Week 3 - Returning Faces & New Rivals
May 19, 2025
From last weeks mid-summer swelter to this week's need for warmth and shelter, you never really know what to expect from springtime in Ontario. What you can expect at our weekly series, however, is that our riders will bring the heat!
Week three brought with it a new adventure on a fresh course that challenged riders in different ways. With a challenging climb to start the race, those with the legs to attack from the outset stood poised to gain advantage as they could reach the singletrack first. Often when racing, some riders will excel on the climbs while an entirely different set of riders make time through bike handling. The best riders, of course, deliver both exceptional skills and enviable fitness but the balance between these characteristics, and how they play out on a given race course, keeps the racing fresh and entertaining for all.
Eli Weening is already showing massive speed gains
Just three weeks in and we can already see improvements in the field as riders race and roll their way into a better state of fitness. One such marvel is Eli Weening who is working hard to earn his way back up to Expert class. After a tough start to the season, Eli has begun chipping away at the lap times of the expert category and will undoubtedly prove to be a tough nut to crack for fellow Sport competitors. With Chad Madaleno on hand and with Kaiden Sampson suffering an unfortunate chain break on the final lap, Eli rode to solo glory with a commanding 1:53 margin of victory. But one victory does not a legacy make. Eli will have to demonstrate next week that this stellar performance was the beginning of a trend and not an outlier. His competitors will certainly be looking to put a stop to any such conversation.
Ellamarie Belcourt delivers her best finish ever!
Another rider who put forth a stunning result on this night was Ellamarie Belcourt who, despite the physical toll on her body from an Ontario Cup race on Sunday, hit the line ready to make her mark on the race. Her extensive race experience allowed Ellamarie to use racecraft to her advantage. She knows what she is capable of, knows her limits, and has the strategic wherewithal to manage her race accordingly.
After the first lap, Ellamarie was holding a mid-pack position of 7th place having spun out a solid 13:08 lap time. While good fortune always plays a part in your results, and Kaiden's broken chain certainly played into Ellamarie's hands, the reality is that Ellamarie made her own luck on this night. By the end of the second lap, Ellamarie had turned it up a notch and pulled almost a full minute of fof her first lap time. This was enough to have her entering the last lap in fourth place behind Phil Goodenough.
Phil Goodenough is back - and chasing podium gold!
While Phil rode an extremely consistent race himself with only 2.5 second variation through all three of his laps (how crazy is that?!), it was not enough to fend off the ridiculous charge of Ellamarie who kept it abso.lutely pinned right to the finish and managed to pull another negative split on lap three to clinch a second place finish and her first Coulson's Hill podium. This is how it's done!
Liam Cullen is turning into a giant killer!
Last week we saw Liam Cullen take advantage of Kelly Cullen's kindness in a ruthless display of competitive drama. Liam had ridden behind Kelly for the entirety of the race and had used his Momma-bear for water as he wasn't carrying what he needed to battle the heat. Then, with two corners to go before the finish, Liam dropped the hammer and sprinted away from Kelly to score the sprint win over his tightest rival on the night. It may have been just a wee bit dirty, buy, hey...that's racing.
This week, Liam played the same game on Scott Morton with whom he sprinted to the line in an all-out effort to secure himself a 10th place finish in the field of 17. Not bad for a 75-pound 10 year old! It just goes to prove that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. On the inside, Liam is as big as it gets! Now, in fairness, it looked to my eyes that Scott gave Liam just a tiny bit of grace before the two sprinting dynamos hit the finish line but it was an epic throwdown either way and I can wait to see more battles like this one.
Just ahead of Liam was another sport rider (and newcomer), Diego Eleazar, who finished only seconds ahead of the sprint after he stopped short of the finish line and then had to spring like a mad man to preserve his hard fought placement.
