Naomi's Report from the Nationals Front Line (as in war zone)

Team Ontario left for Quebec City Tuesday June 27 at 5am. Fourteen hours later I found myself riding the road course for a "test run". Although difficult, the road course looked to be very exciting, technical and dangerous. On Wednesday we spent part of the day looking over the TT course which proved to be so bumpy and choppy that if you didn't hang onto your aero bars hard enough you'd be tossed out of the saddle.

The National ITT was scheduled for Thursday and I woke up feeling really excited. I love time-trialing as there is nobody to make you go fast except yourself. My start time was 2:54, and about 2 minutes into my time-trial is started to rain. Along with the bumpy roads the course was very technical with very tight turns and two 180 degree turn-arounds. By the time I hit the 10km mark (out of 20.5km) it started to rain so hard that I couldn't even see where I was going. The halfway mark was on a completely open road so unfortunately this was the worst spot to be caught in the storm. The heavy downpour lasted about 5 minutes (complete with thunder/lightning) and then the weather returned back to "just rain". I caught my minute man shortly after the turnaround and really just tried to stay focused on the task at hand. Overall I was pleased with the race - sure it wasn't ideal circumstances but what can you do? Everyone on Team Ontario did really well - the Junior boys had a 3rd and 4th place respectively. 

Friday was the Junior men/women and Elite Women's Road Race. The Junior men/women put on an awesome show and Team Ontario had a 4th place in the Junior Women and a 1st and 2nd place in the Junior Men's Road Race. 

The Elite Women's road race started 2 hours behind schedule and of course - it started in a complete downpour. The race was difficult with a section of technical turns over cobbles and a very fast descent with a crazy sharp right-hand turn. The first time up the climb was the worst as myself, along with the majority of the women couldn't figure out how to get up the hill without our cranks slipping with each pedal stroke. Thus after the climb there was a bit of a chase to get back up to the top group of 20 women. I was having a really great race and was able to stay hang onto the first group for the next few laps. Halfway through the race we were again riding up the climb when disaster struck. I snapped my chain within 10m of the top of the steep part of the climb and my race was officially over.

Having such a silly thing like my chain snap was really frustrating, especially when I was feeling so good and having such a great race - but this is bike racing. There was really nothing I could do except focus on the criterium on the Sunday.

Saturday was the men's road race and of course - they had beautiful weather (however it was pretty windy). I was in the feed zone helping feed Team Ontario. Everyone was riding well - and the race was broken apart on the first lap. For the last 3 laps I got to ride in the team car which was part of the following caravan. It was pretty cool as you see the race from a different perspective and you really begin to understand how much some people are suffering to stay with the main peloton. I actually found it to be quite motivational to see the riders get dropped on the climb from the main peloton only to claw their way back to the group and weave in and out of the caravan line. What determination!

For the criterium on Sunday it was raining - again. The rain stopped about 30 minutes before the women's race which was great as again - the race was really technical. From the start the race was fast and everyone was fighting to be up near the front. I avoided 2 crashes during the first 2 laps and by the 4th lap I was powering my way towards the lead group of riders when another disaster occurred. I was just powering my way out of the saddle up hill when I took a right-hand turn and hit a bump in the road. My front wheel buckled and went to the right and the next thing I know I'm on the ground having taken the majority of the crash with my chin. 

I must've been in shock and didn't realize the extent of the damage as I wanted everyone that was trying to help me to move out of the way so that I could make my way to the pit, get my free lap and continue the race. Instead, I had some great help from both Denise Kelly (the head coach of the Team Ontario project) and Sean Scott (our other coach and mechanic). The paramedics came and I got a nice ride to the hospital complete with a backboard, ambulance and oxygen mask. All is going to be ok though. I came out with some stitches, 4 smashed teeth (thank goodness they are my molars!) and the regular bruising/road rash that you get with a good crash.

For the next few days I'll be taking it easy, nursing the wounds and trying to study for my Master's Thesis defense with is this Friday, July 2nd. 

Thanks for all the good wishes from everyone. Nationals may not have gone QUITE the way I hoped, but I sure did have a lot of adventures! Thanks to the coaches/mechanic/support staff who worked with all of us crazy cyclists on Team Ontario. What a blast!