On this day that a Canadian has captured the Maglia Rosa of the Giro D'Italia, I post my little epic ride from this past April. Much was written about my guest and the event, Roger Hammond and the Paris 2 Ancaster Cycling Classic.
The articles below gives a general overview.
For over a century the roads of northern Europe have been home to the toughest bicycle races in the world. The most famous of these, Paris to Roubaix, takes place each spring over brutal cobblestone roads that have been preserved in their historic condition for over 100 years. Inspired by this classic race, the Paris to Ancaster has taken place for the past eighteen years over the roughest farm lanes, trails and gravel roads we can find. Combined with unpredictable spring weather and the largest field of riders assembled in Canada, it has become a classic race experience for everyone from average riders to Canadian Olympians. Join us on April 15, 2012 to become part of the history of this unique race.  |
| Roger & Me |
News
Roger Hammond races Paris to Ancaster
By Kirsten Frattini - Published March 15, 2012
Great Britain’s Roger Hammond will participate in the upcoming Classics-style Paris to Ancaster held on Sunday, April 15 in Ontario.
The high profile road racer will lead a field that also includes Canadians Mike Garrigan, a former national cyclo-cross champion who won Paris to Ancaster last year, Aaron Schooler and former Olympians Sue Palmer-Komar and Leigh Hobson.
Recently retired from the professional ranks, Hammond has a world-class palmares that includes a junior world championships title, multiple British national road and cyclo-cross championship wins and podium finishes at Paris-Roubaix, Gent-Wevelgem, Tour of Britain, Tour of Qatar and Tour of Denmark. He competed for teams Discovery Channel, T-Mobile, Team High Road, Cervelo TestTeam and Garmin-Cervelo.
Hammond first came to Canada in 1990 as a junior rider to compete in the former Under19 Fonthill Lumbar Niagara Grand Prix. He won the three-day race that was organized by Tim Farrar, the current Co-Chair of Paris to Ancaster, and funded by the owner of Fonthill Lumbar, Paul Nemy.
“Given that Roger is now retired, Tim Farrar thought it would be a good idea to bookend Roger’s professional career with races in Canada,” said the event’s media consultant, Mike O’Drowsky. “Tim contacted Michael Barry, a local Toronto rider who rides for Sky Procycling, and asked if he could contact Roger to see if he would be interested in coming to Paris to Ancaster. Michael did, Roger was, and a deal was struck. Roger will be staying with Paul Nemy, who will also be riding Paris to Ancaster this year.
Upon Roger's arrival, we headed
to Cafe Domestique in Dundas, Ontario for a meet and greet. This place is run by Kyrs Hines and highly recommend for a great cup of coffee, hospitality, and a mecca of cycling memorbilia. It was a proud moment for me when twenty years later, Roger sign a Niagara Grand Prix jersey and Krys hung it with his world class collection. Later that day,
I was invited to do a partial course
recon with some other celebs and sponsors.
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| The race is over pavement, gravel side roads, rail trails, farm fields, bush paths, forest cuts and some rather memorable up and down chutes. |
We didn't have any surmountable rain in Southern Ontario for six weeks till two hours before the first wave was sent off. Turned my race into my little epic.
I had one HELL of a ride. I had never ridin it before, but was in mean, get her done, keep my head down and ride mode. 60km. Had a great ride and proud to get the SCCC colours dirty!
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| Cook a former World Champion a few meals, he then washes your bike for you.
April 15, 2012 (Ancaster, ON) – Sunday, about 2,000 cyclists braved rainy conditions to compete in the 19th annual Paris to Ancaster Bicycle Race (P2A). Toronto-based cyclist Mike Garrigan was the top male cyclist for the 60km race for the third consecutive year with a time of one hour, 45 minutes and 23 seconds. Mandy Dreyer of Dundas, Ontario, was the top female in the 60km race with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 14 seconds.
“We had a great day today,” says John Thorpe, Co-Chair, P2A. “P2A has gained a reputation as being a challenging course to ride, and today’s rainy weather helped to make the course especially tough. Congratulations on behalf of the organizers to everyone who came out to test their mettle in one of Ontario’s toughest races.”
OVERALL
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