Hello riders and welcome to the 2015 season! We’re readying our first order of club clothing. Please have a look at the options available and get your order in by sending an email to ride at etobicokecycling.com. (Press Escape if the images take over your screen when you click on them…)

Size charts are here: http://champ-sys.ca/custom/cycling/size-chart

Pricing, includes tax:
Short sleeve jersey: $75 to $260 depending on options
Long Sleeve Jersey (summer weight): $90.00
Long Sleeve Jersey (spring/fall weight): $110.00

Wind Vest: $75.00
Thermo Vest: $125.00

Bib Shorts: $95 to $165
Bib Knickers: $125 (lycra) or $140 (fleece)
Bib Tights (warm): $135.00

2015 ECC Bib Tights PROOF

2015 ECC Fall Vest PROOF V-2

2015 ECC Jersey for Fall PROOF V-2

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The fall clothing order is due to arrive next week… Barring any holdups in shipping. Once it arrives we will let everyone know on Facebook, Twitter and through the club email
If you didn’t get in on the order and want some new ECC gear let us know as we’re compiling a second order now.

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Here is our Fall kit. A long sleeve jersey and bib tights. We also have wind vests – with the same design as the jersey. Get your order in now!

Costs (includes tax):
Long Sleeve Jersey (summer weight): $90.00
Long Sleeve Jersey (spring/fall weight): $110.00
Wind Vest: $75.00
Thermo Vest: $125.00
Bib Tights (warm): $135.00

 

2014 Fall Kit V-1 All Red

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A strong rider that I follow on Strava posted this the other day and I thought it share worth, “When on vacation leave nothing but footprints and tire tracks and take nothing but pictures and KOMs.”

Thanks David.

 

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Another early start to the day – we were up and in the van by 6:15am. We hit the road for the Team hotel and when we arrived the team mechanics were in full flight readying the cars, vans, wheels and bikes for the race. The excitement was palpable, and we tried our best to take it all in while not getting in the way.

Cannondale Cobbles.As we were just about ready to leave the hotel for the start line, a Team Cannondale consigliere approached our group. A couple days prior we’d chatted with him and one of our tour members showed him a cobble that he had acquired. The man laughed at it and said, in very broken English, “That’s not a cobble.” Today he brought us each a real cobble! The family feel within Team Cannondale is incredible, and they really took us in.

After finding a safe spot for our cobbles we loaded into the Cannondale van and headed for Brugge for the grand start of the race. We were granted access to all areas – allowing us to get up close and personal the teams.

Once the riders had all departed their busses we hit the road for the Oude Kwaremont. That’s where we would be stationed with two support staff, ready with wheels and bottles for the riders.

Oude Kwaremont FritesThe Kwaremont is a famous climb, and comes at a point in the race where the final selection often happens. Additionally it is climbed three times during the race. As a result of this the area along the cobbled roadway is lined with everything you need for a day at a bike race: beer, food, music, giant tv screens broadcasting the race, games and toilets. It’s a huge set up. We explored the area, enjoyed some beer and frites with mayonnaise, and watched the race pass by. Seeing a bike race is person is not about watching a bike race. It is about the experience. Full stop.

And we’ve had the real Belgian bike race experience with Team Cannondale.

Watching the finish of de RondeAfter the race passed our spot for the final time we made a mad dash in the van towards the finish line. Although the streets were completely deserted, we had to settle for watching the race in the van. The distance was too great for us to make it to the finish line before the riders. While we sat in the van watching the final 4km of the race I didn’t see a single person outside – the streets were deserted. Everyone here loves the Ronde.

The only blip on our perfect week was that Peter did not win. The team worked well together but as in life, you can’t win ’em all.

We made our way back to the Team hotel, said goodbye and thanks to many of the support team, and loaded into the van to go for dinner.

The route to get to the restaurant took us on highways, side roads and a few roads that made the cobbles of Roubaix seem smooth!

Le pavé de boeufThe restaurant itself was amazing. I feel like I’ve overused that word this week but it’s all true. I ordered a pavé de boeuf. 650 grams if Belgian beef. Wow. Even sitting here hours later I am somewhat amazed that I ate it all. And then I had dessert. Lots of it. We all did.

It was a terrific way to spend our final evening together.

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Up early and checked out of our hotel. We were driven to the Team hotel for a surprise: the Team bus will be driving us to Arenberg! And the Team videographer/photographer would be along to document our adventures on the cobbles of Roubaix! We are really loving the pro experience. Wow. Rolling down the highway, on the Team bus, was a really cool experience. I know it’s just a bus but it’s a bus that most folks never get to be on, and to have it, and the support staff, just for us, was a real thrill for this cycling fan.

ArenbergAt Arenberg we took some photos of the famous stretch of pavé, I rode a bit of it – I couldn’t pass up this opportunity – and then we rolled out into the French countryside. Our route today was a 10km stretch along the roads before joining the route for Paris-Roubaix and tackling the cobbled secteurs. The first secteur of cobbles came after roughly 10km. It was a real challenge. Unreal. And unbelievably hard. My appreciation for the speed and skill of the pros grew dramatically.

