Back in Québec

As of this writing, I should have been back in Lubbock, unpacking and unwinding. Instead I am in a hotel room at Mont-Sainte-Anne, site of the just-finished 2022 UCI Mercedes-Benz Mountain Bike World Cup, round number 7 and thus the penultimate race for this season. Why am I still here? Last night I received a text message from American Airlines that my morning flight today from Québec City to Chicago had been cancelled, and now I am rebooked for tomorrow's flight from YQB to Philadelphia. The reason is weather related, which is 2022 airline parlance for "we don't have enough crew and/or airplanes to deal with all those problems facing us and really don't give much of a damn."

While sitting in a ski resort sounds like a good way to while away the day it's not quite as glorious. I have no transportation, there are no restaurants or stores within walking distance (except the restaurant here at the Delta by Marriott, where I have been eating since my arrival), and today's weather was pretty much of a mixed bag. In other words, it's been a bit of a wasted day, especially in light of my tight traveling schedule for the next few weeks. Oh well, as always it could be so much worse. At least I get to write this blog entry while the event is still fresh on my mind.

The St. Lawrence River as seen from the gondola

I arrived here last Wednesday night, about three hours later than scheduled, but at least I did arrive and my luggage arrived with me, something that some of the entourage at the event could not say. Everything had been smooth from Lubbock to DFW and then onward to Chicago, where my flight was one of the few flights that weren't shown as cancelled or delayed by weather—at least until we were 30 minutes away from boarding. The screens were updated in 30-minute intervals with our flight being pushed back every time, and I started to think that I would have to stay in ORD. By total coincidence I had run into Bonnie, USA Cycling's technical director, who was also on the way to Québec City on a personal trip, and we commiserated together in the Admiral's Club. And then, surprisingly, we had a plane and a crew to fly it, and so we were off to YQB.

Don't worry, Bonnie, we won't need to find a hotel bed!

Over the years, Mont-Sainte-Anne has hosted numerous World Cups and two World Championships, so the organizers are well-prepared. A friendly representative and shuttle driver were waiting for me despite the late hour, and 45 minutes later I was at the Delta. It wasn't even quite 1:00 a.m. yet—for this day and age I was almost on time!

Bonnie, Adrian, and I escaped one evening to this lovely brewpub with view
of the St. Lawrence River. It was the only time for me to leave MSA.

This was one of the UCI's combined World Cups, meaning that both gravity as well as endurance events were on the schedule. But other than at our recent USA Cycling 2022 National Mountain Bike Championships, no enduro or dual slalom were offered, and participants were limited to only a few hundred world-class athletes, without any amateur participation. Instead of seven competition days there were only three, with one featuring only the Elite Men and Women's short track races. This hardly compares to the chockful schedule that Winter Park offered for literally thousands of athletes in all imaginable age categories and various skill levels. There is definitely more support staff at a World Cup, but to say that it is an "easier" race to work would be a grave mistake. With live coverage being beamed around the globe there is immense pressure on the commissaires, and if you screw up, well, your career is pretty much over.

While I'm idling, UCI commissaires Erica, Michael, and PCP Justin confer

Fortunately I was not one of the commissaires. I did the other work, behind the scenes, that you know I cannot talk about. So please don't ask if you don't know. It's rather irrelevant.

On Thursday I had a chance to re-familiarize myself with the lay of the land at Mont-Sainte-Anne. The last time I had been out here had been in pre-blog days, back in 2010 for that year's UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, and I had been a member of the commissaires' crew. Not much has changed since then: The mountain still rises steeply behind the hotels and other buildings, the view toward the not-very-distant St. Lawrence River is still impressive, and the locals still speak their patois of French, Québecois. It is a beautiful location, and the people are friendly and easy-going. It is a bit odd to be almost at sea level yet have a mountain ridge that reaches about 3,000 feet, riddled with first-class ski runs and mountain bike trails. There are no problems with oxygen uptake like in Winter Park where we were at about 9,000 feet elevation; similarly, it was somewhat humid here while there was none of that mountain crispness that Colorado dishes up. How cool to experience two such dissimilar places within the span of a couple of weeks!

