August 13, 2018 (Sentiers du Moulin, Quebec) – Blue skies greeted us for Stage 7 at Sentiers du Moulin, located near Lac Beauport, where we had been just two days earlier. The mood among riders and volunteers as we ate breakfast, boarded the bus and got ready for the start was decidedly different than any other of the event.

There was far less tension, especially among the GC contenders as only a major blowout would be likely to change the final standings (final results can be found here). But we were all feeling more relaxed, satisfied, and excited for the last ride. All of it was tempered with fatigue, of course, and a bit of sadness: More than one rider told me they just wanted to drink it in so they could hold onto the experience just a bit longer.

Today, however, was not a day to relax on the trails. The course demanded full attention through the full 19km, and delivered maximum reward for our efforts. Three of the top 10 trails in Quebec can be found at Sentiers du Moulin and we rode two of them, the rambling Raph climb and Super G, a fun, fast descent, complete with big banked turns, drops and a wooden roller perched on top of a small cabin. The third, Léon, is a more aggressive enduro line, one of several to be found at SdM.

My game plan, as it had been all week, was not to push. I learned quickly that I didn’t have the legs to go hard, but I knew if I rode smart, I’d make it to the finish. Given that I’d only registered for this event about three weeks before it started, I was not surprised by my overall performance, but it does make me wonder what I could achieve with some, or even a lot of training. For today and for this race, however, I’m happy to have competed each stage and to have done so with only one minor crash and two dropped chains.

As you might expect, there was a great deal of celebration at the finish, where each rider received a loud welcome and a medal to officially become a Qué-biker. For one female rider, Sophie, competing for the first time, the race was especially sweet, as her boyfriend greeted her at the line with an engagement ring on bended knee. She said yes!

The day ended with awards (I picked up my trophy for the women’s 50-59 category and will proudly display it in my home!), dinner, a video recap of each stage and then dancing. Watching many of the athletes exchanging contact info and saying goodbyes, I have little doubt the experiences and friendships gained this week will remain for a lifetime for many of us. The organizers and volunteers have done a stellar job putting together a stage race that is much more than race; it truly is an experience.