Hugh Trenchard

In the simmering heat of a July weekend in White Rock for the 30th edition of my favorite bicycle race, this year did not mark two years in a row in which I could be part of a 60 km four-up breakaway in the road race. Certainly I was on better form at this time last year after returning from the 6-stage Cascade Classic the weekend before and coming into White Rock with my best form in many years. This year I have felt generally flat nearly all season long, and did not feel I gained much form after the Mt Hood stage race in early June. This despite a couple of minor successes including two mid-week wins this year (Victoria Cycling League races) in which there were few participants, and a couple of half decent Masters race results, but overall nothing of particular noteworthiness.

Still, the final result for me in White Rock was much the same as last year.

The race has for many years been of an omnium format, which means points are accumulated for placing in each individual race, of which there were three: a hill climb, a criterium and a road race – and for which the total combined points determines the winner. One may thus select any combination of races in which to participate. This is in contrast to a stage race in which the winner is determined on the lowest accumulated time, and so by necessity riders must complete each stage in order to race the next one.

I have never raced the hill climb. Being less than two minutes in length and taking place on a Friday, it has usually not been convenient to do, given work commitments etc. However, I have competed in the criterium and road race several times, with varying degrees of success, or lack thereof. Both races are very hard – the criterium has a 300 metre, 4 percent, hill up one side of the 1km course and, at 60km long (60 laps), makes for about 18k of big ring on-the-rivet climbing. The criterium was won for the second year in a row by Andrew Pinfold in 1:10, with the rest of the 45 Pro/cat 1,2 finishers through, mostly as a group, following within seconds of Andrew, and me in 33rd, with 15 or so dropping out and a couple of crashes to boot, which I fortunately missed.

I was happy with my result, given the rough state of my legs for many weeks, and I felt the body was reasonably well rested and ready for that level of intensity. The race did not feel as hard this year, as last year there were a few stronger teams in the race, it seemed, although in reality it likely was not very much slower.

The road race was held the next morning. It consists of a circuit of 11 long laps each about 11k, and 6 short laps of about 4km (or this is the way the race is supposed to be!), a total of about 134 km.
The race proved rather strange.

For my part, certainly last year I was much better recovered after the criterium, but after a long breakaway effort still ended up a short loop (4km) down on Chris Horner, the Astana team member, and me being one of the last finishers. In all my years of doing White Rock, there have never been more than 40 finishers of the 80 to 100 who usually start the race. It is such a hard race, and configured in such a way that unless you make it onto the short loop circuit before the barriers go up, you’re day is over, which discourages many riders from finishing if they find themselves off the back.

As for other finishing riders, there was much confusion. The Costa Rican leader, off on a solo breakaway, was misdirected and began the short loops too soon, while the chasers continued for one additional lap; those farther back, like myself, ended up in some other half-state purgatorial strange loop.

From the start, after three of the fastest first laps I can ever remember on that course, I found myself popped the fourth time up the 16% Magdallen climb, after a big ring sprint up Columbia just prior. But as many dropped out after similar fates, I kept going and found myself in a small group, which whittled to two of us who, seemingly by a miracle, found that we made the small circuit before the barriers went up. Meanwhile, the Costa Rican rider had soloed away from the main bunch, and thereafter occurred the noted confusion.

Being several minutes back of the main chase group, I am still not certain what exactly transpired, but I believe I was thus directed onto the small course one long lap shy of the full 11 we were scheduled for, and being more than half a long loop back (each about 11km), and they being directed for the full last loop, I and a Glotman Simpson rider, Marvin Guzman, ended up on the short circuit roughly in line with the chasers.

To be honest I am not all at all clear what happened, but as we made it onto the short course before the barriers were erected, we were allowed to finish, presumably to receive a pro-rated time based on finishing one short loop down and change. As it stands, the number of finishers was 35, and I and Marvin should have been recorded as about 31st and 32nd, with 3 others whom we were ahead of coming onto the short course being behind us, I believe. Currently, however, among all the confusion, results show us as 19th and 20th. This is wrong, and I am currently endeavoring to correct the results.

