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Hadley and Dyck Conquer Island Cup #3 ( Brief) The quaint little hamlet known as Cobble Hill is the third stop on the Vancouver Island Cup XC series. This course was split into two climbing sections and two descending sections measuring roughly 6.5km. This race brought out some big Island names like 3 time Single Speed CX Champion Drew Mackenzie, Master National CX champion John Fokkema and even former national triathlete Kelly Guest. Throw into the mix names like Hovey, Skinner and Woodburn and this was a stacked field and no easy laps for anyone. With a mass start and a short steep climb before the first single track it was the key to be out front. Matt Hadley, National Team member and Olympic hopeful, led out Drew Mackenzie and never looked back, increasing his lead each lap and winning by about 1:30, with Carter Hovey getting past Fokkema in the last lap to claim 3 rd . The women’s race saw two National Team racers go head to head. Mical Dyck lined up next to ...

It was an awesome night for a mtn bike ride. My day started with an impromptu "staff" meeting on the deck @ Pro City Cycles . By staff meeting i mean there was sun light on the deck for the first time in 6 months so we all said#5 and had coffee a Jen Maclean cookies in the sun. On with the day, leaving at 445 with daylight and a light strapped to my head as a "just in case" is sooo awesome. Woodie even decided t cmoe out so yo know its close to summer!! Partridge hills was the flavour of the day so its a rip through the Cairn ( i wont talk about the two flats in the cairn......but i just did.) followed by a long stint on the goose to Durrance Lake road, with some pinners off the front already which means its a long night if they are attacking already. The group gets split going up the climb and as we enter Nowaks "herky" trail there may have been a wardrobe change and another mechaincal. This trail is super loamy and tech, but fun all the same. And Onwar...

Well here we go again. After my first full year of racing I was pretty stoked to get going again in 2011. New bike, same old me. I feel quite strong this year, not so much as a racer ( which i do not pretend to be) but as a rider. A lot of riding with Mical over the winter and the cross on the rocks series, and the Thursday Nighter really put the screws into my legs. With Mical away i sleep even less then normal....and those who know me know that's not a lot. so with a whopping 24 hrs of sleep for the week i head out feeling pretty alright. Palmer and I hammered pretty good the day previous but whatever. Like I said i am not a racer so i cant turn my fun button off. Got there early as I had some schwag for Pro City so I hob nobbed a little bit before getting changed. With still a couple hours to go I rode around for a while to keep warm. Even seeing Russell in "i need a mechanic mode"! Fix him up and head down executive trail and over to the Red Barn for a pre race b...

Of course this Thursday brings a beautiful sunny day to the Island. That’s great, no rain. Well around 430 a wall of water approaches the shop with fury. So much for a clear starry night ride. Put the shell on and run a fender and I’ll be fine. Big group out this evening so with the weather as dodgy as it is we head straight Thetis Lake. I am so stoked that the first hour of the ride is now light enough to run no lights. And soon it will be “no lights” time. Tor ends up with a flat right after Highrock Park due to cement stairs and 20psi. With some help from Sudz he is up and rolling. We cruise into Thetis and around the McKenzie Creek network running through some uber deep water, even had the pleasure of having to dead stop after the rock garden, only to try and power through a deluge at the bottom. Needless to say but i ended up with a soaker. Thank god for wool socks.With all the snow there were a lot of low branches which i was lucky enough to snag my light on, 3 frig...