My experiences at the Tour de l'Abitibi
The Tour de l'Abitibi is a UCI junior nations cup stage race in the North of Quebec. The tour is the only UCI nations cup in North America, it covers 660km over 7 stages and 6 days of racing. With the Tour de l'Abitibi being the only junior UCI race in North America is attracts a lot of talent. With national teams like New Zealand, France, USA, and Japan, along with strong riders from across Canada and the US, it made for hard racing.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to race for the National team for the 50th edition of the tour alongside strong riders Robin Plamondon, Alexandre Poirier, Tristan Jussaume, Riley Pickrell, and Tomas Schellenberg, we were also accompanied by some of the greatest minds in Canadian cycling, Kevin Field and Scott McFarlane. My goals coming into the tour were to place in the top 5 on stage 3, the time trial and put myself in positions where I could be successful, whether it be in breakaways or taking time bonuses, which would allow me to contest for the GC win. With a disappointing Nationals battling sickness, I was motivated as ever to contest the win at this years tour.
Stage 1:
Day 1 was successful, to say the least. The team was active at the front all day and we put ourselves in a position to cause danger. This forced teams like USA and France to chase and do the majority of the work all day. The plan for the day was to be aggressive with all our riders at the front and putting guys in dangerous moves, we were marking the US closely, with a strong team and the previous winner, we didn't want to lose time on day 1. We tried to position Robin and me for the sprints, hoping to grab extra seconds, when it was coming towards the finale, we had faith in our sprinter, Riley Pickrell. We positioned him for the final corner and let him do his thing, resulting in a stage win and the leader's jersey.
Stage 2:
Day 2 was the longest day of the tour, clocking in at 140km long. The key feature of the day would prove to be the crosswind section of about 40km. Because we had the leaders jersey we tried to ride attentive but not to defend the jersey as Riley wasn't targeting the GC. As we came into the crosswind section teammate Plamondon and I tried to shake up the field by attacking together and trying to form echelons as we took the corner into the crosswind. This started a flurry of attacks that lasted for the majority of the 40km sector. Lacking numbers at the front the bulk of the work was left to Robin and me, trying to save Riley for the finish like the previous day. Nothing ended up sticking but it was definitely one of the harder sections of the tour.
Coach Scott McFarlane briefing the team before stage 1
Stage 3:
Day 3 was composed of two stages, the ITT and a circuit race in the afternoon. Anticipating a strong result we had done our preparations, recon and a proper warmup and I was ready to go. The time trial was 11.6km with a few tricky corners, a tough U-turn, and a small climb. The wind was picking up throughout the day with it coming to full force before my start, adding another aspect to the race. Things were going well on the way out and everything felt great. Coming into the U-turn I knew I was on pace for a very strong time. We had done a recon of the difficult corners and I had made it through while taking some risks. However, my luck ran out when I took the wrong line at a high speed through a fairly straightforward corner. Coming down the descent at 70kmph I approached a left-hander back onto the highway, breaking late into the corner, I took it at speed, what I didn't see what that in the race line there were some imperfections in the pavement and as I hit them my left hand slipped from the bars and I hit the deck. I composed myself while a spare bike was grabbed from the car for me to finish on. I came away very lucky with my Mips taking most of the impact along with my body, a bit of road rash on the hip and shoulder along with a very hard contusion to the ribs which left me short of breath and barely able to get out of the saddle for the rest of the tour.
I immediately changed my goals for the rest of the tour, knowing I wouldn't be competing for the GC. I decided to dedicate myself to the team, doing lead-outs and being a super domestic. This was my first time being a part of such a strong team so I was excited and really embraced my new role.
Stage 4:
Stage 4 took place in the afternoon, not long after the time trial. Having crashed in the morning my body was really feeling the effects. My goal for the stage was to stay safe and recover a bit for more important days coming up. I was sore and tight on the line but once the race started instinct took over and I was straight to the front and marking dangerous moves for teammates early. There were sprint points up for grabs throughout the stage and Riley was leading in that competition. Riley got caught in the ditch in a tough crosswind section about 4km from the sprint. I quickly dropped back and moved him up as quick as possible in the brutal crosswinds. I got him back to the front with about 2km till the sprint where I kept him at the front along without GC contender Robin. Riley ended up picking up maximum points at the sprint, extending his lead in the competition.
