MARCH 5
Got up today at 8:00 left after a big breakfast we headed out at ten for the coldest morning yet a very chilly 12 degrees cold enough for long jerseys and leg warmers. We set off for a loop around lake casitas and back home which is a fairly hilly 110km ride which took about 4.5hrs. It was a beautiful loop even though the first half was covered by clouds, the sun came out about half way through which made an already awesome ride even more spectacular. I have learned from the week ive been here is De Vos loves his strava KOM s and has made one up the big hill that leads to our house ( he currently is first place in that KOM ) it was a head win all day today but that comes with the training. All week we have been seeing lots of lemon and orange trees and avocado trees and have brought back some ground fruit (fallen fruit) which has been remarkable. Tomorrow we leave at ten for LA and ride palos verde climb for a little spin before we sightsee until our track time at 7pm. Should be fun! Lots of sun. – Aidan Caves
Today was a great and relaxing day. We rode out to Santa Barbara along the beach with the waves lapping onto the shore and the wind pushing us onward. We continued alongside the highway and could feel the rush of cars passing. As we reached our predetermined destination we stopped for coffee and sandwiches. After the brief rest we continued on our way home with another lucky tailwind along the highway and the beach. As the day drew to a close dinner was served and the kitchen was cleaned to Jeff’s high specifications. Looking forward to another good day tomorrow. – Adam Reddy
MARCH 6
The day started off with the team driving off to L.A for a morning road ride and a evening track session in the L.A velodrome. When we left Ventura the weather was a little cold and rainy but as we drove into L.A the skies cleared and the tempurature warmed up. Our morning road ride was pretty sweet just a jersey and shorts was all you needed as usual. We headed south from L.A towards Long Beach where we saw some great views of the ocean and some very fancy homes. On the way back we hit a pretty steep and long climb that overlooks all of L.A and the ocean. Then we headed down a wicked descent and back to the van to get changed and get some food. (which was Chipoltle if you were wondering)
The evening track session was awesome. The track was so smooth and the facility was world class. We started of with a warm-up for about twenty minunites then we did some points race simulation drills and some team pursiut efforts then a cool down. The track bikes they had at the track were not as quick as my Cunningham, but they got the job done.
And that takes us to the end of another great day riding in California thanks to all the supporters of the high performance program in BC, and a special thanks to Bart Engal for all you help with this camp, and Team H&R BLOCK for all your support.
Today we decided to change things up a bit, we hit the 5 lane freeway and headed south to LA. once we arrived about an hour later we went for a short morning ride around the beautiful and quiet Palos Verdes. The ride was a nice change of scenery and it was great to ride some super smooth roads and looks at some amazingly luxurious houses for a couple of hours. After the ride we satisfied our hunger with a Cycling BC road trip must…a trip to “Chipotle” for some massive burritos with all the fixings, then it was time to hit the Boards. Not one of LA’s many board walks but those of the famous “Home Depot Centre Velodrome”. Although I was a little out of my element I had a blast riding around in speedy circles, plus the grin on coach Jeff’s face being able to ride the track again made braving the brakeless bikes all the more worth while. Thanks again to all those who made this camp possible.-Kyle Buckosky
MARCH 7
Today was a fairly simple day. We rode out from the house and into Santa Paula. From there we went further south and climbed a really steep, but relatively short hill that got up 17% grade. It was tough to keep the legs going due to the low cadence even on high gears. Once we reached the top there was a short descent and a little more riding until we got to a nice coffee stop. We stayed for a little while and then set off for home again at a fairly quick pace. As we reached the more familiar roads we had a little fun of attacking each other up short hills on the road. However when we got to the bottom of the hill where the house is we had all regrouped and ascended together. We ate an excellent dinner, courtesy of Kyle and myself and put our legs up, preparing for a big day tomorrow. -Adam Reddy
Today we did 3 hours with a coffee stop mid ride, I think I speak for the whole team when I say the first hour or two we were still getting over are sore legs after the LA track yesterday. But after a stop and a good effort up balcom pass (a climb of 19%) are legs started to come around. On the way back we took some good pulls heading into town, and finished it off with a friendly game of “last man standing” where Kyle Buck took the winning prize and Jeff Ain in a close second. The camp overall is going really well, The training is awesome and off the bike I’m learning lots about living with other cyclist for extended periods of time. All which will help me better my cycling skills to come. I’d like to thanks Haywood and all of are sponsors for making this camp possible! -Joel Taylor
