Exergy Tour

Tomorrow evening, May 24, the inaugural Exergy Tour kicks off in Boise, ID. With $100,000 in prize money available, and last-chance Olympic points up for grabs, this promises to be the most exciting women's stage race of the season. Competing against top teams from Europe, Australia, and the rest of the North America, myself and the rest of the Canadian National Team will be looking to make an impression and score some solid results.

Want to stay up to date with live video and GPS tracking for all five stages? Download the TourTracker app here!

From Stuckylife

Race Report: Barrio Logan GP and Dana Point GP

Road trip! In the van en route to San Diego.

Last week, myself and teammates Laura Brown and Steph Roorda (along with coach Tanya and super-manager John) drove down to San Diego and Dana Point for a weekend of fun crit racing. Our goal for the weekend was simple: make the racing hard! We had just finished a training camp Palo Alto, and two days of short, high-intensity riding would be just the thing to further smash our already-tired legs. 

Saturday was the Barrio Logan Grand Prix, a twisty, 8-corner crit held near downtown San Diego. It was the perfect course for a breakaway, and after a few unsuccessful attacks, I found myself in a group of four off the front. Our little group worked well together and with Steph and Laura policing the front end of the main pack and shutting down any possible chasers, we were able to lap the field with a few minutes remaining in the race. My teammates quickly brought me back to the front of the group, and on the last lap, I followed Steph's wheel through the turns, coming out of the last corner in good shape, and sprinted to the win. 

Barrio Logan Grand Prix. Photo by Scott Burnham.

Sunday morning, and the next day's race, came way too early, considering how my legs were feeling from the previous day's effort! 45+ women lined up for the Dana Point Grand Prix, including several big teams that dwarfed our little roster of 3 exhausted track riders. Nevertheless, we were active from the first minute, with Steph and Laura winning almost every prime. I had a rough start, hiding in the pack until I found my legs, but towards the latter half of the race was able to cover attacks and sprint for a beer prime (this is the best kind of prime!). With 5 minutes remaining, it became obvious the race would end in a sprint, so I focused on conserving energy and staying safe on my teammates' wheels at the front of the group. On the last lap, I hopped onto the back of the SC Velo/Empower Coaching leadout train, and managed to elbow my way out in the final straight to take the win. 

An all-star team.

Huge thanks to Tanya and Jonny for coaching, driving, pumping tires, pinning numbers, and being all-around rockstars! 

PS: Steph, Laura, Jasmin, and myself will be joining the Canadian National Road Team for the Exergy Tour next week!

Chrome Fortnight - Product Review

My new Chrome Fortnight

A few weeks ago, the fine folks at San Francisco-based Chrome Bags sent me one of their new Fortnight backpacks. This was super exciting for me as I have been a dedicated customer of theirs for years, hauling my race gear around the world in my trusty, beat up messenger bag. 

The Fortnight is a new model for Chrome, designed and inspired by skateboard legend John Cardiel, and is the perfect bag for someone constantly on the go. It fits under an airplane seat, has an external pocket for passport and boarding passes, carries a laptop, a pair of cycling shoes, and several days' worth of clothing and race food with room to spare, and here's the kicker - it's comfortable to ride with even when packed to full capacity. Plus, it's made with Chrome's trademark cordura outer, and military-grade tarpaulin inner, so you know it's tough. 

After trucking around SoCal last weekend for a few crits without even coming close to filling the 40L capacity of the Fortnight, I am pretty excited to take it on the road with me for the upcoming Exergy Tour. Airport time + 5 days of bike racing? Sounds like a breeze with this bag.