My Trip to Nationals in Massif Du Sud, Quebec

MY TRIP TO NATIONALS IN MASSIF DU SUD, QUEBEC
This was my first ever National event that I have taken part in, and I felt very honored to have been asked to represent Team Alberta. When we arrived in Quebec, I stayed with my Grandma at her house, which is right in Quebec City. Knowing that Mont-Sainte-Anne was pretty much right around the corner, that’s where my Dad and I headed. The weather was holding up for us, and the sun was shining, so up the chairlift we went. Right away we looked for the “World Cup” course, and found it, but unfortunately it was closed due to the World Cup being held during the next week.

We found a different course called “La 1837”, so we decided to give that one a try. It’s a double black run full of mossy rocks and tight 90 degree corners. There were a few steeps with slippery roots growing all over them which made it pretty tough to stay on course. The entire run from top to bottom was about 4 to 5 minutes in length. When we got about ¾ of the way down, we met a rider who had fallen and broke his ankle. We helped him get his bike through the rock garden, and he managed to get to the bottom himself.

After a day at Mont-Sainte-Anne, we headed to Massif Du Sud for Nationals. We arrived on Thursday, and went directly to the hill to walk the course. Thursday was warm and sunny, and that was about the only day where the weather was decent. As we made our way up the hill, we realized that this wasn’t your typical Quebec style course. There were a lot of slippery root sections, and not many rocks, and it was proving to be a course very fun to ride. On my way down, I managed to slip and fall, and ended up dislocating my shoulder. Unsure what to do next, I popped it right back in, and it was a bit sore for the next few days, but nothing very serious.
We checked into our B&B and had a great night’s sleep, and got up early the next morning and headed to the hill. The weather took a turn, and it rained on and off all day. The course was turning into sludge, with all the rain. We took it relatively easy for the rest of practice, and went to rest up. Sunday was here, and it was race day. As I made my way up to the start gate, it was foggy, and you couldn’t see anything. The rain started, and you knew it was going to be slick. My race run was great for the most part – considering I had to come to a stop twice, in order to pass two riders in front of me. I got to the bottom with a clean run, and just had to put the rest of it out of my mind, as there’s nothing you could do about it at that point. I ended up placing 5th in Under 17 (Cadet). I had a great experience at Nationals, and got to ride some world class trails, and met some fantastic people. If any of you get the opportunity to ride in Quebec - take it!!
PS – Congratulations to my Dad for finishing in 2nd place in Masters Expert!!

Cody Ratte
Calgary Cycle DH Race Team