Lemaire starts the cyclo-cross season BIG TIME and steps on the ..... of the podium!

Cyclocross season started last week and a podium has already been achieved.
I race as Master but start in the same group as the Elites. We race typically for 1 hour and the first across the line after the hour is the winner.
The race this week was in Beauport in a campground just outside of Quebec. The conditions were good as it had rained the night before just enough to make the course damp but not muddy.
As cyclocross races go, this one was extremely fast; there was only one real dismount section and the other they had determined to be dismount where actually pretty easy to ride.
I got off to a good start and hung out in around 4th spot for the first 3 laps. The leaders were +/- 15 seconds ahead. On the fourth lap I and the 3rd placed guys start to get separated from the leaders, so mid way I attacked. I dropped the guys I was with and was on my own to chase down the leaders who by this time was +/- 30 second up. Though I was riding pretty steady and at a fast pace, I could make any ground on the leader nor were they pulling away. On the 9th of the 11 laps we ended up completing, I decided to cool down and just keep my position. The result is that I finished +/- 1:30 behind the winner and +/- 1:00 from second. I won the Master group and finished 3 overall amongst the Elites.
My conclusion is that I had the strength to be competitive with the leaders but I made an error by staying with the 3rd place guy too long hoping he would pull us back to the front. The next time I’ll place more confidence in my riding and be more aggressive to stay with the leader during the first few laps. We live and we learn.

The next race is this weekend in Magog, QC where I will be wearing the leader jersey for the Quebec Cup. It’s a great venue and a fun course for anyone who would like to try it. The course is fast but stay in touch with cyclocross ethics but mixing a good combination of fast sections and dismounts to break up the rhythm. It is also very spectator friendly.

Here’s an idea of the schedule I’ll be following this year:

September 13 Quebec Quebec Cup #1
September 21 Magog Quebec Cup #2
September 27 Williston, VT VERGE #1
September 28 Williston, VT VERGE #2
or
September 28 Chateauquay Quebec Cup #3
October 5 Sherbooke Quebec Cup #4
October 11 Gloucester, MA VERGE #3
October 12 Gloucester, MA VERGE #4
October 18 Laurier Station Qubec Championships
October 19 Laurier Station Qubec Cup #5
October 26 Cowansville Quebec Cup 36 (Finals)
November 1 Northampton, MA VERGE #5
November 2 Northampton, MA VERGE #6


Later
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