Race update: The day started off with heavy rains and cool temperatures.

Julia was the 1st to go from team sask and with the roads being wet and slick, we were all a little worried. Luckily, as the starter called our names to the line, the skies cleared and warmer air rolled in. I was not able to see Julia race but I do know that she was in the main group when a bad crash at the feed Zone caused her to go down hard. Being the athlete she is however, she managed to get back up and still manage to get back into the group.

I was also in for some bad luck this race. The 1st lap was crazy fast at the start with guys yo-yoing off the back and crashes happening left, right and center. I was lucky enough to avoid most of them except for the last crash of the day where there is just nothing you can do but slam on the breaks and hope to come out okay. One of the Quebec riders hit a pothole and flipped over the bars causing about 20 of us to go down. Thankfully I was able to get up with no bad injuries other then a twisted ankle. So, I was back in the bunch. For the next 2 laps the group slowly lost riders on the long climb at the start of each lap. On the final lap, I managed to stay at the front and not do anything to stupid that would cause myself to get dropped. With 1 a lap to go, it was down to 30 riders. A lot smaller from the original starting number. I felt really confident and calm at this point in the race and was hoping for a top 10. That's when my luck changed. A flat tire caused me to have to chase back through the caravan field and get back on to the group. I managed to do this only to have my tire flat yet again as soon as I tagged back on. I am sure we all know that once you have a field traveling at speeds over 50km/h, it is hard for any Joe to catch back on. I chased for the remainder of the race and was not able to catch on.

It was very disappointing, but I learned a lot about myself and what I was capable of doing. It gave me confidence and assured me that I can compete at this level. Everyone was very supportive and assured Julia and I that crashing and flat's are just part of the sport and we all have our good and bad days.

I head back to Quebec in 2 weeks for the Tour de L'Abitibi and feel quite excited to race in a large field again. Hopefully my luck will change and flat tires are a thing of the past.

Thanks for tuning in and remember to keep the rubber side down,

Brad Clifford