Learn to Race Clinic

Road racing is hard; there is no doubt about it. The outcome is not just a measure of who is strongest (though it plays a huge factor) but a mixture of tactics, strategy, team work, preparation and pack handling skills. For a newcomer to the racing scene this can be overwhelming, and initiation into the sport can be intimidating. The Learn to Race clinic, held on Saturday March 1st, one day prior to the 1st event on the BC road racing calender was designed to transition recreational riders into racing.

The clinic was held at the Fort Wine Co., which is located right on the 1st race of the Spring Series. The morning consisted of the Giant/ Team Whistler women presenting on racing basics - How to register, preparation, nutrition and hydration, equipment and apparel, racing, and tactics. Then we moved outside and hit the race course, working on double pace lines, echelons and ended the day with a mock 1 lap race!

The participants seemed to go away happy with the clinic and Jennelle, the clinic organizer recieved an email after the race on Sunday which we thought was postworthy:

"I wanted to say thank you to you and the rest of the girls for your help on Saturday. We enjoyed the race on Sunday and felt very well prepared for what could be a scary situation. In conversation we all agreed that you helped us to take the first step into racing, something I have been wanting to do and at the same time avoiding for a few years now... You all took a chunk of your Saturday to help us and thats special in my books"!
Thanks,
Gordon Reddy

A big thanks to Jennelle for all her hard work organizing this clinic, and to the Fort Wine Co. (www.thefortwineco.com) for hosting. Jenelle and I enjoyed an amazing bottle of blueberry wine tonight after our first race and man was it good!!