by Coach Alan Dempsey
The Bromont velodrome is a very unique complex. Whereas Milton is designed with a large central entrance that funnels you into a ticket booth of sorts. The foyer then funnels you either in one direction to the velodrome, or another to the stands. It’s a very functional and practical layout but it’s very closed. It’s reminiscent of the tunnel-style layout of a large hockey arena. You cannot see any of the activity areas until you’re actually present in those spaces.
Bromont on the other hand looks more like a cafe with sports-stuff happening in the background. It’s wide open. To your left you can see the running track, above you can just glimpse the boards of the velodrome, and in front of you is the indoor pump-track. It’s a much more laid back experience. One can literally buy a can of beer at the front desk poured from a tap directly behind the same counter you sign-in to ride the track. It’s almost jarring but really captures the vibe of Bromont in general.
We were there to ride for two days so a night in the on-site dorms was on the agenda. Right next to the velodrome complex is what looks like a cottage chalet. It looks a little out of place next to such a modern and brand new building. On the second floor we found our rooms, standard hostel style fare; four bunk beds in a cramped room with a small desk. On this same floor is a large kitchen and dining area with a TV, this made for the perfect location for our seminars.
After settling into our rooms and fighting over top bunks, the athletes sat down for their first seminar of the day. In it we went over the basic skills and tactics athletes need to race track. They’d each had their introduction to safety and track etiquette during their certification sessions. We were there to get racing so we spent the bulk of our time discussing rules, tactics, safety, and skills related specifically to racing on the track.
After this initial seminar it was time to kit up and head down to the track to put our theory to practice. We were fortunate to have Eric Van Den Eynde, former head coach of both the Quebec provincial track program and Canadian National team, with us during our sessions to help run drills, intervals, and provide guidance to the athletes.
At the end of our two hour private session many of us, coaches included, stayed to get some extra time riding the open track training session for an additional 2 hours.
Next up it was dinner time and our second seminar of the day. At which time we went over the main race formats, watched some fun examples of track racing, and ate a delicious meal prepared by Marieve Perron (Elizabeth’s mom).
The next morning we opted for a later start to the day because of the added riding time the night before. The athletes were spared Sally Up/Sally Down planks… Our second private session was centred around racing and practicing races via various simulations. We were guided through a handful of drills by coach Marc to get the athletes comfortable riding in a pack before trying their hand at the Elimination Race. This was a lot of fun! Riders got to see firsthand how tactical track can be, the importance of situational awareness, and how to use their individual strengths to their advantage. It came down to a sprint between Evan Z and Tristan G in the final round. Paxton L played the best hand. His cat and mouse at the back of the pack was so well executed that he got himself down to the final three.
Throughout the race, Paxton was situated near the top of the track, this gave him somewhere to go during the sprint. It means he works a little harder, but it ensures he doesn’t get boxed in. Each sprint lap, a small kick into the opening to his right kept him from being eliminated while riders sitting on the black line were trapped and popped.
In track racing there is a rule that during the final 200m of a sprint, one cannot enter the Pole lane (the lane between the black and red lines on the track). This means if you start your sprint from outside that lane, you must stay there. The advantage goes to the rider who is in this lane as they have the shortest path around the final corner. Evan made a split second move sprinting against Tristan in the final of the Elimination race. Staying out of the pole lane and forcing Tristan up the track to his right, Evan waited until the last possible second dropping into the pole lane right at the 200m to go line forcing Tristan to come around the outside. Tristan’s punch won the day and Evan was overtaken on the outside, but Evan’s tactical move gave him a fighting chance.
From here, we were going to spend the remainder of our time on the Team Pursuit. But not before trying our hand at one last bunch race. Unfortunately a crash at the very start of this race ended our day early. Fortunately it happened while moving slowly (too slowly in fact, the low speed was the cause of the crash!). That’s bikes. Accidents happen.
Overall everyone had a great time. Our athletes got to work with some very experienced coaches, got valuable riding time, and learned a lot about the art of track racing! Hopefully they’re fired up to try their hand at a race before the season winds down!
A HUGE thanks to Marieve Perron for organising a lot of the big details and logistics for this event! It wouldn’t have happened without her involvement and dedication! Thanks to Martin Genier, who was our on-the-track coach, Doug Holt, and David Bilenky for joining and helping to chaperone, provide guidance, and support the riders throughout the weekend. It takes a team of dedicated parent volunteers and coaches to make projects like these work and run smoothly!