Many years of dreaming of being here, finally the time had come and the experience was more than I expected. People say that your first World Cup race is supposed to be humbling, well it was that, combined with suffering, and for sure lots of excitement.

The crowds were gathered by the hundreds. Super loud screaming fans were calling your name as you climb some of the most challenging rocky climbs. Extreme DH style descents with lots of photographers and crazy fans waiting for a good show, made this first UCI World Cup a great experience to remember for the rest of my life.

You might wonder how the race unfolded for a rider that started in about 70th position? Well it all started even before the gun went off. During my warm up it was raining, so by the time I hit the line I was rather cold and soaking wet. I was still very exited and at the same time a little intimidated by all the talented riders I was surrounded by.

The call up was an overwhelming part of the race, with hundreds of people cheering for their countryman and race favorites. In this part of Canada most people speak French so most of the Europeans got cheered up pretty good when their name got called up. A few minutes later I heard the name “Manuel Prado Costa Rica Champion Nationale”. There I was lined up next to dozens of Olympians and lots of very talented riders. Keep in mind that to be able to even start one of these races you need 20 UCI points. You can be sure that all the riders at these events are top notch bike racers eager and hungry for a good result. For many that will mean a top 50, for some others a top 100 and for those who have been racing for over a decade a top 20 will be a great result. My goal was to get inside the top 50.

Once the gun went off I rode as hard as I could for about 4 minutes to suddenly come to a complete stop. The start loop was very wide open but it eventually lead to a single-track section where only one rider at a time could go. I had done a decent job at holding my start spot, but going from over 180 bpm to a complete stop was something I’ve only heard about. While the top 10-20 riders are well ahead riding with almost no one in front of them, I was stuck. It must have been at least 2 minutes before we finally got on our bikes and started racing. I’ll tell you that once you are able to start riding, it is on! I mean on and really fast. You have guys fighting to move up so you must go into the red zone to defend your spot, and not get passed by riders that are slower on the descents. That way you don’t loose time on those areas and so on. At one point of the race I was getting a little bit of fatigue and soon enough you ease up your pace for one second and 5-10, even 15 riders will pass you. Along with the riders, goes your chances of a top 50 or so.

As I mentioned in my pre race report, the course was very demanding. To add to that, it had rained for most of the day, and all the roots and rocks were very slippery. Luckily, I had a pair of a new Prototype Specialized tire that has a special soft compound to help get better traction on courses like this. Keep your eyes open for this new race tire to be released late in the fall.

Knowing your lap times is very helpful because you can compare your times. My first lap was about 26 minutes, taking into account the loss time at the bottleneck. Once I was able to pass some of the slower riders I was able to ride 3 more laps at about 24 minutes. Race winner Julien Absalon was doing just under 21 minutes per lap and by the end of the race he would be collecting his 21st World Cup Victory.

On my lap number 4, right after grabbing my fresh water bottle from Kyle Douglas from team 3 Rox, I came to the start of my lap number 5 just to be the very first rider to be pulled due to the 80% time rule. I was a bit frustrated since the riders in front of me were only about 20 meters away, but if I did not get pulled on that lap I was going to on the next one.

The best American finish was Adam Craig in 12th place, 8:20 back from Absalon, while recently crowned USA National Champion Jeremy Horgan Kobelsky finished 26th 12:44 back. 2008 Pan-American Champion Cristobal Silva finished in 64th place, for most of the race I rode with the Chilean but he had a bit more in the closing minutes of the race and was able to move up 2 spots.

Overall I’m happy to have had finished my first World Cup in 66th place. A top 50 would have been better but it being the first one I did, I was happy with my result and effort. After the race I was very exhausted and cold, so I talked to a few people and headed back to the condo for a nice warm shower to clean the mud off my ears and eyes. After that I slept for the rest of the day to rest and get ready for next week’s UCI World Cup race in Bromont.

I hope this will inspire people to try new things and set goals in life in whatever it may be. You will never know what it is like if you don’t even try. Get out of that grey line and experiment with new things in life, remember it all starts with a dream then it is up to you to make it happen.

Thanks for reading.