June update from Lukas Adomonis!
Hello Juventus,
Since my last update I am now more than a month deep into my racing season; and just as you might expect with any season, it has been a roller coaster ride with plenty of ups and downs. Unfortunately the season started with the low-lights, as I suffered my first crash of the season just 3 days after arriving in BC. It was at a weekday crit ,during the sprint for the line, and the riders in front of me went down at 55 km/h; I had no choice but to go down with them. Luckily the only injuries I sustained were a significant amount of road rash, and some serious stiffness for the next couple of weeks. Oh - and a broken fork, which got repaired right away . . . because hey, what are sponsors for - am I right?
Despite not acquiring any serious injuries, the crash did take some of the energy and confidence out of me for the next few races. I suffered a lot on the bike, with some pretty disappointing results to show for it. Fortunately, my shortcomings were made up for; our team was able to secure a Top 5 in the GC in each of the first 3 races we competed in. Now to the highlights: I feel I am completely healed up from my crash of just over a month ago, and I am starting to show positive signs of the fitness I was bringing into the season before I went down. One of those signs came in the Bikes on Broadway criterium in Saskatchewan, where I lapped the field with one other rider and narrowly missed out on my first Cat 1/2 win by just a couple centimetres.
The biggest adjustment of this season compared to last year racing with Juventus, is that I am experiencing first hand just how much of a team sport bike racing really is. When you live in the same house with your teammates almost 24/7, go on almost every training ride with those same teammates, and then show up to the line for your next race alongside those teammates, it is quite clear on how dependent you are on one another, not just for results in the races, but for your sanity and motivation every single day. I no longer just sit in the pack the whole race and watch out for myself. I am given my own specific role and responsibility each day; sometimes it is to attack from the gun, other times it is to destroy myself on the front of the pack to help set up a teammate - and there are the few select days where I am given the support of my teammates to try and go for the win. These races haven't been easy for me, but when I come to the line in 70th place completely shattered from my effort that day, it makes it all worth it when a teammate comes up and gives you a pat on the back for the help you gave him.
I am now just days away from leaving for Quebec to race in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay UCI stage race, and then the Elite Canadian National Championships which I fully expect, without a doubt, to be the hardest races I will have ever done up to this point. Linda assures me that she gets a significant amount of positive responses to these Juventus+ updates so once again I'd like to thank whoever is reading this - for the well wishes ,and support.
All the best,
Lukas Adomonis
Juventus youth show racing (including gravel) skills at Stieda Classic!
The Juventus LAMP program continues to produce cohorts of cyclists eager to race and practice tactics whenever they get the chance. Our U15/17s include LAMP and new Juventus program Juniors active on the track, road, and trail.
At the Alex Stieda Classic on Saturday, they put on a great show, and the commissaire's view was the best seat in the house.
Matt M., Matt L., Jonathon, Alex, and Chris on the neutral out to the race start . . . the legs are warming up!
U15s and U17s enjoy the neutral draft as they spin their way to the start.
Chris wears the Juventus Jersey annually awarded to top performers.
And they're off for 35.8 km of racing fun!
The bunch sorts themselves into the first corner.
Earlier, the racers missed the well marked pot hole, but the commissaire's car was not so lucky.
Up out of the saddle . . . was this a stretch, or a sign of things to come . . .?
Should the group let this go?
Matt M. attacks!
A measured response begins.
The U15s and U17s are the first to test the controversial gravel section.
Picking lines, and grinding out the watts.
7 km of gravel will blow up nearly every category.
Flying on the downhill!
3rd place finisher sprints to the line!
The U17 Podium for the Alex Stieda Classic 2016 . . .
(l-r) Matt Meuer, Alex Webb, Chris Heinemann . . . great racing by all!
Saturday - and Juventus Races the Ridge!
It may seem like the weekend was all about the Alex Stieda Classic. Not true! . . . Juventus Cranx, Sprockid, LAMP, Junior, Elite, and Master riders were out in full force at the Sunridge Race the Ridge mountain bike XC event.
As Alberta Cup #2, Race the Ridge also served as a Zone 6 qualifier for the 2016 Alberta Summers Games - so some extra motivation for kids born between 2000 and 2005.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated and the course was able to dry out a bit - so some really fast riding.
Juventus had great success with podiums and super good riding in all categories. Enjoy a few pictures!
New Juventus member great road & crit marshal, AND photographer!
