2015 Wheeler Moments

General discussion about the Victoria Wheelers

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aruss
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2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by aruss » Tue Dec 08, 2015 11:44 am

2015 was a great year for the club, membership continues to rise with more and more riders. I can recall numerous times where the Saturday ride swelled to 50+ riders!! As the year comes to a close we thought it would be nice to share your favourite Wheeler memories from 2015 here. Rides, spin classes, socials, racing.... please share.

My 2015 moment:

Trevor, Geoff and I travelled together to the BC Road Champs in Hatzic Valley this year. As a smaller club racing large 1/2 teams it is always a challenge to find feed for a long road race such as the 140k that Geoff and I would face in toasty conditions. Before we set off, Trevor said once finished his Cat 3 race he would grab our extra bottles and head to the feed station at the base of the climb. Well, the sun beat down that day and the temperature rose steadily throughout the race; two large bottles quickly began to evaporate. As we reached what I think was the 6th of 10 laps my bottles were dry. I asked Geoff if he thought Trev would make it there next lap and he was doubtful, so was I... As we approached the 7th time up the climb the feed zone was hectic, everyone taking on hydration. Low and behold there was Trevor, in his Wheelers kit, still red in the face, yelling "Wheelers! Wheelers!" I can't explain the gratitude and appreciation I felt at that moment. It was as if I was being handed a bottle of gold, ice-cold Gold! If Trev hadn't had made it there that lap I would have likely DNF'd. That bottle saved my race and I bet Geoff's as well (Geoff would ride on to an impressive 11th place finish).

After the race I asked Trev how he had made it over there in time: "I just kept riding from my finish directly to the car and then over to the hill, made it with a minute to spare!"

That is Wheeler Teamwork.

WillCorbett
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by WillCorbett » Tue Dec 08, 2015 12:34 pm

My 2015 Moment:

This year was my first year road racing so I was racing in the C group throughout the year, which has a lack of fellow wheelers. However, early on in the year I naively signed up to race the Cameron Law Series Sprint Challenge in the Cat 4/Cit Race with hopes of surviving as long as possible.

Luckily for me Western Speedway was forgiving and I was able to sit at the back of the group throughout most of the race. With 2 or 3 laps to go I realized that Ian had been on the front of the group for a while and no one was willing to take over from him. There was only one option “attack” with all the had. It was by no means an impressive move, however it was enough to force the other teams to come around and take over the chase and the front for the final two laps. Ian then went on to win the sprint and I fell off the back to finish 12th of 16. Although I am sure Ian still would have taken the win, it was nice to make it a little bit easier for him and actually be involved in some team tactics in a race that was meant to be about survival.

trevor
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by trevor » Fri Dec 11, 2015 5:59 am

Great stuff guys. And ARuss, that was a close one. The timing was amazing and fortunate, but what stuck out to me was the smoothness of the handoff. We hadn't practiced that at all and the pressure was high. So glad it worked out as you two had amazing races on a hot day on a tough course.

I have a few races that stick out but one particular tale of teamwork that resonates that I'll share.

Speedway is a fast course and super short. Rarely to riders get away and stay away. Early in the race Geoff, Sharpie, and AMac got off the front and had a nice gap that was staying steady. When Curtis surged a few of us jumped and before you knew it myself, Curtis, Cody, and Isaac joined the leaders. An untimely wheel touch put Geoff down and by the time I was able to get my chin off my stem I realized that our gap had grown over the peloton. Geoff was able to rejoin the group n a few laps. And Curtis soon went again, this time solo, to work his way across to lap the group. A bit of cat and mousing and I accelerated to try and do the same. And this is where the story, at least for me, gets interesting. I was managing to make it across and was just dangling off the back. RHs was driving the peloton in a clear attempt to keep me from bridging and it was making me hurt. Just then Mick appeared at the back of the group right in front me. He let up ever so sightly to give me his wheel and then took me right to the pointy end of the group. He stayed there the rest of the race, right until bell lap where I managed to kick for 2nd behind Curtis.

