Harris Roubaix

I completed the "Hell of Pitt Meadows" race the past weekend. That race being of course the Harris Roubaix. I read on the course profile that there was only about 2kms of gravel path per lap, for a 100km race. I didn't think that was too bad, but when I rode the sections on gravel and realized that one lap was only 5km long(meaning 35-40km of rough riding), it would make for a long day.

The Roubaix is the first race of the BC Cup series, meaning, that all of the big Pro teams would be coming out with guns a' blazing. Symmetrics especially. I noticed the pace was defiantly a lot faster than the EV Spring races I've done before.

So, the gravel section. Picture a ATV trail about 4 feet wide all gravel, some 2 inches deep, in a pack of 60-80 guys, with 4 foot drops on either side. Once you've made it through the barriers(about 4 feet wide) after a 90degree turn on gravel(where some guys went to the hospital for hitting the barries at 50km/hr) the only thing you can do is put it in the 53/14 and push as hard as you can. Holding a line is hard as hell because your usually washing around on the gravel, and a few times there were guys who just washed out taking 3-4 guys into the ditch directly in front of me. My heart rate monitor said my max was 94%, I think it was in one of those instances.

Through the gravel, I just bit my lip and pedaled as hard as I could. The whole time dealing with little bits of rocks and grime grinding in my mouth and eyes, and a few times, golf ball size rocks hit my shins and face. I can remember after riding into a pot hole dead on, that if the ol' Opus held up to that walloping, it can probably hold up to anything.

The race went well for me. I'm like a fish out of water in a road race, but I managed to stay toward the front the whole race, never leaving the chase group. Symmetrics has 3 guys in a break so chasing after them was like pulling teeth. The Red Truck/Trek team was giving 'er shit toward the end so I worked with them to try to bring it back, but it was too little, too late, and I rolled in with the chase group at the end. Probably a top 20ish. Good in my mind considering I do about 3 road races a year.

I'm hoping a few pictures arise somewhere as there was about 15 photographers around the loop. One, who was standing around the entrance to the gravel section I almost took out, when I slid into him as the rocks gave way. Yeesh.