November 13, 2006 - Timmerman Podium in Canada

Dan Timmerman has been racing north of the border and writes the following race report from Canada’s only UCI cyclocross event. You can read about the event on cyclingnews.com and a podium shot of Dan in a funny hat. He promises to wear a hat from his sponsors in the future.

Timmerman 2nd at Aurora Cyclocross, Canada, November 5th

Fiordifrutta's Dan Timmerman raced the Aurora Cyclocross race in Aurora, Ontario last weekend after spending the week at the Canadian Cycling Centre in Dundas, Ontario. The centre put Timmerman through all kinds of unfamiliar training like yoga, plyometrics, and actual mid-week bicycle riding. His main competition for the race would be Greg Reain who spends most of his time racing in Europe and was home for Canadian nationals the week after.

After a few riders made early attempts, Timmerman settled in well off the front with Reain on his wheel. The two went pull for pull the whole race. Each rider made an attempt to drop the other, but none were successful.

Going onto the last lap, Reain rode the sand pit that Timmerman opted to run and was able to make an attack coming out. Timmerman quickly chased him down just in time to make another bobble at the top of a run up. He again clawed his way back, feeling the burn of all the lunges and suicide sprints he had done a few days before.

Timmerman's fatal mistake would be in the final corner where he slid his wheel out on the gravel and rolled in for second place. In hindsight it would have been beneficial for Timmerman to have made a move well before that as there was not much room to pass in a sprint afterward. Oh well....scout out the course better next time. A lesson learned as the rider travels back to the states to race the Lower Allen Classic next weekend.