Three friends and I decided to do Paris to Ancaster for the first time this year. It’s one of the most well-known races in Canada and has been running for almost 30 years. The route covers pavement, gravel, singletrack... and a lot of mud. Known for being extremely muddy and messy, it’s where roadies bring out their cyclocross and mountain bikes. This year the 100km route was also the inaugural Canadian Gravel Championships.

We had meant to do the 100km but misread the race instructions and showed up late - but in time for the 70km. This turned out to be a stroke of luck considering the weather. It was six degrees, windy, rainy and most of the pre-race conversation we had was how to dress for it.

I originally got into cycling through a friend of mine, Martin. He worked in the bike industry and recommended that I get a bike to commute to work. It ended up being a black fixie that I could use for the summer. I loved the fact that I could do things on my own, and not chase after the bus or metro anymore. The more I commuted to work, the more resilient I became in bad weather, and eventually I was riding all year no matter the conditions. I think that helped me at P2A!

After parking the car at the finish, we took a 30min bus ride to the start line and waited for our wave. At first the course was rolling hills without much elevation gain. The first 20km was fairly fast and not highly technical. We went through lovely farms and private roads that were open just for the event.

Midway, the course got much more technical with some singletrack and a massive mud field where it was impossible, for me and many other riders, to pedal. I grabbed my bike and walked most of the way through. We were all covered with mud from head to toe, but we tried not to stop so that we’d stay warm.

I’ll admit, I don’t do great in the rain. I usually get grumpy and don’t enjoy a single moment. But not this time. My friends were in such a good mood that it helped me make the best of the situation. It just became fun.

The last climb of the race was 800m at 6.2%, with the last 300m kicked up to 11.1%. It’s steep! I loved that people on the side of the road were cheering and you feel the finish coming, you know it’s time to empty the tank and give it your all. I love those punchy climbs and wasn’t expecting that.

I rode the brand-new Argon 18 Krypton at P2A. It was actually a big test: being an all-road bike, I knew the new Krypton could handle various terrain, but I was worried this may prove to be too much for it. I was wrong. I definitely felt that I had the right tool for the job. I felt confident on the bike, very stable and so much snappier than other all-road bikes I’ve been on.

It was great seeing all the new Canadian Gravel Champions from different age groups on the podium. Many people weren’t pros, and just set this amazing personal goal to be the fastest gravel rider in Canada. It must have been an incredible day for them.

Overall, it was a great weekend with my friends in Ontario. A big thank you to the Paris to Ancaster organisation for hosting such great event, and to the community who opened their doors so that we could ride through their fields. Also thanks to Cycling Canada and Argon 18 who supported the event. Maybe most importantly, thanks to Muc Off who cleaned my bike after the race. It was much needed.