My final job for the day was to position Riley and Robin at the front for a roundabout close to the finish. This being the first lead-out I've ever done, there was definitely room for improvement. I was well positioned with Riley on my wheel with 7km to go, but that proved to be a bit early, fighting for position with Japan and US, I was outnumbered. I still had Riley at the front with 3km to go when we started to get swamped as we came towards the roundabout, I quickly got us out and moved back up, I did a strong pull at the front with 2 to go and set Riley free. He navigated the finish perfectly and finished second, some lessons were learnt.
Day 3 was composed of two stages, the ITT and a circuit race in the afternoon. Anticipating a strong result we had done our preparations, recon and a proper warmup and I was ready to go. The time trial was 11.6km with a few tricky corners, a tough U-turn, and a small climb. The wind was picking up throughout the day with it coming to full force before my start, adding another aspect to the race. Things were going well on the way out and everything felt great. Coming into the U-turn I knew I was on pace for a very strong time. We had done a recon of the difficult corners and I had made it through while taking some risks. However, my luck ran out when I took the wrong line at a high speed through a fairly straightforward corner. Coming down the descent at 70kmph I approached a left-hander back onto the highway, breaking late into the corner, I took it at speed, what I didn't see what that in the race line there were some imperfections in the pavement and as I hit them my left hand slipped from the bars and I hit the deck. I composed myself while a spare bike was grabbed from the car for me to finish on. I came away very lucky with my Mips taking most of the impact along with my body, a bit of road rash on the hip and shoulder along with a very hard contusion to the ribs which left me short of breath and barely able to get out of the saddle for the rest of the tour.
I immediately changed my goals for the rest of the tour, knowing I wouldn't be competing for the GC. I decided to dedicate myself to the team, doing lead-outs and being a super domestic. This was my first time being a part of such a strong team so I was excited and really embraced my new role.
Stage 4:
Stage 4 took place in the afternoon, not long after the time trial. Having crashed in the morning my body was really feeling the effects. My goal for the stage was to stay safe and recover a bit for more important days coming up. I was sore and tight on the line but once the race started instinct took over and I was straight to the front and marking dangerous moves for teammates early. There were sprint points up for grabs throughout the stage and Riley was leading in that competition. Riley got caught in the ditch in a tough crosswind section about 4km from the sprint. I quickly dropped back and moved him up as quick as possible in the brutal crosswinds. I got him back to the front with about 2km till the sprint where I kept him at the front along without GC contender Robin. Riley ended up picking up maximum points at the sprint, extending his lead in the competition.
My final job for the day was to position Riley and Robin at the front for a roundabout close to the finish. This being the first lead-out I've ever done, there was definitely room for improvement. I was well positioned with Riley on my wheel with 7km to go, but that proved to be a bit early, fighting for position with Japan and US, I was outnumbered. I still had Riley at the front with 3km to go when we started to get swamped as we came towards the roundabout, I quickly got us out and moved back up, I did a strong pull at the front with 2 to go and set Riley free. He navigated the finish perfectly and finished second, some lessons were learnt.
Full gas on stage 3
Stage 5:
Day 4 and the body was starting to feel it more and more. Stage 5 was another windy one. With predicted crosswinds for the first 50km before 40km of tailwinds then hitting the finishing circuit for 3 laps. We had won on this finishing circuit on stage 1 so we had confidence in our sprinter. We needed to protect Riley and Robin for the day, keeping them out of the wind and saving energy for the final circuits. I had the task of marking moves for the day, protecting our leaders in the crosswinds, and setting up Riley for sprint points and the final sprint. It was a scorcher on the start line, lots of liquids would be needed on a day like today. The stage started to blow up early with France and New Zealand active at the front. I was up with France trying to start a split in the crosswinds when a break that was well represented went up the road, Canada had missed out, I would have to go to the front and work to bring it back. The rest of the crosswind section was hard on the legs but we kept everyone safe and all was looking good. The intermediate sprint was coming up and I started to move Riley to the front, some attacks went and no one was a threat to the Orange jersey, I went to the front and controlled the pace letting the points go up the road.
