A Nog Tradition Continues!
These are the longest nights of the year, and it’s timely to celebrate with eggnog! But how?
The annual 100 x 15/15 with nog shots every 20 delivers the perfect balance of near pukedom and sweat.
Jeff Bakal brought the beauty of this silliness to the track group years ago, and for 2018 Scott ensured things were done proper.
An eggnog tradition complete!
Long winter nights, but a bright sunny clubhouse-
Various body positions …
But how to aero?
Junior corner gets an addition today!
4th shot of eggnog?
The track group returns to training January 2nd.
2019 Juventus and ABA memberships on Zone 4!
2019 Juventus membership means you are set to enjoy all your favourite programs!
And ready for racing with your 2019 Alberta Bicycle Association membership!
Sunday Morning Rolls
The Track Group is building endurance and Sunday mornings are sharpening up! Scott keeps everyone on task on the bikes, adding a Plankfest for a frightening bit of unpleasantness. And as Track rolls, the CT room has its own excitement. Of course the benefits are enjoyed.
Rolling in the sunshine!
There is room for more!
Junior corner?
Adam x 2, -1 Linda
Sweat and smiles
CT room action
City Approves Triathlon Training Centre with Indoor Velodrome!!
December 8, 2018
EDMONTON: Thanks to the perseverance of a small, dedicated group of volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past 13 years combined with the courage and foresight of Edmonton’s City Council, Edmonton will be home to a one of a kind recreation facility which will include only the third indoor velodrome in North America and the first dedicated indoor triathlon training and competition centre outside of Europe.
On Friday, December 7, 2018, Edmonton City Council approved $16 million to complete the government funding portion for this exciting addition to Edmonton’s inventory of first class sport and recreation facilities. This will be the new home for two sports Edmontonians have successfully participated and invested in for over 40 years.
The next year will focus on finalizing the design with an anticipated construction start in 2020. It will be located in Coronation Park linked to the existing Peter Hemingway swimming pool.
Over the course of the next 18 months, the cycling and triathlon communities in and around Edmonton will be conducting a $5 million community capital fundraising campaign. This philanthropic support completes the capital budget requirements of the $100 million plus centre. It ensures the facility will be equipped to host international competitions.
Edmonton has a long history and outstanding reputation for producing competitive track cyclists and triathletes and for hosting world class competitions. This facility adds to Edmonton’s ability to enhance and build on past successes of both individuals and events.
Sore Core Thursday for the Juniors!!
Tracy is well known for his dedication to the development of a strong core. His athletes had their annual dose of what that means on Wednesday evening. The group was challenged with Tracy’s rigours for more than an hour … check out the pics below! Gonna be some sore tummies today! Don’t worry, by February this will seem easy peasy.
Salute to Excellence for Juventus!
The City of Edmonton Performance Awards honour individuals, groups, organizations or teams who have gained outstanding recognition at the national or international level in sport, or arts and culture.
This year Gail Wozny, Ngaire Barraclough, Evan Burtnik, Devaney Collier, and Kinley Gibson were recognized for Individual Sport Performance.
On Monday evening, both Gail and Ngaire were formally recognized by Mayor Don Iveson at a gala event at Edmonton City Hall. Congratulations, and continued best wishes to these outstanding Juventus athletes!
Gail Wozny and Ngaire Barraclough with their City of Edmonton Performance Awards!
CX Nationals Update!
Thanks once again to Doug Bristow - he has captured the excitement and adventure of racing in this great article!
With the Pan Am Championships (Midland, Ontario) and CX Nationals (Peterborough, Ontario) being held on consecutive weekends it did not make sense to fly back to Edmonton. Coach Ken booked us an Airbnb and it was a beautiful yet cost effective property located about 10 minutes out of Peterborough along a small river.
The week was low key. The focus was recovery and some light training to get ready for Nationals. Luke and Ryan kept up with their school work and mixed it up with some paddle boarding despite the cold temperatures. Tracy tuned bikes, chef Ken cooked, Caitlan prepared her own unnervingly heathy meals and I worked.
Luke and Ryan paddle boarding right outside our door
On Thursday, we were joined by Greg Sowak and the Damants – Ron the patriarch along with his kids Jacob and Ben. Jacob and Ben have focused on cycling this year and had very successful seasons in road, mountain and cyclocross. Both come from a competitive alpine skiing background and Ben will be racing FIS this year. He actually spent most of August in Chile training for downhill ski racing, yet still mowed through the ranks of cyclocross, winning a Men’s Expert race and podiuming in several others with Jacob podiuming in Expert as well. Mark my words – we will be seeing a lot of the Damants next year.