Melissa Yuricek makes her mark
After seeing Kelly suffer at the hands of her son, Melissa Yuricek joined us for her first race after watching her son, Joseph Jebb, cleaning up in Mini-Me. Perhaps this lesson about how quickly your kids starting becoming real competitors is why Melissa not only rode her entire race and finished in a solid fourth place, but continued on for an additional lap of training once finished. Or...it could have just been a lack of oxygen. The jury is still out. Regardless, kudos to another parent for joining the fray rather than waiting on the sidelines. You're there, you've got a bike, we not suit up and give it a go! We love the attitude and the accompanying smiles that come with it. Maybe you could talk to Erich Baumhard for us, Melissa. ;)
Role reversal as Seamus Cullen tries to drop Craig Hoddy
The battle of the night came down to two riders who have been chasing each other hard all season long. Last week, Seamus Cullen clung to Craig Hoddy's wheel until the very last moment and then launched an attack that saw Craig fall back and settle for second. As expected, Craig was not to be trifled with twice in this battle of the titans.
These two battled back and forth over the entirety of the race, taking turns in the lead, and turning lap times that would make you head spin. On this night, however, when push came to shove, Craig displayed strategic and muscular superiority as the two neared the finish line. Craig set himself into the best position by holding second wheel and waiting for just the right moment to unleash his fury.
Wait a second too long, and you might not have what you need to come around the race leader. Go a second too early, and your legs may quit before the line while your mind says. "Go! Go! Go!". Craig executed perfectly, nailed the timing, and was able to come around Seamus with flawless timing and snatch himself a win for the effort.
Three rounds done and lots of exciting action to come! See you all next week.
Complete results with lap times, splits and more can be found at the link below.
Thanks to Al Muma & Lisa Sampson for photography. Complete photo gallery can be found here.
Week 2 - Bring the Heat
May 12, 2025
What a difference one week can make! From our first week, when the cool evening and a modest threat of precipitation drew a relatively light crowd, to a sun-drenched day and pounding heat that saw racers drawn to the forest like moths to the flame.
Beckett Baumhard completes his first MTB race
Several rookies joined us this week and brought the enthusiasm to new heights as they set out to embark on new competitive journeys in cycling. Renowned hockey star for the Upper York Admirals, Beckett Baumhard was one such new rider. On this night, he joined the Novice ranks and managed a strong fourth place finish after completing two impressively consistent laps. Beckett is the son of Erich Baumhard - a competitive cyclist and coach who has stepped away from the scene for a few years but is now sharing his passion for racing with his son.
Cycling is one of the best sports for multi-generational participation because age and ability are not closely related. Old and young can ride together, race together, and compete hard against one another. The equalizer is saddle time and heart. Riders who can dig deep and commit to the sheer effort of the moment will grow and improve every week and the evolving performances over the season will lay testament to this fact.
Maria Picotti is back and happier than ever!
A big perceived barrier to entry of cycling is equipment cost and complexity. While the starting line of any race is littered with 5-figure super bikes, such exotic machinery is absolutely not a requirement for life-changing experiences or experiencing joy on two wheels. Maria Picotti embraces this simplicity every week and the smile on Maria's face week in and week out speak volumes about the endorphin release that cycling delivers. Maria may be pounding aways on a fully rigid, steel frame with a 3x7 drivetrain but one glance at her face - no matter where you find her in the forest - will make it clear that she is in her happy place. While Maria had an unfortunate spill in 2024 that cut her riding campaign short due to a broken wrist, 2025 is her redemption year and we are thrilled to see her smile lighting up the forest for another season. If only I looked that happy while racing!
Chad Madaleno looks happy too! But wait...there's more.
Where Maria derives her joy from freedom and exhilaration of flying through woods with a group of amazing people, Chad Madaleno found his joy in a slightly more offbeat way. The picture above is from the first corner of the current race course - a mere 200m from the starting line. Chad is looking a little to his right with a big grin on his race for the most classic of sporting reaons: Carnage!