The rest of the day was uneventful with me just making a couple trips back to the car for water and ice. In the final circuits, Robin attacked as planned and was away for the two of the three laps, allowing me to take a breath. When he got caught it was game on, I quickly found Riley and moved him up for the final lap up the climb, once over the climb it's all descending into the finish so it was important to have him in position over the top. I kept Riley in the top 10 through the descent and took him to the final corner in an excellent position, I was starting to get the feel of this lead-out thing. Riley ended up going on to win the stage and extending his lead in the Orange jersey, great day on the bike.
Stage 6:
Stage 6 was set to be the most difficult of the tour, with 10 laps of a tough circuit through the city. The circuit included a decent climb and a technical descent. Early on I covered dangerous moves from the top guys on GC trying to shake up the race. I had been relayed a message that Robin had crashed on lap 1 and I immediately dropped back to move him up as soon as he returned. As soon as he made it back to the commissaire car I moved him up before we went over the top of the climb trying to get him in good position heading into the corner he had crashed on the previous lap. through the day I managed the front and got feeds and distributed water to the boys. There were more sprint points up for grab that day and for the first sprint Riley and I did our thing, I moved him up and kept him sheltered and he took the sprint, for the second sprint of the day I was riding the front to position him when a team Japan rider (team of the second placed rider in the sprint competition) attacked, with one rider up the road already I decided to follow, by doing so we took all the points and Riley didn't lose any of his lead in the competition. Coming up to the final sprint I once again moved Riley and Robin up to the top 10 riders at the top of the climb where my work was done. Riley ended up taking second on the stage.
Day 4 and the body was starting to feel it more and more. Stage 5 was another windy one. With predicted crosswinds for the first 50km before 40km of tailwinds then hitting the finishing circuit for 3 laps. We had won on this finishing circuit on stage 1 so we had confidence in our sprinter. We needed to protect Riley and Robin for the day, keeping them out of the wind and saving energy for the final circuits. I had the task of marking moves for the day, protecting our leaders in the crosswinds, and setting up Riley for sprint points and the final sprint. It was a scorcher on the start line, lots of liquids would be needed on a day like today. The stage started to blow up early with France and New Zealand active at the front. I was up with France trying to start a split in the crosswinds when a break that was well represented went up the road, Canada had missed out, I would have to go to the front and work to bring it back. The rest of the crosswind section was hard on the legs but we kept everyone safe and all was looking good. The intermediate sprint was coming up and I started to move Riley to the front, some attacks went and no one was a threat to the Orange jersey, I went to the front and controlled the pace letting the points go up the road.
The rest of the day was uneventful with me just making a couple trips back to the car for water and ice. In the final circuits, Robin attacked as planned and was away for the two of the three laps, allowing me to take a breath. When he got caught it was game on, I quickly found Riley and moved him up for the final lap up the climb, once over the climb it's all descending into the finish so it was important to have him in position over the top. I kept Riley in the top 10 through the descent and took him to the final corner in an excellent position, I was starting to get the feel of this lead-out thing. Riley ended up going on to win the stage and extending his lead in the Orange jersey, great day on the bike.
Stage 6:
Stage 6 was set to be the most difficult of the tour, with 10 laps of a tough circuit through the city. The circuit included a decent climb and a technical descent. Early on I covered dangerous moves from the top guys on GC trying to shake up the race. I had been relayed a message that Robin had crashed on lap 1 and I immediately dropped back to move him up as soon as he returned. As soon as he made it back to the commissaire car I moved him up before we went over the top of the climb trying to get him in good position heading into the corner he had crashed on the previous lap. through the day I managed the front and got feeds and distributed water to the boys. There were more sprint points up for grab that day and for the first sprint Riley and I did our thing, I moved him up and kept him sheltered and he took the sprint, for the second sprint of the day I was riding the front to position him when a team Japan rider (team of the second placed rider in the sprint competition) attacked, with one rider up the road already I decided to follow, by doing so we took all the points and Riley didn't lose any of his lead in the competition. Coming up to the final sprint I once again moved Riley and Robin up to the top 10 riders at the top of the climb where my work was done. Riley ended up taking second on the stage.