The forecast had been a mixed bag but on Friday, the pre-ride day, it started to snow - wet and heavy. The course was going to be a good challenge. Run ups, a muddy side hill, barriers, twisty descents, the course had it all. After pre-riding course, it was decided that several pairs of tires were insufficient for the task at hand so off to the bike shop (Wild Rock Outfitters) the team went. We were not the only riders who came to this conclusion – apparently Wild Rock sold more cyclocross tires in a 24 hour period than they had in the preceding two years. Holding Nationals is clearly an economic boom to the host city. Also, a big shout out to Wild Rock – they loaned us a big tent and rollers for the event. Their store is fantastic – in addition to being a great bike shop, they are an outdoor store and have every brand for every sport you can think of. Very impressive, especially in a smaller centre like Peterborough.
Saturday was Cyclocross Nationals with the Masters up first, followed by the Junior, U23 and then Elite races. In the battle of the coaches Ken prevailed this time finishing 10th and Tracy 17th out of the 28 competitors in Men’s 55-64. In the Women’s 35-44 Caitlin was defending her Women’s 30-39 jersey from last year and rode a great race finishing 3rd out of the 18 competitors. The race was won by Sarah Gilchrist of ERTC so it was nice to see the jersey remain in Alberta. Sarah has also been a student under Ken Germaine’s new coaching business. The next to race was Greg Sowak in the Men’s 45-54 category. This race had 76 competitors! The start was like the Whitemud Freeway at rush hour. Greg had the number 43 bib and raced to a solid 40th place finish. Greg is super fit this year and had a great season. He loves the challenge of cyclocross and said this was one of his most enjoyable days on the bike ever.
Ken grinding up Heckler’s Hill
Tracy in hot pursuit
Caitlin Callaghan on her way to a podium finish
Greg expertly negotiating the off-camber
In the Men’s Junior race, Ryan MacLean was sporting the number 1 bib (101) due to his strong finishes in Quebec and the Pan Ams. Luke had 109 with the others further back amongst the 33 competitors. By this time in the day, the course had softened making it a fearsome and muddy challenge. By some great stroke of fortune everyone’s height was such that each junior had a backup bike – Ryan/Caitlin, Luke/Tracy, Jacob/Ken and Ben/Greg and they were needed on the day. Cleaning bikes in time became a challenge as there were only so many pressure washers in the pits. The race was a strong test of one’s fitness, mental tenacity, deftness in the mud and overall bike handling skills. Carter Woods (National Mountain Bike Champion) quickly rode to the front and then away from everyone finishing 1:42 ahead of second place. He is from Cumberland B.C. and a lifetime of skill gained from riding in wet Vancouver Island conditions was put on full display. Ryan was locked in a tight battle with Dylan Kerr for the final podium position and unfortunately a slight bobble on the final lap by Ryan allowed Dylan to get away for third with Ryan coming in for a very solid 4th place finish. Luke rode a strong race finishing in 12th place and Jacob (19th) and Ben (25th) also rode good races.
Luke re-mounting at the top of Heckler’s Hill
Jacob re-mounting
Ben shortly after re-mounting on Heckler’s Hill
Luke and Ryan on start line of Sunday’s UCI race
Ryan diligently doing homework on the trip home
In the Women’s U23 race, Sidney McGill followed up her strong showing at Pan Am’s with another good race finishing 4th out of the 18 competitors.
There was also a UCI race on Sunday so most of the crew raced again. I would write a race report on that but this is the most I have written since my first year English course in university in 1984 and I think I need a nap.
A couple of other things to note:
· Due to their strong performances, both Ryan and Sidney have been selected to participate in
Cycling Canada’s Christmas Cross Camp in Belgium as well as the World Championships in Denmark. A huge congratulations to them. If any club member knows Flemish, perhaps some tutoring sessions are in order.
· If I can just get on my soapbox for a moment - after watching these races, it would be great if the City of Edmonton would work with the cycling community to find a spot where we can race in all conditions. Currently, the permits issued by the City require the events to be cancelled if there is any risk to the grass. The essence of cyclocross is racing in muddy, inclement weather and there is no substitute for racing in these conditions. Surely in the City’s 685 square km of land there is one spot that could be allocated. We have very talented athletes in our City who would only get better if they could further hone their skills. The City has been fantastic in supporting a mountain bike trail infrastructure so there must be a solution.
See you at the AGM!
Another super Juventus race update - Pan Am CX action in Ontario!
