January 13, 2015 (Milton, ON) – One week after competing at the 2014 Canadian National Track Championships at the new Milton velodrome I was presented with another opportunity to compete at the UCI C 1 race, the Milton International Challenge presented by Cisco, held at the same venue from Jan. 9-11, 2015.

This meant racing some of my fellow Canadians who had attended Nationals, plus a few new riders who had travelled from other countries. I was excited to get another crack at things and see how much I had really learned from everything that went down the previous weekend at the track nationals. With only four Omnium events under my belt spread over the last four years, I was more than excited to get another try at it.

There were quite a few riders registered and it looked like there was going to be a qualifier to trim the field down to 24 starters. Then I got some good news that a few riders didn’t make the trip and a few others decided not to take the start. That meant we had 24 riders and no qualifier was needed. This was great news, as I was now in the game without having to race a 60-lap points race to qualify. We were off to an amazing start already – no wasted stress and energy.

The first event was the Scratch race and it went very smoothly. With 13 laps to go, a few of us pushed the pace and really stretched things out, breaking off the front and holding the gap to the line. I was happy to start Day 1 and the first race of the 6-event series with a 3rd place finish. Next up was the 4km Individual Pursuit. Last week I was third in this event and shared the podium with two stars of the Canadian cycling scene – Remi Pelletier-Roy and Ryan Roth. I had my best IP time at sea level and was happy to shoot for the same time.

Being conservative and following the same schedule would likely mean a top-5 for sure with this international field. Then I spoke with Cycling Canada coaches Ian Melvin and Mike Patton and both thought I should shoot for a bit more. It was the push I needed and I got the green light to see how fast I can really go. The gate opened and I had a very good start. I ramped things up and was able to get on top of the gear easier than the previous week. I came rolling by Melvin and already he was showing me I was ahead of schedule. With each passing lap he moved farther behind the line letting me know I was going faster than we’d planned and just like last weekend I was in a groove.

I was in total control and in a state of hyper focus, like nothing I have ever experienced. I could hear announcer, Randy Ferguson, over the loud speaker saying I was now over five seconds in the lead and that meant I was on personal record pace. I was now hunting down the other rider on course and was about to lap him. I wanted to use every bit of the draft as I approached him and sling shot by him with as much extra speed as I could. I was coming in hot and as we approached the corner I went just to the right of him as close as I could trying to take the shortest line possible… but that is when he moved up track towards the red.

We hit each other mid-corner and it sent me up track with a good wobble. The bike leaned back and forth and I was able to keep things under control without crashing. He barely overtook me again and we were side-by-side coming out of the corner. I had to get back up the speed again to pass him. He waved to say “sorry” and I nodded to let him know everything was all right. I was happy that neither of us hit the deck but now was wondering if there was any reason to even continue.

The loss of momentum was awful, it felt like I was going half the speed and my legs were going so slow compared to what I was doing before. But this is when the announcer explained that I was still five seconds up. It was exactly what I needed to hear and I hit those last four laps hard with every possible bit of effort I had. I crossed the line with a 4:34.138 a new PB at Sea Level and enough to secure 2nd place behind Remi’s time of 4:28.939.

The Elimination race was next and it was amazing having my entire family in attendance to watch. I felt like a little kid as I looked up at my parents sitting in the stands. It was also very special to have my son there to watch and see the new velodrome and get a taste of what Daddy does when he is away. They enjoyed it very much as it is a very exciting event. I was happy to put on a show and make it very close to the end, earning third place. With a third, a second and another third place on Day 1, the rankings had me sitting second overall . The real favourite (Remi Pelletier-Roy) was in first place, unlike last week when I was leading after Day 1.

