Trail Bicycles Junior Cycling Team: Spring Series Weekend 4

This past weekend Trail Bikes Eatmore Sprouts Cycling Team competed in the 4^th weekend of the Escape Velocity Spring Series held annually in Langley. Saturday’s road race featured the challenging 10km Atomic road race course which combined S-bend descents, narrow climbs, and careful positioning to avoid the surges that took its toll on the riders. In the 110km “B” race Nigel Ellsay pulled out after knee pains forced him to quit while Doug Merrick was caught out after the numerous surges and ended the race early to focus on Sundays 272^nd road race.

In Sundays 272^nd road race course the riders raced on the hilly 7km loop around Aldergrove Lake Regional Park featured potholed roads, excellent cornering skills, rough roads, and a winding climb coming into the finish to determine the winner.

In the U17 race brothers James and Mark Grant attacked early on and took 1^st and 3^rd after working hard to fend off the large chasing group.

In the C race team riders Steve and Andrew Grant road an excellent race for Andrew Grant to take a top ten finish while Steve was dropped earlier on after the tough course took its toll.

In the B race team riders Doug and Nigel survived the numerous pinch flats (courtesy of the potholes) and surges that dropped plenty of riders. Doug pulled out being dropped 60km in the race after realizing he just “Didn’t have it,” while Nigel struggled with some early knee pain to take the finishing sprint after carefully positioning himself as the group exploded in the lead up to the finish. Nigel’s’ early season has seen him, of the five races; he has finished on the podium four times, of which, twice are for taking the win!