Me and my Mom celebrating the teams success after Riley takes the win.
Stage 7:
Finally, the last day. The body was on its last little bit of energy, after tough nights of sleep with injuries, a sore body, and fatigued legs I really had to grit my teeth. Stage 7 was a remote start with 10 laps of a finishing circuit that included most of the climb from the previous day. This ended up being my best day in my opinion. With the constant theme of winds and sprint points, the day went the same as previous days. After doing so much for the boys the whole day I was destroyed when we entered the circuits. Doing more work on the circuits, position Riley for sprints and managing the front I was sliding with 3 to go. I barely made it over with a reduced field for the final few laps when on the last lap I questioned whether I could help Riley in the end. As we came over the top of the climb I was at the back, I gave it everything hoping for a slowing of pace at the front where I could move up and keep Riley well positioned. Sure enough, the pack sat up a bit and I took advantage, going to the front and doing the last 3km drilling it at the front, Riley had found me and slotted into 4th wheel. I knew I couldn't get swarmed at the front and I kept the pace as high as I possibly could. Coming into 1km to go I was way over my limit, so much so I was in tears. I managed to keep the pace high enough for the final kilometre and left Riley with him sitting 4th wheel into the last tricky corner with 300m to go. As the field went by me I watched nervously and still in tears from the final effort. I finally started to compose myself when I watched Riley celebrating on the line, and that's when the tears returned. I had given everything for these guys and for him to deliver on that last day I couldn't help myself. Crossing the line in tears I immediately gave him a massive hug, along with the rest of the boys. That was it, we had done it, and I may or may not still be in tears.
Super happy to have been part of that amazing team for the Tour de l'Abitibi and I want to thank everyone who helped me reach this goal I had been dreaming of for my cycling career so far. I want to give a special thanks to two men who shaped who I am as an individual today, those guys being John Large and Neil Crawford. They taught me true character and perseverance and without them, I probably wouldn't have had such a positive attitude after my unfortunate crash. I was also lucky enough to have John watching the final stage this year, thanks for everything Neil and John, and thanks to all the Wheelers crew, you guys are the best!
Finally, the last day. The body was on its last little bit of energy, after tough nights of sleep with injuries, a sore body, and fatigued legs I really had to grit my teeth. Stage 7 was a remote start with 10 laps of a finishing circuit that included most of the climb from the previous day. This ended up being my best day in my opinion. With the constant theme of winds and sprint points, the day went the same as previous days. After doing so much for the boys the whole day I was destroyed when we entered the circuits. Doing more work on the circuits, position Riley for sprints and managing the front I was sliding with 3 to go. I barely made it over with a reduced field for the final few laps when on the last lap I questioned whether I could help Riley in the end. As we came over the top of the climb I was at the back, I gave it everything hoping for a slowing of pace at the front where I could move up and keep Riley well positioned. Sure enough, the pack sat up a bit and I took advantage, going to the front and doing the last 3km drilling it at the front, Riley had found me and slotted into 4th wheel. I knew I couldn't get swarmed at the front and I kept the pace as high as I possibly could. Coming into 1km to go I was way over my limit, so much so I was in tears. I managed to keep the pace high enough for the final kilometre and left Riley with him sitting 4th wheel into the last tricky corner with 300m to go. As the field went by me I watched nervously and still in tears from the final effort. I finally started to compose myself when I watched Riley celebrating on the line, and that's when the tears returned. I had given everything for these guys and for him to deliver on that last day I couldn't help myself. Crossing the line in tears I immediately gave him a massive hug, along with the rest of the boys. That was it, we had done it, and I may or may not still be in tears.
Super happy to have been part of that amazing team for the Tour de l'Abitibi and I want to thank everyone who helped me reach this goal I had been dreaming of for my cycling career so far. I want to give a special thanks to two men who shaped who I am as an individual today, those guys being John Large and Neil Crawford. They taught me true character and perseverance and without them, I probably wouldn't have had such a positive attitude after my unfortunate crash. I was also lucky enough to have John watching the final stage this year, thanks for everything Neil and John, and thanks to all the Wheelers crew, you guys are the best!
