up to there event and certainly added to the challenge of such a huge race. 

We were very proud to have Duke's Cycle Cannondale LapDogs Team representation at this unique event with Jouko Haapanen making the journey to Kansas. Jouko is not just a Team Racers, he is also one of the owners of Georgetown VW... one of our top sponsors and long time supporter of our race team program. 

• Jouko Haapanen, 9th Place, 50+ Men (also the top Canadian / Finnish racer), 15:10:45 Hours

Youth Cup #2, Pedal Fest

Barrie, ON

Young Axel... pushing through in the rain and working hard at the Youth Cup Road Race. 

Hosted by the Barrie/Simcoe Cycling Club, the 2nd Youth Cup of the season took place on May 30th and was a big part of the Barrie Pedal Fest event. 

Pedal Fest is Ontario’s first-ever all-inclusive Cycling Festival! Youth Racing, Community Walk, Roll or Wheeling, Para-Cycling & Criterium Racing. Pedal Fest also featured local food trucks and music all day with a special headliner to finish the festival off.

The course for the Youth Cup Race was 1.7km long with one punchy climb to the start finish line. A great venue for friends and family to watch, as the racers would speed past every 2-3 minutes. During the Minime road race the skies opened up and a torrential downpour ensued. This did not deter the young racers as they continued without incident to a bunch sprint finish.

• Finlay MacEwen, 5th Place, PeeWee Boys TT
• Axel Froner, 16th Place, Minime Boys TT
• Finlay MacEwen, 6th Place PeeWee Boys Road Race
• Axel Froner, 6th Place, Minime Boys Road Race