If you have been at the track recently, you probably have met one of our new Germans. Philip is in Edmonton doing an internship involving German/Canadian business innovation. A cyclist in high school, he joined Juventus and is now spinning at the track. There is no doubt as to his skill - he was moved into the A group while still riding an 86" gear.
Phil is pure Juventus in attitude, and was quick to volunteer at his first opportunity. At the Alex Stieda Classic road race he marshalled with flair; and at the crit, he not only marshalled - but managed to take a great series of action shots. Check them out in our Gallery.
Cranx and Sprockids in Hinton
The Cranx and Sprockids programs made their annual pilgrimage to the Hinton Bike Park on May 29th. They were joined by families from the Devon Bicycle Association, bringing the total crowd to over 100 kids, coaches, and parents.
In spite of the forecast, the weather was fantastic and the trails were amazing. Many kids got their first experience on pump tracks, drops, the skills park, and some truly flowy Rocky Mountain singletrack.
As usual, the favorite track of the day was Flow Master. The lineup for the trail extended to over 50 kids at one point in the afternoon.
Above all, the kids had fun and gained a ton of skill and confidence throughout the day.
Many thanks the the Hinton Bike Park community for their hospitality, support, and patience with so many people descending on the park at once.
Most of all, thanks to all of the coaches and parents who made the journey to Hinton to help provide such an amazing experience for the kids. We couldn't do it without you.
Gravel gets thumbs up at Stieda Classic!
Juventus race organizers of the inaugural Alex Stieda Classic decided to add a little spice to their road race: How about a section with a few twists, and a nice steep hill as a selection . . . and hmmmmmm . . . oh I don't know ... how about we do that in gravel!
U17 Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
Yes, there were a lot of comments and thoughts about the added spiciness as race day approached. And maybe a few potential racers decided it was just a little too spicy for their taste. Seriously, would our race organizers do enough to adequately prepare the riders, and was the team ready to manage this intentionally included heat?
Cat 1/2 Men's Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
Without a doubt, the gravel section defined the race. It was tough, hard work and the watts required at times meant drafting was meaningless. But it was fun too, with some twists and turns, a selective hill and the chance to change strategy on the next lap!
Cat 3 Men's Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
And the comments from the racers were unanimous - they LOVED it! And interestingly enough, the follow cars noticed how rider skills improved with each lap. So, yes, thank you to the weather for having just the right moisture balance in the gravel section for the race, - it sure was a great day!
Women's 3/4/5 Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
Gravel was all the talk on race day, but of course we had our superb team of Juventus volunteers ready to manage the details. The course was perfectly prepped - with road issues clearly marked, signage strategically placed, corners expertly swept, and the parking lot ready. Pre-race activities were completed in a relaxed and efficient manner. Volunteers, race officials and racers enjoyed an easy morning, thanks to the careful planning of the race committee. Look for more about this group in an upcoming expose!
U15 Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
Cat 5 Men's Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
Cat 4 Men's Podium - Alex Stieda Classic 2016
The more times Michael Verveda gets on the podium, the better the chance that Bill will pronounce his name correctly (jk).
Bailey McKnight all smiles with the win for H&R Block at the Alex Stieda Classic 2016.
TL! Group C numbers explode!
The rain on Thursday evening judiciously avoided the Argyll Velodrome and Track League! Even the rain seemed to realize the danger of infringing on the cohort of LAMP kids out to race.
The majority of LAMP riders competed in the C group, along side the variety of competitors spectators have come to expect. The "regulars", could not help but notice the savvy skills and continued improvement of LAMP cyclists. Remember, LAMPsters ride for free at TL! Racing starts every Thursday at 7pm.
The Open 5 km race. All the Cs, and a few Bs . . . well, it started out gentlemanly . . .
Rain at the track ups C1/2 skill set!
12 C1/2 LAMP riders braved the dark skies and wind to show up for track last Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, after warmup and some flying 200s, the rain really started to fall just as they were starting a points race. This didn't deter the group; however, as they moved into the clubhouse and rode rollers. Some of the kids were first-timers on the rollers, but they all did well as you can see in the photos.
Juventus junior Sidney McGill wins XCO MTB Canada Cup #2!
On Sunday, Sidney McGill decisively took first place at the Mont Tremblant, Quebec mountain bike race, in the Junior Women's category of Canada Cup #2.
This moves Sidney into first place in the Junior Women's overall standings, and she will wear the Leader's Jersey going into Canada Cup #3 Horseshoe Valley, to be held in Oro, Ontario on June 5th.