Once again Doug Bristow keeps us close to the action … Silver Goose UCI C2 and Pan Am Cx Champs! …
Junior Cyclocross update …
An exciting weekend of racing was held Nov 3-4 in Midland Ontario with the Silver Goose UCI C2 race, as well as the Pan Am Championships. Our young juniors, Ryan MacLean and Luke Bristow, headed out with coach Tracy, Ken Germaine, Caitlin Callaghan, and me. The course at Little Lake Park is apparently a favorite among Ontario CXers so the group was excited to give it a go.
It had been raining during the week, so Saturday brought a challenging muddy course. Tracy, Ken and Caitlin raced in the Masters’ Pan Am events in the morning to show the kids how it was done, and all had solid finishes (Tracy 9th, Ken 12th and Caitlin 4th in their respective age categories).
Ryan MacLean warming up -
The Saturday Silver Goose Junior race was seeded for those who had UCI points and then a random draw for the rest. One of the primary objectives of our trip to Sherbrooke two weeks earlier was for Ryan to get UCI points so he would have front row seeding in subsequent races. That went exactly according to plan, resulting in Ryan being in the front row for the weekend. Luke went into the random draw and came out with the coveted 34th bib in Saturday’s 36 person race.
Tracy ensures everyone is ready to race - Luke and Ryan warm up -
The course lived up to its billing and was a great challenge. Ryan got off to a strong start leaving the pavement and entering the mud right at the front. However, the next half lap did not go exactly as planned as Ryan dropped back to about 18th. In talking to him post-race, he felt his tires were not ideal for the conditions as he said he thought he was riding well, but quickly losing ground to the group he rode with in Sherbrooke. After dropping off the pace, he battled hard and climbed back to 12th. Luke meanwhile rode a solid race and finished 23rd. The mud definitely strung out the race, as people were falling all over the place slowing other riders and making it very difficult to catch back up.
Luke putting all those hard RG stair workouts to use. This was the second of two consecutive staircases … phewf! -
Sunday was the Pan Am Championships for the juniors and the clear skies of Saturday evening dried out the course, so it was mostly tacky with some muddy patches. The junior field was basically the same as the day before with a couple of additional riders. Ryan got off to a strong start and left the pavement in about 6th position. Luke’s start was incredibly nerve wracking for a parent. As the group bolted off the start, Luke went to the outside on the right to try and gain ground. The group widened out at high speed and Luke was being pushed towards the metal barriers and could not get out. Just as the inevitable was going to happen, there was a gap in the metal barriers. Luke was pushed outside the barriers and off the course. The rider to his left smashed into a barrier at high speed and somersaulted over it and onto the pavement. Meanwhile Luke was still riding outside the course. A few meters ahead, there was another gap in the barriers. Luke rode through the tape and back onto the course completely unscathed!! That did not just happen did it? Clearly my wife’s singing Sunday morning mass at St. Joseph’s Basilica pays off at times like this.
Ryan and Carter Woods go to work closing down the leaders -
… getting close … huffing and puffing along the beach …
A lead group of 4 formed and Ryan was in a chase group of 4 riders a few seconds back. This continued for a couple of laps in the 5 lap race, until eventually Ryan and Carter Woods (2018 Canadian MTB champion) worked together to bridge up to the lead group. A couple of riders dropped off and five were left at the front. Meanwhile, Luke had reached the point in the race where he was not going to catch the rider ahead nor was he going to be caught by anyone behind. The last two laps saw the lead group of five stick close together with nobody able to drop the other until shortly before the finishing straight when the group started to spread out. Ryan sprinted across the line in 5th - only 6 seconds out of the lead! Another fantastic result in the biggest junior CX race in North America this season. Luke rolled in 27th, not as high as he would have liked but happy to be in one piece. Ken and Caitlin also raced the Masters race Sunday with Ken finishing 5th and Caitlin 3rd. Overall a very fun weekend.
We also had Sidney McGill from Juventus (in Focus colours) in the U23 Women’s race, and Ken Germaine and Tracy Shearer in Master Men!
Sidney McGill racing up the stairs … she finished 8th in U23!
Ken is not missing a step -
Next stop is Canadian Nationals in Peterborough.
Juventus & Milton World Cup!
The Mattamy Velodrome in Milton, Ontario was sold out, as a full house took in the action and excitement of World Cup track racing October 25th - 28th.
Juventus was on site: competing, spectating, lobbying, and learning.
Both AVRA coach Alex Ongaro and our President, Gail Wozny could not resist the caliber of competition on display. They even brought some of our young and aspiring Juventus track talents to see the skills of the best in the world! Mikeal, Ngaire, and Zac all benefitted from exposure to the talent and professionalism exhibited at the Milton World Cup. More experience will be accrued as Ngaire and Mikael take part in a Cycling Canada junior advancement camp in Milton this week.
