Youth Group

This page is dedicated to our under 17 riders - currently competing on mountain bikes.

               Report by Chris Kiriakopoulos

 OCA Youth Mt. Bike Development Camp,  June 18^th/19^th,2005                         

The stage was set for a great weekend.  The Ontario Cycling Association camp at Hardwood Hills included a coaching staff who led 4-5 hrs of on bike sessions per day as well as workshops on mental preparation, bike maintenance and strength/flexibility training.  Meals and one night accommodation was included for $45 per athlete. Individual athlete fees for our HCC youth members were sponsored by the Hamilton CC and Hardwood Hills accepted my offer to assist the coaching staff (waiving accommodation/meals/trail pass costs). Thank you to the Harrington’s and Hruska’s who drove us too and from the camp.

Spencer Bieri - strength training                    Fixing a broken chain on the trail.             Mike Harrington, Spencer Bierri

                                                                         Chain tool saves the day?               Jake St.Pierre, Coach Jason Murray, Joe Hruska 

Camp director Kevin Jones welcomed us and the athletes were led through a ride around the instruction area. Given a choice of three groups to ride with, Mike Hruska went to the middle group while Spencer Bierri, Joe Hruska and Mike Harrington went with the smaller third group (shown above).  Yours truly was assigned to assist with the middle group.  First we covered leading/following through technical single track and then technical single track descending.  I was dispatched to escort a rider back to the Chalet / Pro Shop for mechanical assistance whiles the rest went on to a new location.  I decided to wait for my group to return rather than ride back out.  Lunch and workshops followed.  From this point on I rode with Coach Jason and his group since three of our athletes were with him.  After dinner we were introduced to Anne Peel, international Speed Walker who spoke on being an elite athlete.  Our accommodations and a good nights rest were nearby.  On day two everyone was into a nice rhythm.  Between scheduled rides / meals / workshops, those who couldn’t stay off their bike enjoyed the trials area with its suspended bridges / teeter totters, a quick run through the BMX track or a daring descent down Hardwoods famed Bone Shaker.  Some even harnessed up and took on the rock climbing wall.  In the end though it was all about the bike.

   All together!  HCC - Joe Hruska, Mike Hruska, Mike Harrington, Spenser Bierri, Coach Chris Kiriakopoulos

Report on Ontario Summer Games at London

Note we would have liked to post the results from OCA web site but they are almost meaningless. No wonder there were delays getting results out!  Be our guest http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/sch_results.php

What a great time! O-Cup level course and competition. Our kids were a little intimidated by the "Pro" nature of the whole thing, but they maintained a competitive attitude, and improved their overall positions in the end.

 They did a 9 km Mt. Bike TT, a team relay, and a 20 km (Girls, 10 km) Cross Country race. No one was last in the TT, we placed 11th of 14 in the Team Relay. In the XC, Joey and Michael finished together, each improving their TT result by one position. Gemma climbed a few places from her TT finish to claim 9th in the Girls XC. Sammy was tearing up the course when during his second lap he was stung by a bee. This sent him tumbling. He got going again, but three riders came by while he was down. Sammy gained nine positions in the XC results. Great experience. The kids loved it. Gemma has bought the bike Freewheel Cycle let her use, and we are planning to attend more races. 

Thank you Randy and Martin for the jerseys. And thank you to the club for financially supporting this project. Attached are a couple of pictures. 

Chris

Snake Hill Climb Results (4km hill)

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