Nonetheless, in summary, I am glad for the finishing result, as it is such a hard race to do and to end up shut out by the barriers, although I do hope the results can be corrected to show more accurately where I finished.

Earlier in June the Province completed paving the road between Port Renfrew and Mesachie Lake, near Lake Cowichan. This established a completely paved circle from Victoria to Port Renfrew, to Lake Cowichan, Duncan, and then back to Victoria. Soon after hearing of the pavement completion, I’d resolved to ride the route, romanticising in my mind the concept of being able to ride to Port Renfrew and back to Victoria without retracing my course, experiencing a road not travelled before, and taking in a huge variety of scenery the entire way.

Reports, however, were conflicting about the quality of the pavement, and it was not clear how a road bike would fare on the new connector route. However, I’d received enough information to be sure that I was willing to risk my road bike on the route.

Today turned out to be ideal weather-wise for the journey, which, with a day off work, began about 6:15 this morning. At its peak, the temperature near Lake Cowichan/Duncan surely must have been near 30 degrees.

As it turned out, it was no problem at all for a road bike. In fact the first 11 or so km out of Port Renfrew are highway quality, as are the last 15k or so into Mesachie Lake. There are about 25 km or so of slightly rougher chip seal, but it really isn’t bad – basically like any secondary road anywhere. There are two very short stretches of gravel, maybe 10m long, if that, and only one little spot where there were about three potholes – that’s it! 100% roadbike rideable. The last 10k into Port Renfrew are worse for potholes, but still roadbike rideable, and there is currently much roadwork being done on that stretch of road.

The total distance is, I believe about 250km. I am estimating based on road signs and time, since I don’t have an odometer. Thinking of the route as clockwise out of Victoria, I’ve seen reference to it being 104km to Port Renfrew, then when you are on the bypass road to Lake Cowichan there is a sign that says 56km to Lake Cowichan and 88km to Duncan, both of which seemed pretty accurate based on other sign posts along the way and the amount of time it took. From Duncan there is a sign saying 61km to Victoria – you add it all up and it’s at least 250km – certainly one of my longest rides ever, if not the longest. The only possibly equally long or possibly slightly longer ride was a leg of a journey in France I’d made a few days after competing in the Zofingen Powerman in Switzerland in 2001, or thereabouts.

The Circle Route is stunning, with some fantastic lakes and streams all the way. Standing out in mind are vistas of the ocean out to Port Renfrew; the corkscrew climbs and descent into Port Renfrew, which I last rode during the now defunct Gary Lund Road Race several years ago; the glades along the first 11km of flat road heading out of Port Renfrew; the encroaching jungle-like vegetation along parts of the connector, reminding me of Costa Rica – if only there were the sounds of Howler monkeys; the clearest water in streams crossing the connector or running along side it; the ascending road upward along the connector and the gradual descent into Lake Mesachie.

My splits were roughly (give or take a few minutes) 2.5 hours to Jordan River; 4 hours to Port Renfrew; 6 hours to Lake Cowichan (a short stop there); 7 hours to Duncan, and a short stop there for a more substantial meal. Taking the main highway all the way in from Duncan, and not feeling too bad up the Malahat, I was home in about 9:45 (forgot to stop my watch for an accurate time)

All in all a fantastic ride, and having managed to keep more or less properly hydrated and fed, I didn’t bonk, and at this point in the evening actually feel quite good. A couple of hours after the ride, I made it through a Julias Caesar rehearsal, in which I have a small role, without any problem (albeit with a little assistance from Dr. Pepper).

I highly recommend the ride for anyone with the time and inclination. It is one of my most memorable and will certainly stand out in my mind forever. The key for the distance is to maintain a steady pace without pushing too hard on the hills and building lactic acid, eating and drinking plenty. It is interesting how time compresses when you are out for a long ride, especially if you mentally break your journey into segments, and this is easy on this route with such beautiful and varied scenery along the way. When it was over it truly didn’t feel much longer than some rides I’ve done at half the distance.

With that, a 4 hour ride yesterday (also taken off work) and some more riding yet on Saturday and Sunday, I hope recovery will be complete by Superweek – which begins with races in Delta next weekend.