What do you do?
I race professional cyclocross for Synergy Racing presented by SRI Importing — it’s a personal backer helping me out with getting to Europe. So I race for Synergy Racing a racing team based out of Calgary. I’m 25 years old and in my fifth year of racing and I’m about to embark on a journey that will take me around the world — from Calgary to the States to Belgium to France the Netherlands and finally the Czech Republic.
What is cyclocross?
It’s a form of bicycle racing held in the autumn and winter months that takes place on a variety of landscapes including pavement trails and mud. Courses are roughly three kilometres in length and include obstacles that require the rider to navigate terrain both on and off their bikes — up staircases over barriers. It’s a timed event anywhere from 30 minutes at the entry level to an hour long at the elite level.
Three kilometres?
Basically laps of that course. Elites will do anywhere from say seven to 10 laps of a course in a given hour.
I imagine some of those obstacles you go pretty slow over.
Yeah for example if you’re hopping or running barriers you’ll have two barriers in front of you on a closed course of about eight feet in width. So some pros can actually hop on their bikes over double barriers that are say about a foot-and-a-half high. Others dismount run continuously with their bike over these barriers. You get all kinds of barriers things that either force you to dismount or ride very technically.
How long have you been doing cross?
This is my fifth year. Technically I’m a professional crosser according to my race licence. I’m not paid. I’m kind of a working-man’s pro right now. It’s basically climbing that ever-lasting ladder to get to that point where I could make a living at it. That is my ultimate dream.
You’re a bike courier so I imagine that’s sort of like training while you work?
I would say in the first couple of years yes. But the higher I climb the more I find it conflicts with training. For instance today I rode probably three or four hours on the bike three or four hours running trips in and out of elevators but tonight I still have to go out and do a two-hour training session. So I’m burning the wick at both ends basically.
So you’re looking to take this to a higher level.
Yeah so this season I’m kind of racing a mix of local events here in Alberta along with a few trips to the States — Vegas Colorado Iowa to name a few. Pro races are taking place every weekend in North America right now. It’s actually the fastest growing discipline in all of cycling currently. It’s kind of difficult to come up with the funds to travel across the country week in and week out for a working pro like me. That’s part of why I wanted to go back to Belgium this year because you have such an elite level of racing in such a condensed region.
Is that where a championship occurs?
That is what I refer to as the heartland of cross. Most Europeans were practically born on a bike. Countries likes France Belgium and the Netherlands take cyclocross pretty seriously. Thousands of fans amass for the races to cheer on their favourite riders. Millions tune in to watch broadcasts online. Think about a Belgian citizen who grew up most of their life never skating on ice or playing sticks on the block with friends and then later being introduced to hockey dedicating years to it and then finally hopping the pond to Canada to play in the NHL. The first time I went over I got my ass handed to me. It was super humbling but the Belgians know how to bring out the best in you. Imagine a thousand cheering heckling drunken fans slurring your name in admiration for you and your will to ride their national sport however messily at times. I was absolutely stunned by the overwhelming support. By the end of three weeks racing over there every fan knew my name. They would yell “McConnell!” or “Beard!” or “Moustache!” because I have this curly moustache and it became sort of synonymous with the fans.
So it’s huge over there?
Oh yeah they love it. There are hero cards — riders will create little publicity cards to give out to fans as souvenirs which is also what spurred this T-shirt idea this year if you don’t mind a minor plug here.
No so what’s with the T-shirt?
Well Hot Sauce is my race nickname. It stemmed from years ago I honestly couldn’t tell you how it started. I basically started a fundraiser for my U.S.-to-Europe campaign this year to combat the costs of travel by selling these cool Hot Sauce T-shirts [pictured] for $20 at local events in hopes of raising awareness for my European campaign but also encouraging youth that it’s not as intimidating as people make it out to be racing over in Europe. I wanted to encourage anyone that wanted to give cyclocross a try — I’ll be hosting a free “learn to cross” clinic this September. I made a Facebook page so you can check out Hot Sauce Cycling for details on the clinic and if you’re interested in buying a T-shirt all the info’s there as well.
Is that your main means of fundraising?