Day 2 started with the 1 km TT, also known as the Kilo. I really enjoy this event, and with a little practice, I think this could be my thing. The torque and the power needed to get off the line and up to speed quickly gets the adrenaline flowing. It is one minute of pure effort. Problem is, I missed timing the start and hit things hard a fraction of a second before the gate opened. I threw myself forward too soon, pushed on the pedal and pulled hard on the bars but the gate held then released only a fraction of a second later. Running a bigger gear (102-inch gear) I was already giving a bit up to my competitors on the opening lap. I ripped things up as best I could and set another PB time of 1:06.185, but look forward to another shot at it, because I know I can go faster. I got beat once again by Remi, who posted a 1:05.758, which I believe is a PB for him as well. I had to settle for second place.

Then it was on the 250m Flying Lap… go as fast as you can with a flying start. You get two laps to get up the speed and you charge towards the start line from the top of the track at full speed. I really thought I could win this event. I practiced a bit on Friday and tried a few different gear choices. After practice, I decided I needed to go even bigger and went with a 106-inch gear. I got up to speed, put the death grip on my bars and tried to break the bike with one lap to go. I wound things up and came flying down into corner on the black. The back stretch was a bit wild as my arms shook and I wobbled a bit out of control. For the final push to the line it didn’t feel like there was much there, but I put my head down and fought right till the end.

As I crossed the finish line I heard the crowd and knew it was something good. The place erupted and the feeling was overwhelming. I’m emotional on an average day, but this rush of emotion hit hard. The cheering and people screaming my name made those two cool down laps trying to slow down and get off the track very special. For anyone who doubted if I could hear you… I heard you loud and clear and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. First place in the event and new track record – 13.678.

The last event was the Points race, and after leading the overall last week and finishing 6th, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that melt down didn’t happen again. Remi was leading and that large target was now on his back. We were only four points apart and third was 12 points back, but the rest of the field had a long way to go to catch up. My goals were to make sure Remi won and to secure a spot on the podium. I had to be aware of Zachary Kovalcik of the United States, who was third, Varun Maharajh of Trinidad & Tobago, who was fourth, and local stud Benjamin Perry, who was fifth.

The race went right to plan with Remi getting a lap up on the field very early. Now it was up to me to make sure I was aggressive on the sprints and earn much needed points. I had some good legs considering all the racing we’ve been doing and was able to get a few points here and there in the sprints. With 40 laps to go I looked up at the board and it started to sink in that I was going to be on the podium. I had a good lead and thought it was a lock. That’s when Remi started yelling at me. “Ed you NEED points!”… he wasn’t letting me enjoy anything until it was over.

Even with a 20-point lead over 3rd place, he was making sure nothing was left to chance and like a good teammate, he made sure I was still very active and fought to the final sprint, and so I did. I’m glad he was looking out for me, a little different from last week when we were wearing different colored kits. Getting second to Remi felt like winning and it was amazing to share the podium with a person you admire. I didn’t want just a podium – I wanted to go 1-2 with a good friend and teammate. Being yelled at and led by this guy was exactly what I needed.

At 24 years of age, Remi is at the top of his game. He is a smart cookie and has taught me many things about life and this sport. It has been amazing to watch and to be a part of his progress and it has been amazing how much he has contributed to my evolution as well. Thx dude! You are a very worthy champion and it was an honour to share the podium and entire this experience with you!

If you take anything away from this report, I hope it is that life is about living. It is about sharing, and I believe it is about enjoying every day as much as you can. Waking up and feeling good about yourself, helping others do the same and putting out effort all around you in everything you do. You need to live in the moment because we don’t know when it will end. I hope you also take away the importance of dreaming big.

I would not be enjoying any of this if I hadn’t acted on some far-fetched idea. Live your life and live your dreams because they are important. You are important.  Unbelievable experiences can be around the corner if you take a chance and believe. Acting on a far-fetched can be tough but so worthwhile. Some will believe in you and some won’t but don’t let that stop you from taking a chance – believe in yourself!

Life is about living so GET LIVIN!!  I’m very happy I did!

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at Ed@RealDealPerformance.ca  You can follow Ed on Twitter @realdealveal

About Ed Veal
Ed Veal is a Canadian National Cycling team member and Cat 1 racer on the RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam elite amateur cycling team based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is also a cycling coach and owner of RealDeal Performance here.