A World Cup level track was prepared for racers to challenge themselves on for round two of the Tuf Rack Ontario Cup Downhill series which took place at Sir Sam’s Ski and Bike in beautiful Haliburton, Ontario. Summer may not “officially” be here yet but it certainly felt like it under the blazing 30° sun. Blue skies and deer flies set the stage for what may go down at the most epic race ever held in Ontario.
The course at Sir Sam’s continues the theme of top level, high quality courses being built by Tuf Rack and their master trail builder, Shane Joachim. The course was feature-rich with built-up berms that linked the trail together seamlessly. There were no weak spots on this track. Out of the gate and through the tape, riders needed to be on their game if they wanted to prevail here. Only Senior Elite race winner, Rob Fraser (Lapierre/POC), was able to crack the sub one minute barrier. Even despite a wrist injury sustained earlier in the day, Fraser was able to lay down a record time of 59.35.
Rob Fraser (Lapierre/POC) shredding the loam at Sir Sam’s
Tom Kakamousias (Silent Norco Racing) rode strong all weekend and had the ride of his life with an impressive third place finish behind Rocky Mountain Bicycles/Procycle rider Matt Nielsen. Nielsen was one of the only Senior Elite riders to take the far outside line in the rock garden. That line set riders up well for the next section but did it cost Matt the win? Sidney Slotegraaf (Lapierre POC / Tuf Rack Racing) laid it over in an unexpected spot on the course killing any hope of making it onto the podium. Sid is an amazing rider who seemed to have the track dialed and while it’s part of racing, it was a shame to see him go down.
Jenn LeBlanc (Team BTG – Barrie Cycling Club) took top honors in the All Female category with a time of 1:15.38. Tifenn Vialatte (Impala Bicycles) has been very consistent and rode to a second place finish one second behind LeBlanc. Kamikaze Spider Rider, Jennifer Valentine rounded off the women’s podium in third place. Catherine Harnden (Kamikaze Spider Riders) had a nasty crash during practice and was not able to race.
Jenn LeBlanc (Team BTG – Barrie Cycling Club) on hew way to winning the All Female race at Sir Sam’s
Mike Reid won the fiercely competitive Senior Sport (19-29) class with a narrow 0.700 margin over Eastside Cycle’s Nick Outram. Adam Robins (AdrenalineRacer / ToWheels) continues to dominate the Minime category, posting a time that would have placed him second in the Cadet category and fifth in Senior Sport (19-29). Jonathan Palframan (Impala Bicycles) won the Masters (30-39) race adding to what is already an epic battle. Rob Carmichael (Silent Norco Racing) edged out Mack Thomson by 0.281 for the top spot on the box in Senior Expert (19-29) Both race winner Greg Karges (AdrenalineRacer / ToWheels) and second place finisher John Danyluk (Tuf Rack Racing) learned and excelled on the track quickly despite having missed Saturday’s practice. Their teammates brought them up to speed within a few runs, leading the way down the track to show them the laser lines. Even after a very laborious and exhausting few weeks building the track, Shane Joachim (Silent Norco Racing) rounded off the podium in third.
The tracks in Ontario are incredibly short but racers have learned to appreciate this as part of the challenge. To win a race here, one must be focused, make no mistakes and carry speed through every section – dab and you’re done. The honing of these skills combined with the new level of tracks being built here are what will ensure future champions are developed in the province.
Big thanks to Tuf Rack, Shane and the fine folks at Sir Sam’s for the great weekend of racing. Thanks also to Cous, Al and Swatty for helping everything run smoothly. Also like to say thanks to the marshals who are doing an amazing job keeping the flow on the course and most importantly, everyone safe. Here are a few shots from the great weekend of racing at Sir Sam’s.
Riders meeting at Sir Sam’s
Colin MacIntosh (Eastside Cycle Racing) – eyes on the prize.
Sidney Slotegraaf (Lapierre POC / Tuf Rack Racing) scrubbing the hip and setting her down before the big flat turn
Never lacking style, Rob Carmichael (Silent Norco Racing), over the long table.
Tom Kakamousias (Silent Norco Racing) on his way to a third place finish in Senior Elite Men
All aboard the Eastside train for a scenic look at Eagle lake
Chris Siren (Tuf Rack Racing) ripping through the steep loamy section. One of the favourite among racers.
Oskar Andersen (Cycle Solutions) during a little after practice session
Catherine Harnden (Kamikaze Spider Riders) moments before impact. We’re all very happy that she’s ok and wish her a speedy recovery.
Rob Carmichael (Silent Norco Racing) making quick work of the rock garden on his way to a first place finish in Senior Expert (19-29)
Rocky Mountain Bicycles/Procycle rider Matt Nielsen - ’round the outside.
Senior Elite (19+)
1 Rob Fraser (Lapierre POC) 59.354
2 Matthew Nielsen (Rocky Mountain Bicycles/Procycle) 1:00.802
3 Tom Kakamousias (Silent Norco Racing) 1:01.284
All Female
1 Jenn LeBlanc (Team BTG : Barrie Cycling Club) 1:15.382
2 Tifenn Vialatte (Impala Bicycles) 1:16.671
3 Jennifer Valentine (Kamikaze Spider Riders) 1:18.646
Complete results can be found here: http://www.ontariocycling.org/web_pages/results/20120617-195803-32-All-2012.htm
About the Author
Such a great weekend of riding bikes. Everyone seems to be on their game so far. I had a killer run with no real dabs and still placed 9th in the master 30 cat. Gonna be a killer season. Great shots and write up as usual Marc. Keep up the great work and see you at the next one.
The photos are as amazing as the riders were. A big “Thank You” to the folks from TufRack for bringing another awesome event to Sir Sam’s Ski & Bike. We appreciate all the support that the downhill hill riders bring to the Bike Park. We hope to see many of you again as the summer continues. We are looking forward to the return of TufRack Fall Classic in September.
Cheers,
Was an amazing location and Race. Sir Sam’s were tremendous hosts and we all felt welcomed. Track was the best yet and worth the drive to ride again or for the first time if you missed this great event.
Such an awsome event. I’ve made it out to just about every Ocup DH in the passed 5 years and this was definitaly the most fun course so far. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series goes. Thanks for the amazing photos as well Marc.
Thanks! I’ll have the rest of the images up shortly. Just have to get caught on my work here.
I had an amazing weekend up at Sir Sams. I love the camping and atmosphere when everyone is hanging out together after slaying the awesome track. One thing that really stood out is how accommodating the Sir Sams staff were. They put on great meals at a reasonable price and were very friendly. Hope to see us racing again there next year. Cheers and thanks to everyone that helped make this a memorable weekend.
Huge thanks to everyone who helped build the course and make the weekend a go.
That was probably the most fun weekend I’ve had on a bike. Can’t wait for blue!