August 09, 2018 (Lac Beauport, Quebec) – Stage 5 was set in the beautiful region of Lac Beauport, a short drive from downtown Québec. As with many of the stages, we started and finished in different locations (which no doubt requires a massive effort on behalf of the volunteers; thank you!). Just getting to the start line today was an effort, not merely because it was another huge climbing day (1,432m over 36km, divided into four sections) but because the start was adjacent to the Sibéria Station Spa. The carrot for riding today was a lakeside finish and the knowledge that this stage was voted race favourite in 2017.

The trails around Lac Beauport are largely off the map (i.e. Trailforks) as they are situated on private property. A whopping 68 agreements were made with area landowners to allow access for the day. While so many of the trails in this event are new to me, there’s something extra special about being shown a network of trails known only to the locals who built them. I’m the kid who’s been given not just one candy but the whole damn store.

On the bus over, it was announced that the stage would have a 10km chicken line, due to the humidity and aggressive final section. Anyone who hit the 26km mark and wanted an easy out to the finish could bail – they’d still get credit for the stage but would have a time penalty added. I didn’t plan to use it, but you can never predict what might happen in mountain biking, even more so in stage racing.

My first mistake was getting off course in the first 5km section. I realized the error quickly but when trying to correct it, I made another wrong turn – the course looped around on itself several times in this section and, talking to other riders afterwards, I was not the only one to get messed up. However, the second time I didn’t realize it until Bevin Reith, currently seventh in the overall GC, overtook me.

Pulling over afforded a good chance for me to watch the top 20 or so riders going hard on the hill. The men’s lead has belonged to Montreal’s Marc-Andre Daigle since day one and he holds about a 30 minute lead over hometown boy Gino Ricci. The women’s GC race has been closer, with American Emma Maaranen holding a slim lead over France’s Laurence Champavier – until today, when Champavier assumed the lead after Maaranen got off course.

I missed two more turns further on, the result of a mushy brain after five days in the saddle and an assumption that the fast way must be the chosen way. Fast was not the name of the game today, owing to slippery roots and some severely steep, hike-a-bike uphills. Shortly after I got back on track, my Mont Sainte-Anne riding partner, Annick, caught me and we continued on together. At about the 22km mark, she broke her saddle.

A DIY fix with zip ties helped but she still rode most of the next 4km out of her seat and we both gladly took the chicken line to the finish. I don’t regret it. There will be more trail to ride tomorrow and maybe it will mean my legs and my brain will be fresher.