For the next 55 km my body was subjected to the most gruelling riding I’ve ever done. Many of the secteurs are barely passable with a farm tractor, let alone a skinny guy on a carbon fibre road bike! The gaps between the cobbles are made for eating narrow road bike tires, and I think they have an appetite for carbon and skin!

2014-04-05 13.52.21Mercifully our ride finished and the Team bus was there to pick us up. Again, having a Team bus and support staff is an incredible asset. I simply hand off my bike, climb the steps into the bus and laid down for a rest. The crew took care of my bike, brought me food and water, etc. Wow. Pro.

We were then driven to our new hotel for the next two nights. A beautiful old farmhouse and stables that has been converted to a quaint boutique hotel. Picnic lunch post-RoubaixArien – our exceptional guide – made us a fantastic picnic lunch that we enjoyed in the sunshine. After lunch I sat on the grass and chatted with Hasan (one of the other tour members) for an hour. It was a great way to wind down from our morning adventure.

For dinner we went into Lille to a restaurant called “La Cave Aux Fioles“.

Vieux Lille by night

The city of Lille is quite beautiful – narrow cobbled streets lined with unique looking buildings, grand squares surrounded by grand buildings, etc.The restaurant fit this aesthetic perfectly.

Inside there was a roaring fire, and an atmosphere that was fitting to our experiences of the day. Simone (Cannondale soigneur) and Matteo (Cannondale mechanic) joined us for dinner. We laughed, ate, and drank well into the night…

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A later start to the day allowed for some much needed sleep. Once we were up and at it we were shuttled to the Team hotel. We hung out on the team bus while plans for the race were shared. We also for introduced to our SRM power meters. If the timing works out the team coach will check out our power numbers after our ride tomorrow.

Riding with Ted KingWith the meters mounted we set out for a leisurely ride along a canal with some Team riders including Ted King. We all rotated through and had a chance to chat with the pros. It was a nice change of pace from the previous days. We stopped for coffee in town – many locals peered into the shop, muttering the names of Pro riders wondering if they were inside. (On the ride we passed the BMC team – Thor was on the front. Very odd seeing him out for a ride.)

Some of the Team riders went on a recon ride of the final 60km of the Ronde route – checking out the road surface, finding good lines through the cobbles, etc. It’s interesting to see the inner-workings of the team, and how each rider has a role, and how the non-riders on the team (managers, directors, coaches, soigneurs, mechanics) all work together to create a successful team.

Lunch with the team was followed by a trip to the Ronde van Vlaanderen museum. There is a museum dedicated to a single race – awesome. And that museum has a bar called “Fabian Please Have Mercy”. We checked it out, had a beer, and then were on our way.

At the pre-Ronde Peter Sagan press conferenceTonight offered up our only free evening of the tour – so we attended the Peter Sagan pre-Ronde press conference! All of the big news/sports outlets were there, along with us! The only noticeable difference was that the reporters were all very serious while we were drinking beer!

In the evening we headed out into the Kortrijk night to find a place for dinner. Ted (aka Ted King, my new BFF) had suggested that we check out the new pop up restaurant in town. When we asked about it at the hotel front desk they said we’d never get in as it is booked up for weeks, it is very popular. And then she said something about media, some words in Dutch, something about TV, and some more Dutch.

We headed for the restaurant. As we approached we found that it truly was a pop up restaurant. It is a few shipping containers placed in the middle of a town square – renovated to create a restaurant. Walking past the windows we could see the staff, but it was completely devoid of customers. We opened the door and a hostess greeted us and said that they are completely booked for the night. We asked if we could eat at the bar but were denied. As we were pleading our case to let three Americans and a Canadian in for dinner an attractive brunette looked us over and said we could come in for dinner. Success!

I mention her attractiveness because it comes into the story right about now…

Mijn Pop Up RestaurantThe restaurant is part of a reality TV show called Mijn Pop Up Restaurant, and as customers of the restaurant we are now on the show. The whole restaurant is wired for sound and vision, and there is a roaming camera crew. We signed our waivers and ordered our dinner. Throughout the evening the camera crew filmed the patrons, and the staff. I’m not sure where the drama comes from that gets people watching, but whatever! The food and service was excellent.

Post-dinner we headed into the Kortrijk night to find a beer or three. We checked out a nightclub before starting to feel our age. At this point we headed back towards our hotel, stopping to wave to the staff at Mijn Pop-Up Restaurant. At this point a few folks were chatting on the street, and they stopped us. We started chatting and several beers later we’d been invited to watch the race at Peter’s house, and enjoy his day long party. The race goes right by his front door. On a normal cycling trip this would be the holy grail – but not on our trip; We’ve got bigger plans… or more precisely DuVine and Cannondale have bigger plans for us!

Good night.