Alex Sampson blows over the berm and pauses carefully to inspect the grass
Corner #1 is a high speed affair with a substantial berm that encourages riders to enter the corner hot and stay off of the brakes to allow the embankment to steer the bike around the corner with maximum velocity. Alex Sampson, looking to put pressure on the Sport field and catch a podium finish, launched hard from the starting line and entered the corner with an early lead of his competitors.
The potential downside to entering the corner "hot" is that your margin for error is substantially reduced. Alex took the line just a few inches too high, his front wheel exited the rut, and then Alex exited the launch vehicle in an untimely manner. Just like Elon...it was an aborted launch.
Hot on Alex's heels was a hard-charging Ethan McFarlane who could not escape the ruckus and promptly crashed into Alex. Both riders escaped with nothing beyond minor scuffs to skin and ego, but the remainder of their race was consumed with trying to recapture lost places. Chad? Well...he just looked on and laughed. Like any good trail riding buddy is likely to do. The complete frame by frame photo sequence can be seen in the gallery linked at the bottom of this report. (Great job, Lisa!)
Chad did get the last laugh, too, as he went on to snag first place in Sport category. In second for the night was Kaiden Sampson who was excited, and a little anxious, to fight it out with Eli Weening. Eli is always a machine as the season progresses and these two riders have never been in the same category to challenge one another until this night.
While Eli lead Kaiden after the first two laps, maintaining a scant 0.4 second lead, Kaiden turned on the jets for the last lap, managed to squeak past Eli with a whole-hearted effort and proceeded to roll the the line with a 2.5 second margin of victory. For Kaiden, this was a dragon-slaying moment of epic proportions. That said, Eli is unlikely to want to see a repeat and the ensuing races are likely to build a passionate rivalry thqat should prove immensely entertaining. These two will be working hard to wipe the smile from Chad's face.
Eric Simpson proves that he is superhuman
A couple of times per season, we see performances that defy explanation and rewrite performance expectations for the entire field. Eric Simpson is often the one writing this story. For some perspective, last week it was Chris Staniewski who set the performance bar by turning laps of 10:21. This time around, Eric lead the race from the start and, while being chased ferociously by Kyle Rae, crossed the finish line almost a minute faster than the standing course record.
Eric's lap of 9:27.5 seems, simply, impossible - until you see that Kyle trailed by only 3 seconds. These athletes make a mockery of human limits and show us that we can, through hard work and dedication, accomplish anything we set our minds to. The artificial limits we set for ourselves are the only things that hold us back from greatness. Look past what you think is possible, live fully in the moment, and allow yourself to fully commit to your path and amazing things can happen.
Craig Hoddy worked hard to shed Seamus Cullen from his wheel
Two other remarkable performances lend credence to this "commitment to the moment" credo. The first such story belongs to Seamus Cullen who is gaining strength and speed with every passing week. Craig Hoddy, who finished second last week and turned one of the fastest laps in the event, looked untouchable entering this race.
Seamus, hot off of a fourth place finish in the first Ontario Cup race of the season at Woodnewton, was hungry for another taste of success. Knowing that Craig is capable of an enormous power surge later in the race, Seamus played his hand conservatively and sat on Craig's wheel through the first few laps hoping to remain close enough to launch a late attack. His strategy was executed flawlessly as, late on lap 4, Seamus attacked for all he was worth and was able to scoot past Craig and win the sprint to the line by a matter of inches.
While the battle was won by Seamus, the evolving war for dominance is far from over. This will clearly turn into a competition of strategy as much as skill and fitness as the season rolls onward.
Ryder Cullen understood the assignment
Clearly reading from the same script, Ryder Cullen and Steve Prosser - a cycling legend by any measure - battled wheel to wheel for the entire race. Swapping spots here and there throughout the event, Ryder used the first few laps to closely watch his opponent, looking for signs of weakness or moments of opportunity, so that, by the time the final lap arrived, Ryder knew exactly what he intended to do. After emerging from the northernmost piece of singletrack, Ryder used the fireroad ascent to attack Steve in an effort to create a gap. And what an attack it was!
