Montréal World’s
Epic, one word that sums up last week’s World Road Championships. Talk to anyone (which was pretty much half of Edmonton’s bike fans) that attended it, and they will agree. Great racing in all the categories and really never a dull or predictable moment. I have never missed a single Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal since it started in 2010, so you can say I am a fan of the city and the event. With worlds being held on the same course this year, I knew it would be an amazing backdrop to showcase the sport I love. We closed up the shop so all the staff could attend, as this is one of those events that does not come along that often in Canada, not since Hamilton in 2003. Besides a large portion of our clients attending, I had a bunch of former staff in tow, which made it extra fun. Plus, they are some of the few people out there that can put up with me for long hours! The city did not disappoint in showcasing what it is about, and it felt like we were in Europe with the amount of cyclists through the city. From roadies to Bixi riders, they were everywhere, love it.
The races themselves were stellar and aggressive. If you had a chance to watch any of them, you know what I mean, proper racing as we say around here. I am no race reporter, so I won’t get into the details, but if you did not watch them, you need to see the highlights. I was privileged and honoured to be the guest of Shimano Canada, and they pulled out the full red carpet treatment for Niki and me. VIP passes for four days, which got us access to the UCI tent, which was based on the finish line with 50 metres to go, so yes, we had good seats! Besides bumping elbows with guys like Hinault, Cookson, GVA, Ballan, among others, we were treated like true VIPs. I did venture out a few times to head up the MT Royal climb to my usual viewing spot, as that’s where the staff were gathered with a backpack full of beer, the way it should be. So many viewing spots, honestly, and they all have great views. I always pick the climb as it allows a quick rip down the mountain to get to the finish line, 7 minutes to be exact from where we sit. The atmosphere on the course was as big as any one-day Classic and Grand Tours, and I have been to them all. So, chapeau Montréal! So many friends, clients, and industry partners around, but sadly, I could not get to talk to them all. I couldn’t walk 50 feet without running into someone, so apologies. These trips do combine work with pleasure, so I had a full dance card of meetings and dinners, which was nice to be able to spend some time chatting about the future of the bike biz with like-minded industry reps and shops. These opportunities to do some facetime always show me what actually is happening in the bike biz, as I say, Instagram vs reality. Let’s just say I again came back from this event with newfound motivation to keep doing what I have done for the last 26 years. Bucking the model of the “traditional” bike shop or whatever that is defined as these days. Head down, staying in my lane, and showing the industry that the brick-and-mortar shop is alive and well.
Again, big thanks to Shimano for making this little shop feel like the big players. The entire Shimano Canada team were rockstars, a great family. That’s it, off onto the next adventure, stay tuned!