It's this type of teamwork that I remember most from the season. Totally selfless and awesome.

Looking forward to hearing from others. Great thread!

mattsharpe
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by mattsharpe » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:45 pm

First post!

Down here in Phoenix to kick off my 2016 season and I'm glad I saw this. For myself the summer of 2015 could have been a real bummer if not for my time spent with the Wheelers. There were a ton of great memories including the VCL's, the "Sharpie Sessions" and of course the Saturday Smashfests. I can easily say that my riding jumped to a new level thanks thanks to this bunch, and most importantly my enjoyment of the sport.

Thanks to Trev, ARuss, Geoff, Ian, Stephane, Marc and the rest of the crew for that.

In my background with high performance sport (Triathlon) I've found it can be a very selfish endeavor with a very single-minded focus. With that in mind my favourite Wheeler moment was traveling to Vancouver in support of ARuss at the Gastown GP. To look some of the best bike racers in the eye and say, "why not me?" Was super inspiring and I was stoked to be a part of it.

Looking forward to 2016 and being a more involved with the club! :D

stephane
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by stephane » Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:45 pm

It was with some trepidation that I rode with "A" in the VCL this year, but I have to say I really enjoyed training and racing with the chain gang this year.
It's hard to pin down one moment, but some of the highlights were:
July 1st Hurricane Ridge. Beautiful weather, a long climb and some elite climbers. What a day! I had to dig deep to stay with the lead group and I eventually did crack, but set a new personal best in the process with some wicked pace-setting by Matt and ARuss.
Early in January or February 2015 I spotted Trevor doing some secret solo power intervals along Dallas Rd. I knew at that point that he was planning to take a run at the VCL "A" title. With strong rides (e.g. Newton Heights) and a whole lot of consistency, he achieved his goal. It was definitely a highlight to see TMac seal the deal at the end of the season.
The late summer "Sharpie sessions" will forever be seared into my memory, lungs and quads. The pain was worth it though as it gave me a big boost for the final few races of the season. I'm not sure how, but I even somehow managed to get a Strava KOM out of the deal too. Thanks Matt!

Some other memorable (but not so fun) 2015 moments:
Crashing and DNFing at Windsor Park.
Seeing Andrew Attwell win at Windsor. How did we let that happen?!
Getting a flat at the start line of the Metchosin Masters Race. I was ready to crush it, but it was not to be that day.

Happy new year to everyone and here's to a great 2016!

marc
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by marc » Mon Jan 04, 2016 11:47 am

Too many things to narrow it down to just one.

Getting a training plan together (thanks to Mick and Geoff for talking over that with me), committing to it, putting in the work and seeing results that I didn't think I would be able to achieve. So rewarding.

The experience of riding with both the A and B teams. The team spirit for both is unreal.

The interval sessions and rides organized by team mates throughout the year. Consistently, the were the hardest and the best for boosting fitness. Early in the year, the Mick intervals and then later in the year, Sharpie sessions. It's a good feeling to ride with people who want to push to the point of vomiting. No wait. That feels bad. Really, really bad. But on the plus side, the sessions were so much fun, and the fitness gains were insane.

Eugenehahn
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Re: 2015 Wheeler Moments

Post by Eugenehahn » Mon Feb 22, 2016 11:01 am

2015 Moments:

GOOD: First Caleb Pike of the year. Race was so hard I wanted to quit then vomit...hung on for dear life. At the quintessential moment when the Russ Hayes goons were about to solidify their break-away ARuss yells across at me that "we gotta do something about this". We chased again, and caught them, breaking their spirit to attack. Not only did we get 2nd and 4th on day but cruising back I know I was convinced that Trev could win the VCL and that our team had some good chemistry... and some badass FTP beasts!

BAD: Provincials. Crashes. Broken shoulders. Cancelled results. LAME. But, hanging out with Mick while the doctors fixed him up the best they could and getting to have an amazing BBQ feast (Courtesy of Mick's Vancouver hosts) on our way back to Victoria was really cool. #Teammates.

Cheers
Eugene

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