By the time the finish line had arrived, Ryder had managed to put almost 15-seconds into Steve and comfortably rode himself to a 5th place finish just behind Craig Hoddy. By virtue of these two stories, one has to wonder if we are witnessing a real changing of the guard as these youngsters find their legs and have developed the strategic resources to match.
Ellamarie Belcourt leads Evgeniya Paraskevova on lap 1
The larger crowd this week also saw a dramatic increase in female ridership. Familiar faces like Ellamarie Belcourt (winner of the Woodnewton Ontario Cup), Annette DeVries, and Lindsay-anne Townsend were joined by newcomer Evgeniya Paraskevova. Cycling is a sport that knows no gender boundaries as far as performance goes and these women are extraordinary ambassadors of the sport and demonstrate that their fitness and skills can go head-to-head against anyone, anytime, anywhere.
In the Sport category, Lindsay-anne took 4th with a solid 13-second lead over Jason Sedore. The last lap is what made the difference here. While Lindsay-anne managed to dial in an 8-second negative split (meaning successive laps become faster rather than slower), Jason lost 9-seconds on his last lap and, as a result, couldn't keep Lindsay-anne in his sights.
Evgeniya trailed Ellamarie after the first lap but made her decisive move on lap 2 and, where Ellamarie faded - likely paying a price for her hard race on Sunday - Evgeniya rode with remarkable consistency and wound up with a decisive 90-second margin over 8th place.
Next week the course will be reversed and it will feel like a completely new experience with new lines, new opportunities, and certainly a whole new slew of intense battles. Can't wait to see you all there!
Complete results with lap times, splits and more can be found at the link below.
Thanks to Al Muma & Lisa Sampson for photography. Complete photo gallery can be found here.
Week 1 - Racing is Life
May 5, 2025
Racing is a peculiar beast. For many potential participants, the idea of paying someone to make you suffer, to bring you to the limit of your endurance, to make your legs ache deeply and bring your heart to the point of bursting seems absurd. "What is the point?", one might rationally ask. While the answer certainly varies by the individual, there is universality to some of the core motivations.
The fundamental need to be a part of something bigger than yourself is one such key. It is one thing to go for a rip in the woods by yourself while relishing the quiet and solitude of being in nature - wheeling through the trees and absorbing the peaceful solitude. It's an element of mountain biking that offers a fulfilling escape from the everyday world where your mind can defocus and think of nothing much at all or focus on chewing through the pressing issues in your day.
The Expert category enjoying a little pre-race banter before the chaos begins
It is an entirely different experience to line up in the starting corral with a group of fellow enthusiasts, hearts pumping faster than it should, nerves tingling from fingers to toes, adrenalin coursing through your veins while you anxiously await the starter's proclamation to "GO!". The collective anticipation and excitement - and the feeling of a shared experience heightened by the emotional demands involved - create an extraordinary feeling of camaraderie and companionship. Whether you are the fastest or slowest rider at the starting line makers zero difference. We all share the excitement of rushing to the first patch of singletrack, the fear over the looming hills, the competitive urge to give it our all. And, to out your mind at ease, even the fittest of riders must push past the same self-doubt: Am I ready? Have I done enough? Will I get smoked by the rider beside me? Can I finish?
Amidst the anxious chatter and easy smiles at the starting line, there is always an undercurrent of nervous anxiety. This, however, is not indicative of a negative experience to come. It is a normal reaction to the impending work to come that helps prepare the mind and body for the task ahead. The moment riders launch from the line is the moment the internal noise vanishes. Now there is but one focus...pedal, pedal, pedal! Your bad day is work is in another universe. The household chores that you neglected in order to attend the race cease to exist. That homework assignment that was weighing you down is but a speck of sand in the desert. Nothing matters but the need to hang on to that wheel in front of you that is agonizingly close but so hard to catch.