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We headed out along the canals, pushing a steady mid-30s pace for the better part of an hour. After a quick refueling with the team van we set our sites on the Kemmelberg – another of the famous cobbled climbs of Belgium. Across the rolling fields the berg rose like a camels hump – explaining, I assume, the name. We hit the base of the climb and each rider began their attack. I took it easy as the rattling that my bones received on the Koppenberg taught me that these climbs are deceptively tough.

KemmelbergAs I rounded the bend at what I thought was the top I was presented with an even steeper section of the climb. It’s here that I decided to stand up and try to really hammer. Bad move. The rear wheel started spinning and I felt like I was on ice! So I sat back down and had to power through the final meters of the climb. It was tough. But fun. So much so that I tried it again.

We then descended on the cobbled road on the other side and zig-zagged our way across the Belgian countryside. The roads here are truly made for cycling. (In fact I would not want to drive on most of them as they are too narrow and too twisty!)

Entering the town of Westouter the pavement turned back to pavé, and we hit the gas! Three of us had distanced ourselves from the group and we were riding like a three-man breakaway. It was awesome. We ripped through the town, bouncing along the cobbles before attacking another fun climb. At the top of the Rodeberg we were directed to take a different route back towards De Panne so we could catch the finish of the pro race. The return route took us through an incredible valley, and over a couple of fun climbs before depositing us at the bottom of the Kemmelberg. Again. Faced with another climb of the cobbled monster I settled into a nice rhythm and made my way over the top. We had some fun on the climb with Matteo hoping out of the team van and giving Brad a little push – just like we see in the pro races!

In the team carThe team picked us up and we made our way to De Panne for the race. We met the team at their hotel, had a terrific lunch, and then received our car/rider assignments for the individual time trial. I rode behind Matthias Krizek and Ted King. It was exhilarating. The speed, the fans, the sound of the team director shouting encouragement at the rider, etc. It is truly amazing how fast the pro riders can ride. A true delight for this cycling fan!

Brad - enjoying his post-time-trial Leffe BlondAfter the race finished – Cannodale rider Maciej Bodnar won – we had a drink at a local pub before returning to our hotel for massages and some rest. Even just sitting in a pub, soaking in the atmosphere, and the beer, is a surreal experience. I’m sitting in a pub, in Belgium, drinking a local beer, watching a bike race on TV, a race that is happening 100 feet behind me, a race that I was just “participating” in. Wild!

In the evening we had dinner with the team and management – another extraordinary feast put on by the team chef. The riders signed all of our goodies before we all retired for the night.

So far each day has been more incredible than the previous. I can only imagine how awesome the Ronde on Sunday is going to be!

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Wow. I thought Day 1 was awesome but Day 2 outdid it. The day started with a great breakfast at the hotel followed by an amazing ride. We left Kortrijk and rode along a canal. The pace was comfortable, letting us all get our riding legs sorted out. Little did I know that the Koppenberg was waiting for us 40km down the road!

As we rolled along another amazing bike path, in the distance I could see this hill slowly rising. The closer I got the more my anticipation grew. Was this one of the famous climbs of Belgium.?Was I about to make my first assault on a cobbled climb? Was I ready for what was to come? Halfway up the KoppenbergThe answer to all of these questions was yes. An emphatic yes. The climb was hard. Really hard. the cobbles are a terrible road surface for skinny bike tires. And the idea of climbing any hill that  exceeds 21% is silly. But that was what were there for, and that is what I did. Twice. Plus a couple more climbs of the upper half for good measure. It was EPIC.

After the climb we set a course for Zedelgem – the start town for the second stage of 3 days of De Panne. Once in town we connected with the Cannondale Team. Fabrice collected our bikes and restocked us with water, snacks, etc. We greeted the riders as the exited the bus and headed for the start line. The crowd surrounding the bus was impressive, and you could feel the excitement grow as Fabrice rolled Peter Sagan’s bike out. I seriously thought that someone would faint from the excitement! DuVine has really created a special experience with this trip.

After the race departed we boarded the bus for a coffee and snack. We chatted with the team staff for a bit and readied ourselves for the return ride. By this point I was quite hungry but knew that lunch was just 30km down the road. What I didn’t know is that that 30km would be another awesome riding experience. Amazing roads, an exhilarating route, beautiful scenery, just perfect. Our guide, Arien, is terrific and has really done a great job of plotting our routes.

Post-ride, in the team vanAt lunch I tried a traditional Belgian meal – a potato, chicken, and miscellaneous veggie “soup” that I ate with a fork. It was filling. So much so that I decided to call it a day for riding. It was the right decision. We took the van back to the hotel, had our massages, and got ready for the beer tasting event that evening.

Omer blondThe beer tasting was a couple of different local brews along with cheese, meat, nuts and frites. It was heaven. I thought that this was going to be our dinner. It wasn’t. But I stocked up anyway!

Dinner was at an amazing local restaurant called Tastes and Colours. Basically we had dinner in a private home with the chef cooking for us while we watched. It was delicious! Great food and great conversation at the end of a great day. What more can I say?

Taste and Colours Taste and Colours

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