Photos and names have been fully used without permission. It’s also likely that some shout-outs were missed. Hate mail can be sent to Erik Holbik.

Although the day started with a beautiful sunrise, we could no longer run from the weather forecast. Overcast, rain, and 9° Celsius: a charming day for a bike ride through the mud.

Word on the trail is that Cento (109km) ride started – and continued – with a very large, very fast group. Of course time and sketchy conditions make fools of us all, and eventually there were crashes, mechanicals, and bonks to space the group out. Approaching a gruelling four hours of determination, the local heroes Maxine Oleka, Sarah Baert, Peter VanLeeuwen, Robert Nespolo, and Mike Dennis ascended the final climb and crossed the finish line to the cheers and cowbells of the encouraging spectators. Extra impressive finishes went to the deceivingly beastly duo of Vincent Halis and Mike Siemens, finishing 151st and 146th overall respectively. Ron Ferwerda finished a commanding 2^nd in his age category. The man who questions the value of racing himself, James “Big Tuna” Fedosov, came in a mere 21 minutes after the legit cyclocross pro and overall winner Curtis White, despite spending part of his race rubber side up. A drenched and crusted chapeau to all of the Cento warriors who pushed themselves to new heights while probably traversing some powerful lows.

From the pits of Cambridge rose the largest group, to similarly smash, slide, and hike their way across their 65km of trials. Attacks were made, drivetrains were destroyed, and demeanours were hardened. When one is half way through the race only to find themselves ankle deep in dummy-thicc mud, the only option left is to embrace the absurdity of the circumstances you’ve placed yourself in (and paid for) and haul your now-forty-pound bike over that ridge so you can toboggan down the other side. Our fearless leader and president Kevin Bodbyl made sure that no soldier was left behind. Will Teron, Shane Danis, Jason Balzer, Emma Johnston, Robert McKenna, Matthew Christian, Rich Lyle, and Karl Maiterth crossed the finish line covered in mud and forever changed. The Gears Before Beers crew plunged their platoon through the trenches with Drew Edwards, Drew Stoltz, Chris Parker, Robin Collins, Brian Packer, and Christian Wassermann certainly earning some beverages to rinse the grit out of the molars. Elbowing and dry-heaving their way to the top 110 places or better were Jim Brogden, Erik Holbik (chanelling the spirit of Lorenz Calcagno), Christoper Lambert, and Bryan Atkinson. Coming in a mere nine minutes after the overall winner was Scott McDonald, proving that ironically despite being green, Bakfiets life cultivates diesel power. Flexing their prowess, Deanna Solomon ascended to the podium for her age group while Sara Frangos went all the way up to become the top female finisher!

Finally representing GCC in the Brève race was the Harv Dawg himself, David Harvey, coming in the top 6% of riders for the 42km slog.

Other friends of the club rode in solidarity, if not under different banners, across the various options of suffering. Representing Milton Revolution on that day, both Gord Drewitt and his son Sheldon came through with strong results. Local track goon Russ Watson proved that he is just as comfortable off of the planks. Matthew Scott strapped some knobby tires onto his road bike and hammered his way to the top 12% of his race. Our partner in crime from Peterborough, Alex Lefebvre, secured a handsome position for himself in the full cento (despite an early crash), as did former club member and KW neighbour Andrew Lambert. Speed River Bicycle proprietor and club sponsor Tim Plunkett had a good ride himself, and is eagerly waiting to supply the replacement parts you will need after running all that wet concrete through your brakes and drivetrains.

Whether searching for the glory of the National Championships, or simply out for silly Sunday ride with like-minded people, there was a plethora of both mud and smiles to be found. A hearty round of applause to all participants for not only supporting each other and creating a grand unforgettable day, but also to help illustrate that when life gives you dirty cold lemons, you squish them as hard as you can in between your filthy mud-caked fingers to drain every bit of sweet electrolytes you can muster from them… or something like that.

Celebrity interviews

Ron Ferwerda: “BRUTAL ride…glad I got beat by 10min and not 10sec. Happy to finish 2nd in the +65 AC of the Gravel Championship!”😎

Kevin Bodbyl: “The race is a lot more fun riding with family in the lower waves, however it’s even more muddy.”

Alex Lefebvre: “Made the front but they caught me red handed, trying to hide away from the cold. Picture this I was full butt sliding, all along the damn wet road. How could I forget that I had file treads when it’s muddy?  For about 2 hours, I could only do my best TT.”

Emma Johnston: “Chocolate cheesecake, peanut butter, melted soft-serve, chewed pumpernickel, black forest gâteau, oreo crumbs, tiramisù. All very scrumptious, and are excellent terrains for riding a bike.”

Rich Lyle: “Most definitely the worst conditions I’ve ever experienced for P2A, but somehow it was probably the most fun I’ve had doing this race. More mud than I ever thought was possible, but I somehow made it through with both myself and my bike in one piece!”

Max Oleka: “P2A was literally one giant slip ‘n slide”

Deanna Solomon: “Epic day and a half on the bike. The low point was when I almost had a bike throw in the field of muddy clay but my bike weighed too much to be able to pick it up. The high point was showing perseverance (or stupidity, not really sure which) to get through all of those elements. Overall a great day; can’t believe I was third in my age group again!”

Matthew Christian: “I learned to love mud. Beginning and end. Mud is going to be my +1 from here on out…”

James Fedosov: “Once the 40k road race had concluded, I really enjoyed the 70 remaining kilometers of muddy trail and farmer’s fields. After creating more ventilation in my clothing using some of the aforementioned pavement, I had a blast trying to chase as far up into the field as I could. The misty final climb was incredible. I can’t wait to talk about tire choice for months again next spring!”

Shane Danis: “My bike handled the conditions beautifully, just wish I could have seen it considering how muddy my glasses were the whole time.”

Sarah Baert: “Dropped my snacks so ate dirt instead. To my mini peloton: it was an honour to polish my teeth with the mud off your wheels.”

Drew Stoltz: “An old phrase often told is that “The anticipation is greater than the realization”. Getting wet and dirty are part of the P2A equation (I’m a 2-year veteran now after all), so that was anticipated.  The reality was beyond actual comprehension, and yet it was a fun, challenging day that won’t soon be forgotten.”

Peter Vanleeuwen: “My race started with a bang. My favourite part was when someone in the middle of the peloton just yelled out “I’m stopping”. After that I decided to “enjoy” the rest of the race, which included losing a toe cover while hauling 50lbs of mud through a farm field and pace lining down the rail trail wondering if I’d ever recover my vision. Can’t wait for next year.”

Wilfred Ferwerda:  “I didn’t participate in P2A this year but went as a spectator to cheer on fellow GCC members—especially my brother Ron, who raced the Canadian Gravel Championships in the 65+ category. It was exciting to see so many club members perform well – that’s if I could recognize them covered in mud!”

Anonymous: “I pee’d my pants to keep myself warm”