This singularity of focus and escape into a realm where the world around you melts away is the transformational moment where mind and body meld into a unit with one intent: To proceed with as much speed as possible. During the race there are inevitably moments of weakness and creeping doubt. Wondering whether your pace is sustainable is the norm. Hoping that your attack or hill climb hasn't compromised your remaining (and dimishing!) leg strength is a given. But once the doubt and fear dissolves into a mindset of grim determination, the reality is identical for every racer on the course. You must not surrender to your aching legs, your pounding heart, or any semblance of negative self-talk.
Surrender is failure. Competing - even for dead last - is victory. Realize that this entire act is a microcosm of life. Those who do, succeed. While those who sit on the sidelines live there in perpetuity until they decide to actually live.
Now...onto the racing action for another season!
The Expert category is looking deep and healthy as ever as familiar faces lined up to battle for supremacy in our penultimate category. Younger athletes like Seamus and Ryder Cullen are eager to displace established veterans while the veterans are expecting to assert their dominance early and begin building a points lead in the Championship standings.
Seamus Cullen pulling the pack on lap 1
The race began with an early acceleration from one such young gun, Seamus Cullen, who took the lead from the start and pulled a train of Expert riders around the course for three quarters of the first lap. Rocking the number "2" plate, indicating a second place finish in last year's championship standings, Seamus continues to make steady improvements and has the potential to become a serious threat to anyone in the field. Speaking with Seamus post race, he stated, "My goal was to get to the singletrack first and then settle the pace down to something I could sustain." Other riders, however, seemed to object to this meticulous planning.
At about 2.5km into the 3.3km course, Myles Cullen, feeling that the pace was not where it needed to be, decided to take matters into his own hands and launched the first attack of the night on an open piece of fireroad after the first climb. From his fourth place position, he pushed hard to pass all three leading riders and assume the role as race leader. With his competition off of his rear wheel, Myles tried to maintain the pace in hopes of dropping the chase pack and riding away to victory. Expectedly, in a case of "it seemed like a good idea at the time", Myles was (quickly) overcome by the fatigue of his over-exertion when a hard-charging Chris Staniewski decided that he had enough of playtime and was ready for the racing to begin.
Chris Staniewski leading Steve Prosser to the first singletrack
Chris attacked with ferocity and, despite their best efforts to hold his wheel, the trailing trio of Myles, Seamus, and Craig Hoddy watched with awe of Chris rode away as if propelled by an electric motor (hmmm....). Craig, who finished the series in third last year and finished the season with exceptional strength, showed up in fine form this spring and was next to attack. He quickly passed Seamus and Myles and made it his mission to keep Mr. Staniewski in his sights. While he was unable to regain the distance lost to Chris, Craig did turn an astonishing fourth lap rivalling the time of this weeks winner, Chris. To provide some insight into the quality of competition on show here, Chris' fourth lap time was 10:21.1 to Craig's 10:21.7. Barely half a second between these two machines after 40+ minutes of racing.
In a result that only renews the fire in my belly, Seamus, for the first time in his racing career, managed an outright victory over "dear old dad". While Myles held the edge over Seamus after Craig's surge to catch Chris for a lap or so, Seamus pushed hard to pass Myles late on lap 3 and was able to hold the gap over the remainder of the race and finished with a commanding 15-second gap to earn himself a third place finish. Congrats, Seamus! (Now consider yourself a marked man.) Expect fireworks as the season progresses.
Sport Class looks to be up for grabs
While familiar faces stood atop the Expert podium, the vibe in Sport class is one of uncertainty. Sport class is often where we find the most heated battles as the season progresses and rider's fitness improves by leaps and bounds as the season progresses. Amongst the experts, changes are relatively subtle. In Sport, a rider from the back of the pack can become a dominant force as they gain fitness from weekly participation.