Gail and Meika were in full gear and ready to cheer on all the competitors in Milton!
2018 World Cup II - Milton - Team Canada (Kinley Gibson) & Pedal to the Medal (Evan Burtnik, Devaney Collier)
There were a few familiar faces on the boards! Kinley Gibson is a member of Team Canada and raced the Team Pursuit (TP), while Evan Burtnik (TP and Scratch) and Devaney Collier (TP and Scratch) raced under Canada’s Pedal To the Medal trade team banner. All three young national team members began their cycling careers in the LAMP.
Team Canada’s 4 women had a solid ride in the TP qualifier, and were eager to improve in Round 1. Focussed, they shaved 3 seconds! off their qualifying time, yet would have to settle for 5th, missing the bronze medal round by 0.3 seconds. This result has the team excited to prepare for World Cup III in Berlin at the end of November.
Team Canada Pursuit: Steph Roorda, Ariane Bonhomme, Kinley Gibson, Annie Foreman Mackie
Team Canada Women pass Japan in Round 1
Devaney, along with her NextGen teammates raced with the Pedal to the Medal team in the TP qualifier. Unfortunately, a couple of members were under the weather and they did not qualify for the rounds. Later, Devaney got the call to race the Women’s Scratch. Team Canada member Allison Beveridge and Devaney raced well, finishing 5th and 13th respectively.
Coach Jenny Trew sets Devaney for the Scratch Race -
Scratch Race action with 2 Canadians in the mix -
Team Pursuit was also on the event card of Evan Burtnik. His Pedal to the Medal team put up a time of 4:04 in the qualifying round - not quite enough for Round 1, but an overall sound performance. On Friday night, with family in the stands to cheer him on, Evan raced an exciting Scratch Race. He was active in the first half, initiating multiple attacks: some unfortunate timing meant he missed an important move, as another rider took a lap. The chasers were eventually caught and Evan was able to set himself for the sprint finish, yielding a respectable 5th place.
Evan Burtnik was aggressive in the first half of the race - and finished 5th!
Evan does his pull on the front -
It is a wonderful feeling when the whole family cheers!
Juventus Fantastic at UCI Sherbrooke CX!!
Please enjoy this article, kindly written by Doug Bristow. It’s worth the read, especially if you’re wondering what our young ‘uns are up to ... or if you have considered working the pit at a cyclocross race … !
October 27, 2018
Last weekend, I travelled with my son Luke Bristow and his Juventus teammate Ryan MacLean to the UCI race held in Sherbrooke Quebec, the first time a UCI cyclocross race had been held on Quebec soil. Ryan and Luke were competing in the Men’s junior event, which drew the top riders in Canada as well as a good cross section of riders from the U.S. The goals for the weekend were to get some experience racing at this level, hopefully gain some UCI points (awarded to the top 5 finishers), and have fun.
Included in the list of 25 riders were three riders from the U.S. Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld development team http://cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com/team and their pit support crew looked formidable. As I settled into the pits on Saturday, I was praying my accounting training would somehow translate into effective mechanical support. From the pits, I could not see the first half of the race course. As the boys came into view, four riders had already broken away from the rest, the three Cannondale riders and Ryan MacLean!
Ryan MacLean wins the UCI Sherbrooke Cyclocross Junior Men’s Category!!
Over the next six laps, it appeared Ryan was controlling the race despite being outnumbered. I chatted with the Cannondale pit crew as they were wondering who the heck this kid was; apparently the Cannondale kids have been dominating the races on the eastern seaboard all season. One by one the Cannondale kids dropped off the pace until Ryan was alone in the lead and soloed in for victory. Luke also rode a superb race finishing 12th. Saturday could not have turned out better. I also learned that, provided the kids do not have any flats or mechanicals, I am quite effective in the pits.
On Sunday, the Cannondale crew was on a mission and drove the pace from the start. Quickly, six riders broke away from the rest, the Cannondale riders and Ryan as well as Dylan Kerr and Paul Mysko (two riders who represented Canada at last year’s Junior World Championships). The group largely stayed together the entire race and all finished within 12 seconds of each other with Ryan out-sprinting Dylan Kerr for 5th. Luke did not quite have the legs of the day before but still finished a respectable 16th. Sidney McGill was racing Women’s Elite and finished 12th and 8th on the weekend. She was great to hang out with.
The weekend was a huge success. The boys gained confidence, Ryan picked up 11 UCI points (which should ensure he gets a front row starting position at upcoming races), and we all had a ton of fun. Next is the Pan American Championships in Midland, Ontario followed by the Canadian Nationals in Peterborough.