Impressions from WE XCC (Elite Women Short Track) start

On Friday morning I met up with my colleague Carol from Brazil. She and I had had last worked together at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Arkansas early this year. I guess it's pretty cool to be assigned to two WCs in one year.... Carol had brought along her mom, Wanda, and a family friend, Paolo, as they were all going to spend a bit of time traveling after the race. It's too long a way from Brazil not to make good use of such an opportunity. However, sightseeing would have to wait until after the weekend as we were busy setting up shop, training volunteers, and assuring that we were prepared for our task.

Saturday was the day for the downhill competition, and the mountain was teeming with spectators. From early in the morning they started to clamber up the slopes to get to prime viewing spots, armed with vuvuzelas and chainsaw motors (it's all about the sound, not cutting off limbs!) to cheer on those amazingly skilled daredevils who ride down slopes that one cannot walk, at speeds that rival cars on a smooth highway. On my gondola ride up the mountain on Thursday (unfortunately a cloudy and foggy day) I had taken a few pics of the course from the air, but they don't do any justice representing the incredibly rocky and steep terrain. All the racers I talked to simply loved the course!

The day was sunny, and the atmosphere among the spectators was electrifying. If you've never been to such a big event but are a fan of the sport you really owe it to yourself to add a big race to your bucket list. Even though I have to admit that I am somewhat jaded since I have experienced quite a few of these world-class competitions, I still catch myself grinning ear-to-ear when I marvel at the crowds, hear the noise, and see yet another rider frantically pedaling those last few meters into the finish and coming to a sliding stop in the run-out, immediately looking back to see the time display. There's the "Hot Seat" for the currently three best-placed riders, and since the finals are run from slowest to fastest qualifier the occupants of the hot seat keep changing and the excitement is only building up.

With our all-access credentials we get a chance to get as close as one can get to the action (of course always mindful of the live cameras). It was fun to see my commissaire friends do their job—Justin was PCP (the UCI's name for the Chief Referee), there were Michael, Nathalie, and Adrian from Canada in their UCI uniforms, and maybe best of all my dear friend and mentor Freddie whom I hadn't seen in many years was also part of the crew. I met an aspiring new commissaire, Erica, from Colombia, plus a few of the supporting national coms from Canada. Simon, Beat, and Kaia from the UCI were there, all familiar faces who travel the UCI circuit year after year. Lots of fist bumping, believe me, and some heartfelt hugs, too, damn you, COVID. It's sure nice to not only know these people by face and name but to have worked with them and to also hang out with them late in the evening, after the day's work is done. It's an interesting tribe, and I am proud and grateful to belong to this odd family.

The legendary Freddie—I owe him and his inspiration my international career

Nathalie, who worked races before Justin was born
(and I before I knew what UCI meant)

Sunday brought the culmination of the weekend with the four cross-country (XCO) races for both the U23 as well as Elite Men and Women. The day had started out with sunshine and happy crowds getting ready for the "big kids" by watching the real kids' races with some tots probably not older than 2 years, on little strider bikes, competing for medals on a short circuit with their parents running behind them. Oh, what a great sport cycling is! Still, I was glad that my assignment didn't cover those little guys and I could just enjoy the chaotic races!  😂 

Shortly after the Elite Women had started their race the skies broke open and a veritable deluge hit Mont-Sainte-Anne. Carol and I were in our inside work area, watching the action on a big flat-screen TV while our helpers were at the finish line getting soaked. The riders were slipping and sliding on the now-slick and muddy course. It was rather epic, and I was glad that I was not one of the commissaires getting flooded. Yet, by the time the Elite Men toed the line, things had somewhat normalized, and with the sun once again poking through heat and humidity went through the roof. I had one racer later tell me it was like racing in Brazil. Certainly, it was a worthy World Cup!

Carol and I did the job we came out to do, met a lot of interesting people (thank you, young Charles!), and were glad to be given the chance to contribute to the success of this international event. Even though I wouldn't rank Mont-Sainte-Anne as a prime destination to spend a week of vacation (unless you are a hardcore downhiller and live fairly close-by—places such as the Colorado Rockies or Whistler in BC seem to be more tourism-oriented with local ancillary businesses such as restaurants, shops, and brewpubs, none of which are close to MSA) I am thinking about a bike trip starting in Montreal and then riding along the St. Lawrence toward Québec City and then maybe onward toward the Atlantic. I'll have to do a bit of research, especially in regard to returning by train back to Montréal. We'll see. For right now I'm more focused on flying home tomorrow and starting the next phase of my summer adventures. À bientôt!

Jürgen