In a wonderful throwback to years past, it was a pleasure to welcome Jason Sedore back to the racing fold. Jason was a regular at our series for many seasons 10-15 years back, but life had pulled him in different directions as priorities shift through the process of raising a family. But 2025 has marked the year for his ambitious return to racing. This only serves to prove the point that racing scratches an itch that will never disappear once it begins to tickle. This week, he demonstrated that he is a tough competitor that will surely be gunning for a podium finish every week.
This night, however, was all about Kaiden Sampson. Last season, Kaiden rode eight races and his best single finish was a strong 2nd. Typically, Kaiden would be battling for third and made the podium most races. With his delicate dad, Dustin, at home with the sniffles after a social MTB ride on Sunday, the youngest Sampson was the family flag-bearer on this night - and he sure made the family proud! Maybe Dustin just knew what was coming his way and was looking to save face. (I can't give him too hard a time, though, after Seamus whooped my butt!)
Kaiden Sampson lead the Sport class from start to finish
If our first week is anything to go by, Kaiden will become very well acquainted with the podium. Not only did Kaiden demonstrate considerable fitness, his deadly consistent laps reveal that he tactics were equally sound. Using lap 1 to get his bearings and evaluate the competition, Kaiden began lap 2 with a reasonable but vulnerable 7.8 second lead over the aforementioned Jason Sedore. On the second lap, both riders upped the tempo a notch and pulled a chunky 20-seconds off of their respective paces. It's a tall order to improve lap times as the race progresses - and an ideal strategy - and as leading duo entered their third lap, Kaiden lost a few seconds but managed to scoot to the finish line with an 8.8 second margin of victory.
Ethan McFarlane, a champion ski racer in the off-season, took third place in the category and enters the season as the 2024 Champion. Very much"in the hunt" all night long, Ethan was within seconds of the top two riders over the first two laps only to see his pace fall off as the mileage increased. This speaks clearly to his speed as his fitness is not at it's peak but yet Ethan was able to hold on through 70% of the race. As his fitness falls into place, Ethan will surely be looking to make moves towards another championship win.
There's no need to ask who's having fun! Walker Prosser is ripping on his new bike.
Our Novice and Mini-Me fields were light this week but that doesn't mean the riders weren't having fun. Walker Prosser, son of the local legend Steve Prosser was back in full force and setting PBs aboard his first adult bike. The quicker parents can get their kids onto bigger wheels, the better! Bigger wheels roll faster, improve comfort and control, and are the ultimate confidence boost over rough terrains. With his modified Norco Storm, Walker cut through the course like a hot knife through butter and did it with a smile on his face and a big thumbs up for the camera.
Joseph Jebb is adding MTB racing to his sports mix.
Another new rider to the fold this week is aspiring motocross racer, Joseph Jebb. Looking to expand his portfolio of athletic endeavours, improve his cardiovascular fitness, and meet awesome new people, Joseph hit the course to show us his stuff and burn some fast laps. His mom is a rider, too, and we are hoping she joins in on the fun next week, but in the meantime Joseph showed some significant strength on course and turned two relatively consistent laps on our shortened Mini-Me course. With smiles aplenty and a fantastic attitude, it will be exciting to watch Joseph engage with this new adventure and observe the fitness improvements he makes over time. Fitness is a lifelong journey and if we can encourage our youth to find healthy outlets for their boundless time and energy, we equip them to be healthy and mindful adults.
Getting "butts on bikes" is the primary mission at Spoke O'Motion and our race series is where the rubber meets the road. Lip service to ideals doesn't cut it: Providing our community a venue and an opportunity to experience organized cycling is at the core of who we are. Whether in the forest or on the road, Spoke O'Motion Cycling Club delivers ride experiences that shape the lives of those involved. We do it for YOU.
Spread the word and encourage your cycling friends to join us. The more riders we attract, the more exciting the racing becomes.
Complete results with lap times, splits and more can be found at the link below.
Thanks to Al Muma & Lisa Sampson for photography. Complete photo gallery can be found here.