I’m pretty open. Currently we’re in collaboration with a few sponsors that have stepped up and it’s all just come together so nicely. The race team I’m with Synergy they’ve supported me for years and I’m finally getting to the point where I have the chance to hit that next level where you receive a contract. That’s my dream is to receive a pro contract — that would be incredible. Even if I’m not necessarily getting paid a lot. Just getting there and getting supported that’s my dream right now. I have a private investor whose name is Rob Pryor with SRI Importing. He kind of stepped up and helped he’s going to contribute to some of my travel this year. And then people who I’ve kind of sought out; Café Roubaix in Cochrane the owner’s name is Dan Richter he was involved in that Specialized fiasco [where the company tried to force him to change his shop’s name] and he has custom carbon wheels and I sent him my resumé and said “hey this is what I’m doing.” He’s a really passionate guy about cross and he was like “yeah let’s do it let’s get you on some wheels.” We’re doing a custom kit with Hot Sauce on the back and all the collaborating sponsors are pitching in a bit with Bioracer clothing it’s a Belgian company and there’s a rep here in Calgary who’s been really cool about it. It’s all really grassroots so it’s kind of neat.
You seem pretty humble but you’re obviously pretty good at this for people to be getting behind you.
At this point yeah. I had some success in 2012 when I went to Belgium. I won a pro race in Pomona California it was my first pro win. For the amount of time invested so far I felt like that results came early but now especially after going to Belgium I’m learning what it actually takes to get to the actual level that I’m trying to strive for. The best in the States are maybe chipping into the Top 20 worldwide just barely. I just figured I want to be one of the best riders in Canada and to do that there’s no better place than to sink yourself into the hardest racing you can.
And try not to get your ass handed to you.
Yeah essentially. When I went over in 2012 I was about six minutes down on the leaders from an hour. So my goal this year is to trim that in half.
And the ultimate goal is to get up on a podium in Belgium?
Absolutely yeah. My goal is to basically hopefully do really well here in Alberta in the States my goal is Top 10s in the bigger races and then over there? Man long-term? The last world champion is 38 years old right now so I’m 25 and I’ve got 10 years of really good development ahead of me and I think that is my ultimate dream to be on podiums for races worldwide.
What kind of bike do you ride?
It’s kind of like a hybrid between road and mountain biking. It’s a road frame with wider clearance for fatter tires. It’s still a rigid frame so the tires are essentially your suspension over the bumpy courses. The gearing is a little bit smaller so you can ride steeper inclines and kind of slog your way through mud. Honestly it’s pretty much like a road bike but with a little more clearance for a larger tire.
How does someone get into racing cyclocross?
Racing cross couldn’t be more easy or fun with a short schedule in Alberta there are races happening every weekend twice a weekend from September to early October. All you need is a beat up mountain bike or a cross bike for entry level categories and payment online to enter the race which is often cheaper than going to the movies. Cyclocross offers more than racing it offers community as well. It’s essentially the snob-free zone of bike racing. You can pedal your butt off and still enjoy a casual beer while watching other categories destroy themselves. If you just want to watch it’s the only sport I know of where heckling is encouraged.
Really?
Yeah it’s totally encouraged as long as it’s a healthy amount of criticism and not super negative.
People don’t get over the top?
Sometimes but generally they keep it somewhat clean.
And there’s an event at Pumphouse coming up?
Yeah this year our club’s hosting one. Almost every club in Alberta gets behind a cross race. The Pumphouse Cross is October 12th.
Why is it sort of fall/winter?
The sport of cross technically originated in the early 1900s as a way for road racers to keep in shape over the winter. They would actually traverse from town to town over farm fields throwing their bikes into rivers and it was basically a race from a town off road on what was not much different from what they would road race on back then.
Anything else you’d like to add?
If you’d like to keep up with my journey through the race season I’ll be blogging at hotsaucecycling.wordpress.com I’m also posting updates on Twitter @immarkMcConnell and Instagram @Kreeponriding. I’d like to give a shout out to my amazing sponsors Synergy Racing SRI Importing Cyclepath Calgary Café Roubaix in Cochrane and Bioracer clothing. Also my wife Aimee for the continual support.
