Series 2 / Stage 5 - July 23, 2014: Elbow Falls 28km ITT & TT

This Wednesday marks the fifth and final stage of Series #2, so naturally we want to make it a bit more special…

I know many of you have been itching to bust out those superhero-esque skin suits and stomp around on TT bikes like cyclists possessed…well speed freaks, the wait is over! Tomorrow we’re heading to Elbow Falls to tackle a rolling 28km ITT along the stunning Highway 66.

The Route:

Starting just west of Paddy’s Flats campground, you’ll head West along route 66 as it snakes its way up and down, side to side, towards Elbow Falls. The first 7km are somewhat flat with some minor rollers, allowing you to power along and settle into your rhythm…but don’t get too comfortable, because at this point the fun begins! KMs 7-10 go from up to way up as you hammer up +200m of 8-10% grade. By this point your legs will be screaming…luckily you’ve got a nice little 4km recovery descent before the turnaround.

Now all you gotta do is retrace your path up the backside of that beastly climb you thought you vanquished (tabernac!), and hammer your way to the finish. The final 10km  are super fast and ridiculously fun. Since pretty much all of you will be tracking this ride on bike computers, there will be a small prize for the highest speed achieved*

*DO NOT ATTEMPT THE SPEED RECORD BEFORE THE TURNAROUND…ambulance rides are no fun, and certainly not the fastest way to finish the TT. Be safe.

For those of you who are not familiar with the route, check out the map below…

Click for map

The Race Format:

Given that not everyone has a TT rig in their bike quiver, you will have the choice to enter one of two separate races: the ITT  (Aero bikes only) or the Team TT (road bikes).

The TTT will be raced Merckx-Style in teams of 2-3 with the goal of levelling the playing field a little with riders on TT bikes. Again the races are totally separate, but we want to keep finish times relatively close. 

Check-in & Race Start:

Rider check-in will be from 6-6:40pm at the race start. Keep in mind that the start line is a good 10-15min drive from Bragg Creek, so factor that time in. 

We’ll be starting riders on 1min intervals, with the first rider(s) going off at 6:45pm. 

Parking:

There is lots of parking available at the Paddy Flats campground and at the Station Flats parking lots just down the road.

Volunteers:

As always volunteers are hugely appreciated! We’ll need about 1-2more for this race. 

Click here if you or a friend can help out.