Good Friday Course

[Rob A]

Any one ridding the course this week?
The Big Show

[OhSoFast]

Hey Team,

Went for a spinorama around the GF course today and the only striking part about it for me was some of the rough gravel sections on the 6th concession. Some big rough patches of asphalt that take up to half the lane in a few sections, definitely something to watch out for!

For those of you who are not familiar with the course it is a big square with one corner an inny instead of an outy(check out the map). Everyone is talking about the 5 drumlins on the course which I'll admit are going to sting. The first one hits immediately after you turn left(west) onto the 6th concession. Can't take much speed into it because of the corner, this is a power climb to hammer up aggressively out of the saddle. Over that than down and very slight uphill all the way up to the right handed onto Westover road. Almost immediately you hit the big one with a turn halfway up the climb. Doesn't actually feel that bad because the road surface is very smooth and there is a sharp fast downhill immediately afterwards. This takes you to a slight uphill into the right hand(east) turn onto Safari Road where you immediately hit the third drumlin. Another power climb to power over but here there will likely be a tailwind. Up to this point it is hard to get a rhythm because of the very undulating terrain. Any successful breakaway will feature very closely matched riders who can ride the varying terrain together. Here are the last two drumlins that are fast and are easy to carry a lot of speed into. Road is great, very smooth and even. Now the course is as flat as the desk I'm sitting at. Long straightaway (~3.5 km) on Safari Road going into a long straightaway (~5 km) on Brock road. Hang a right onto 5th concession and whip out the guns because you got about 350m to "show yo' stuff" with a drag strip finale.

Summary: challenging course with long straightaways in the last 8 km for a leadout train to get organized or shut down a breakaway. Good marshes and a bridge on Westover road to send a chirpy fellow racer into if necessary. Headwinds could make the first climb and following false flat the most difficult component of the course.

Good luck everyone!!! One note check the website before you leave in case it is canceled due to bad weather, could be a doozy!!