The Junior World XCO MTB Championships will be held in Nova Mesto Monrave, Czech Republic at the end of June. Sidney's latest performance puts her front and centre in the selection pool to represent Canada. Congratulations on a great race!
Lots of time for a Slow Race . . .
Elite track training is not always about speed. Sometimes going slow is the key to success. Tuesday the group did one neutral lap at a walking pace - and then crossed the pursuit line. The race was to see who would be last across the finish line.
The group approaches the start of the race, but not everyone has thought this through . . . Phil just cannot help himself . . . and he is first across the start and finish of the race - for last place.
Luke has a meet up with the track and the race is down to the final four.
Dave and then Chris put a foot down, and it looks like Dave E. for the win! Ahhhhh, but wait a second, whose wheel is that entering the frame? Apparently Linda does know how to minimize power - enough for first place!
May Update from Ross Wilson!
(Ross Wilson is an elite para-cyclist with Juventus and Cycling Canada’s para-cycling team)
Hello Juventus members,
Comparing to my last update, April has been calm; I'm just doing lots of miles (about 65 hours of training). The focus has been on building for a UCI World Cup in Ostend, Belgium. I’ll be racing an urban time trial on May 21. I will not be doing the road race; the team decided to avoid any bunch racing risk with me. This is the last international event on the UCI para-cycling calendar that would qualify an individual for the Paralympics in September.
A lot of people have asked, some have assumed, that I’ll be going to Rio – while I am very optimistic it isn’t a ‘done deal’ just yet. Officially the selection pool is picked following the Belgium world cup (I know that I’ll be included in the pool). From there, the selection committee from Cycling Canada evaluates all those nominated and picks a team. The coaches then have final say on event entry, but the focus is on selecting those with medal potential.
Aside from Training I was asked to participate in a media day in Montreal. I had a fun day being interviewed by various TV channels like CBC. Locally, AMI-tv has asked to do a profile on me. After the media day, I travelled to Toronto for some filming on behalf of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). Finally, I participated in the CPC school week and had the chance to visit a couple elementary schools. It was a good experience, and hopefully helped raise awareness about para-sport.
Trailblazers 2016 Photos
On May 14, 2016, Juventus hosted the first ABA Trailblazers series race at Terwillegar Park. There were 173 riders from clubs across the Capital region, with kids from our own Sprockids, Cranx, LAMP, and Juniors programs participating.
We had a fantastic turnout in all categories, especially the Gnarly kids:
- Little Rippers: 18
- Gnarly: 106
- Geared: 33
- Dialed: 16
Some photos of the event courtesy of Graham Versailles from LuminousFoto.com
Great racing at Velocity!
Each year, The Velocity Stage Race is a bit of a gage as to what all the winter training was about. Either that, or it serves as a marker from which to push onward with renewed effort.
Juventus had a good sized group out racing across the categories. Early on Saturday morning, CAT 1,2,3,4,5 men, Women, and U17s had the rollers, trainers, skinsuits, and TT helmets ready for the 9.46 km time trial.
Of course, Tracy was there to ensure the bikes were in top form and as unencumbered as possible. Word has it that a certain Colnago experienced extreme speed thanks to Marin!
The weather was wonderful and atypical for Velocity. Just a breath of wind, sunny and mild - perfect for some good results across all categories.
Next up was the Road Race. The CAT 3 men were strong with Peter in 3rd and young Mike winning the bunch sprint for 4th! Our Women in 3/4/5 had Sidney in 2nd, with Abbey and Elka also finishing in the front bunch. Our CAT 5 men all finished in the front (and only group). U17 Matt had a sweet finish with 3rd in his race.
Time for the Velocity Crit!!!
Our U17s bring strong track skills to the crit, and can paceline with confidence.
Chris for the 6 second bonus, and Matt for the 4 second bonus!
Crit action in CAT 3, crit action in CAT 5.
Michael (young Mike) nips in for 3rd in the CAT 3 Crit sprint!
Great finish by our 3/4/5 women Marin, Sidney, Devaney and Abbey in the Crit and GC!
Peter finished the weekend with a 3rd overall in the CAT 3 GC!
Happy Friday the 13th Birthday to Stefan Ritter - and an Update!
Since my last post not much has happened other than Track Nationals, so that's where I’ll begin.
