It was a perfect day – one of the most spectacular days for cycling this summer – with no wind, no clouds and an ideal temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. A total of 350 enthusiastic road cyclists joined together at Sue-Ann Staff Winery near Jordon, Ontario for a “leisurely”, free training ride through the wonderful landscapes of the Niagara Region.
The fun, yet challenging ride over some classic climbs and scenic vineyards routes inevitably put big smiles on people’s faces. The day featured a 50km or 100km ride, feed stations, sag wagon support, Cafe Domestique coffee, and visits to Niagara wineries.
Wolverton Mountain Road near Grimsby is typically dreaded and avoided by cyclists, yet became the participants route of choice. “It was amazing to see hundreds of riders of all abilities take on the wall at Wolverton. I can still remember how tough that hill was when I was a junior. It hasn’t changed but tough makes it memorable,” said Bauer.
The ride day culminated with a tasty outdoor barbeque at the Staff Winery to share a glass and some camaraderie along with a quality question-and-answer period with Fraser and Bauer on preparing for Centurion (Sept. 13-15). Bauer spoke about the Yellow Jersey Experience (YJX) he’s leading at the event in Sept. and the VIP dinner with Bob Roll featuring lots of extras ($500) with a portion of the proceeds going towards the Mattamy National Cycling Center (Milton Velodrome) as part of the continued fundraising campaign.
“I love riding my hometown routes,” said Fraser. “That was the best of Niagara riding on a perfect day! Maybe we should do a Wine Centurion with a blend of Woodstock !! Ride, camp, social …The Staff Winery was so perfect after a great ride.”
All the participants at Saturday’s ride have just gained a little more fitness in preparation for the Centurion at Blue Mountain September 13-15. Centurion Cycling welcomes racers, competitive cyclists, triathletes in training, recreational riders and families/friends to become Centurions – more photos here and more on Centurion here.