A big thank you to Juventus for their support of junior riders and to Tracy Shearer for all his hard work coaching Luke and Ryan.
Success for Sprockids and Cranx!
Sprockids and Cranx have completed another exciting season, and Greg Sowak has kindly provided this summary and a few pics taken along the way. We especially thank our coaches and Directors for a safe, fun and exciting season!
On Saturday October 6, we wrapped up another super successful year of Juventus Sprockids/Cranx!
With spring and fall sessions combined, CRANX had more than 70 kids registered in 2018, and Sprockids saw well over 150!
Our adventure to Hinton Bike Park -
With numbers like these, it's pretty safe to say that Sprockids/CRANX are among the most well subscribed introduction to cycling programs in Alberta and possibly Canada!
Of course, none of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the intrepid Program Directors, Paul Wyminga and Carrie Wiklund. On behalf of the children and families, we extend a very big THANK YOU to Paul, Carrie, and the awesome coaches who spend their Saturdays imparting skills and a love of the ride!
Sprockids invade Mill Creek Ravine -
Although the fall sessions saw nasty winter weather that forced some of the first cancellations in program history (!), the final Saturday was bright and clear.
Mill Creek Invasion #2
And the sunshine was not the only thing beaming that morning! Just look at those smiles!
Coach Carrie out doing what she loves -
AGM and Awards December 2!
All Juventus members are invited to the 2018 AGM and Awards Dinner. Join us Sunday December 2nd from 2 - 4 pm at the Argyll Velodrome Clubhouse for a concise and informational meeting followed by our awards and a pasta dinner by Chianti’s.
The Juventus AGM and Awards Dinner is a special event. It is our chance to reconnect after a season of training, racing, and good old riding for fun. We hope to see you there!
Sign up for Juventus Casino Nov 9-10!
Edmonton International City Championships!!!!
SAVE THE DATE!
When: September 9, 2018
Where: Argyll Velodrome
What: The Edmonton International City Championships (of the World (of Edmonton))
Who: YOU
Why: ... because?
The day will consist of:
Bavarian
Canadian Turbo Snowball
Australian Pursuit
Irish Keirin
Madison Kilo
10 mile
Races may change due to time constraints, weather, and Scott's desire to sit down.
Racing to begin at 10am sharp. $5 entry fee.
2018 Fall CRANX Open for Registration
Miquelon ITT & TTT Results
Sprockids 2018 Fall Program Open for Registration
I hope that you and your family had a fantastic summer.
Starting today, we have opened registration for the 2018 Fall Program. The program will build on the skills learned during the spring program, while allowing the Sprockids and LAMP kids to experience many more riding parks in the city.
The Fall 2018 Program will be a travelling experience, with the kids riding at least 3 different parks in 5 weeks.
THE DETAILS
· DATES: Saturdays, 9:30 AM to Noon, September 8th through October 6rd (weather permitting).
· VENUE: each ride will take place at a different cycling park - Argyll Velodrome, Terwilligar, Devon, Sunridge (Hopefully), and Argyll for Wrapup Racing.
· AGE REQUIREMENTS: Sprockids and LAMP kids must be at least 8 years old on December 31, 2018.
· SIGNUP PROCEDURE: sign up on Zone4.ca (look for the Sprockids / LAMP Fall 2018 Registration under Club Registrations)
https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=18733
· FRIEND REQUESTS: we always honour friend requests, so your child will be riding with their friends.
· ABILITY: we will be creating a number of groups based on riding ability (after friend requests have been honoured), so your child will be riding with kids of similar ability.
· EQUIPMENT: your child must have a multi-speed mountain bike and a certified helmet. Also recommended are bicycling gloves and a backpack with water, snack, and a cold/wet weather jacket.
· BICYCLE: Please ensure that your child's bicycle is tuned and ready to ride. A multi-speed bicycle with working brakes and gears is required at a minimum (your child must have the physical ability to change the gears and work both the front & rear brakes).
REGISTRATION
Here is the link to the registration system on Zone4. As with last year, you can register multiple kids from the same family on a single checkout.
https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=18733
PARENT ASSISTANTS
We are looking for Parent Assistants to ride with the kids again this fall. As always we will need to have Parent Assistants insured by the Alberta Bicycle Association. Juventus will cover the cost of the insurance, but we will need all Parent Assistants to register with the club. Please contact me if you are interested in riding with us this year.
We are looking forward to seeing you and your Sprockid this fall.
Paul Wyminga
Director
Juventus Cycling Club Sprockids Program