March 4, 2006 – The final stage of the Tour of California proved to be a mixed blessing for the Navigators Team as the pile up at the onset of the race took many prisoners. Yet at the end of the nine laps, the boys in blue had one Navigators rider aggressively manoeuvre thru the pile, and standing on the podium.

Glen Chadwick (Navigators) took the Most Aggressive jersey on the final day in a mad dash for points and jerseys where big George Hincapie (Discovery) curiously went from sprinter green to pale blue getting passed over by both Olaf Pollack (Ger, T-Mobile) and JJ Haedo (Arg, Toyota-United Pro), all three sharing two stage wins each. After the final stage, Pedal caught up with Chadwick’s Canadian teammate, Mark Walters, who was excited about the team’s results.


Hi Mark, it’s been almost a week since we met at the Sausalito stage (Stage 1) where you predicted this would be “a tough tour. No easy days”. Now, here you are just finished with the Tour. How did it go for you?

Walters: Horrible! I was feeling pretty dead, I never got that good feeling in my legs and body where I was fully recovered, that hollow feeling kept creeping up, I was depleted most of the time.

Was it due to your long flight from Malaysia after your solid results at the Tour of Langkawi?

Walters: Well, it did take me longer than normal to recover from that with the time zone differences, but I was very happy about my results at that Tour. But here, oh man, I was weak from allergies.

That’s the irony of this weather right now, it’s unusually warm for this time of year, so the Acacia trees and other pollens are floating around a good month before they usually do, so you get the benefit of the sun but a false spring that releases the pollen demons.

Walters: Yea, I was never at over 80 percent of my strength, I couldn’t recover and depend on my reserves for a better effort this Tour, but it’s ok. The team’s plan was to help Vasilli, and if he didn’t feel well, then Ben. Today, we rode pretty aggressively and as a result, Glen (Chadwick) got the jersey, so I’m pleased.

What are your plans after today?

Walters: I’m going home for 10 days to relax, hang out, check e mails, you know? Then coming right back to California for a few races, Pomona and then the Redlands

Expect more sun! And this spring and summer, will you be busy?

Walters: My big focus is in Europe, some of my favorites are Four days at Dunkirk and Tour de Romandie though I will also be in Europe racing in the Fall.

Dunkirk, that must be a harsh race, windy, wet, and freezing, hard on the body-but suffering the bitter cold is something you’ve adapted to, certainly much better than a weather-friendly Californian rider. Do you prefer those races because of their Darwinian appeal, that is, that those not suited for the cold will drop off earlier, while a hardy Canuck like you survives it well? I mean, do you prefer competing in sucky, cold weather?

Walters: No! Actually, I do better in the hotter races because the peloton tends to break up faster in the heat because the heat causes more gaps in the field, whereas in the colder races everyone sticks together, so there’s les chance for a good breakaway.


Interesting, so what we don’t see is that the peloton – aside from wind protection and minimizing energy loses – acts like a heat incubator, with the energy of the group creating either too much heat or enough to either throw or keep the riders from wanting to break off from within the pack.

Walters: Exactly, the peloton is its own heat producer – so strategically, it works in my advantage for gaining time in the hotter races by peeling off and riding aggressively – give me a warmer race and normally I’ll do better.

So in the off-season, what do pro Canadian riders do with the winter snow and no place to go on the bike if they don’t train in Europe or sunnier weather? Any tips for us amateurs?

Walters: Well, I do a lot of cross-country skiing to mix it up, and actually prefer it to stave off the routine of only cycling, especially in the short winter days. So even though I put in a lot less miles, maybe (50-100K/week rather than the others who are putting in three times that on the road), I like to do something different in training since, really, you are using practically the same muscles and therefore you are getting a very similar training workout.

But the kinetic movement is different?

Walters: Yes, but pushing sideways in skiing rather than a cycling movement isn’t hard to adjust to, and really you are working very similar muscles, and in fact are strengthening some of the upper body, tooS they are basically the same as riding a bike using most of the same muscles but a different rotation; of course, I also train on the bike indoors to have my body remember the feeling of the spin.

Is this typical winter training for Canadian pro cyclists – mixing it up with cross country skiing?

Walters: I don’t think so, but Cindy Klasen does-I was watching the Olympics last night and saw her Sit was a great moment for Canada, and knowing her for many years…well, it was great seeing her do so well.

Canada’s Olympic Team was impressive – 24 medals as well as over 20 top eight finishes, just one shy of the US in medal totals. There were a lot of Canadian moments in Torino. Speaking of being in the spotlight, how were the crowds and media coverage along this new Tour compared to other races?

Walters: Really good, in fact, the best I’ve seen except perhaps in Hamilton (2003 Road Worlds). The crowds surprised me at how much they gave support to not only to the top riders, but to all of us-the Californians I think are really good fans.

And the press – did you spot any foreign media?

Walters: Didn’t see much foreign media but it was the best covered race in the States ever-bigger crowds and media than in Georgia – a lot of local prime time TV coverage everywhere we went. I really like this Tour, and it is good timing for the riders to set training goals during the early winter.

One advantage as a pro cyclist is the travel – yet you are so busy training. I wondered if you really get to experience much of the natural wonders you pas through? Did you have any time to experience California outside the Tour?

Walters: Yes but not as much as I’d like. When I was with the Mercury team, we did some sightseeing, the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, and I really liked Muir woods just north in Marin, with groves of very beautiful Redwoods, it’s ideal if you like the woods. But, yes, that’s always the case for a pro cyclist: You travel around to some of the most scenic spots in the world but there’s almost no time to really see any of it off the bike.

And this Tour had it all. You must have enjoyed carving thru these green hills and steep Highway 1 road over the Pacific Ocean with the sun on your back in mid winter!

Walters: Yes! I also like the forests a lot, but on the bikes we only have the peripheral vision while we’re racing (laughs) so we don’t get to absorbed in it! My wife and I really enjoy the greenery, the trees, rather than the semi-desert.

Being that we’re at the epicentre for creative, healthy food, what do you want to chow down on while you’re here?

Walters: When I’m out west and haven’t been here for a while, I look forward to burritos. Western-style burritos are a helluva lot different than Eastern style burrito – the food is much better out here, way too processed over there (reflects)Someone needs to open a western style Mexican restaurant out East.

You’ve just heard what Canada’s Mark Walters will do once he hangs up his bike: build a chain of Western-style Mexican restaurants in Canada to ensure that the next generation of Canadian athletes – be they winter Olympians, professional, or hacker cyclists (like this author) – will feed off of that cool Cali food and vibe that fuels domestic talents like Floyd and Levi. Maybe that’s what’s packed in their musettes?