Track Nationals were phenomenal. I won the three events I took part in; the Sprints, Kilo and Keirin. The weekend started early Saturday morning with my warm up for the 200m TT. After stretching, some plyometrics to wake the legs up and ergo efforts, I was warm and ready to go.
I qualified first with a time of 10.727s. I wasn’t super content with my ride but I'll take it. After a long day of sprint rounds, I was able to step onto the top of the podium.
One down two to go. The next day started nice and early with the Kilo. My last official Kilo was back in 2015 when I rode a 1:06.7. I knew I had gained some strength since then, so I was aiming for sub 1:06. What happened next definitely surprised me; I rode a 104.168. That time would have put me 5th last year in Kazakhstan. So considering that, it's more than likely that some kilo work will make its way into my program fairly soon in prep for Junior Worlds.
Last up were the Keirins. Last year there was only one round, the final. This year however, there were three rounds with multiple heats in the first round. After flying through the first two rounds, and waiting for the lights to turn back on after the power outage (which provided a nice period of rest I might add), I was ready for the final. After the gun fired, I couldn’t make up any positions and found myself right at the back. It actually worked out quite perfectly as I was right behind Adam, who had the second fastest qualifying time. My strategy was simple, let him lead me out. With a lap and a half to go, he went. I followed him, went straight to the front and didn’t look back. I was super stoked to take all three sprint events. It was an incredibly fun and fast weekend.
Photo Credit Michel Guillemette
After one week of rest, and a few off-road rides, I was back training at the velodrome with non other than Alex Ongaro, the new coach for AVRA.
He also was able to come to track nationals and watch which was very cool. Under Alex’s coaching, the training has been ticking along very nicely. The gym work has also been coming along. My squat max is up to 155 kilos and deadlift is at 150 kilos.
As the weeks fly by and more and more training is added to the bank, I can’t help but get excited for Junior Worlds this summer in Switzerland. Thank you all for the incredible amount of support; it helps so much, and is super appreciated!
Till next time,
Stefan
Juventus Christmas present!
Go get your calendar and flip to December. Now mark these dates:
December 22
December 23
December 24
Now is the time to make time to volunteer for our Juventus Casino!
Juniors succeed at Coulee Cruiser!
The 2016 Coulee Cruiser held last weekend in Lethbridge was the first in The Alberta MTB XC Cup Series.
Juventus fielded 13 riders among novice, sport, expert and elite categories to great success. Coaches report good improvement and solid racing. Many of our Juventus riders experienced the view from the podium! Well done!
LAMP C1s evade the Devil!
Noon on Saturday was hot; and track conditions were perfect for the LAMP C1s to finish their session with a Devil. Coaches Alex and Peter explained the race, 'Devil Takes the Hindmost', and discussed some of the strategies that might be employed to win. The goal is to avoid the elimination, each lap, of the racer whose rear wheel is last across the finish line - and thus be the only racer left - for the win!
C1s offer different strategies for the win.
Time to get on the bikes and test theories.
Oh no! First elimination about to happen. The more times you race The Devil, the better you get at staying in for a few more laps. Sometimes even experienced riders find themselves boxed in, and unable to avoid elimination.
Matt keeps a close eye on the pack, while Kasi comes up and over to avoid elimination.
LAMP C3s first up on the track!
The C3s enjoyed a delicious evening on the track Tuesday. Coach Gail began with a little chalk talk (OK - it was a white board), to help explain a couple of the day's goals. The group then successfully fired up their track legs & spidey senses for some laps, before finishing the evening with a timed flying lap.
Coach Gail explains track etiquette and the paceline.
Gail demos her expectations, with assistance from Juventus Juniors Matt and Brendan.
Clipping into pedals is sometimes a little tricky.
Coach Gail checking dynamics and etiquette.
Active coaching for the C3s.
A quick shoulder check before moving up track.
LAMP cyclists looking great on the track, apron & remembering to stay off the cote d'azur!
Up to the rail requires speed adjustment, the correct approach; and the occasional save!
Hot weather means diligent hydration.
Gail explains the best line for a flying lap, and Matt demos how it's done.
Another wonderful outing on the track for the LAMP!
LAMP ready to hit the trails!
Tuesday evening was certainly on the warm side, as the LAMP group organized to ride. Coaches ensured the kids were prepared:
Kids are shown how to do a pre-ride bike check and then follow through on their own bikes.
A helmet is useless unless it fits and is properly adjusted.
Helmets on, bikes checked . . . ready to ride!
