OBC Grand Prix race report, by Peter Tregunno

photo courtesy Jeffrey Furry. click for bigger

You may have seen the official results and news release following the OBC GP up over at Canadian Cyclist, or at the OBC website, here at ottawabikes we're lucky to have gotten the inside scoop from Peter Tregunno, one of the principal organizers of the event. Thanks Peter for letting us know what it's like for you to put on the biggest bike racing event in Ottawa.

Usually, I'm in the pack on the start line, waiting for the show to begin. But for one weekend a year, I get to be on the other side - giving the start rather than taking it. Here's what the week leading up to the Grand Prix is like for me as the race organizer.

• Saturday - get out for a ride 'cause it's the last good one for a week. Ride through the Park on the way home, things are looking good.
• Sunday - check the on-line registration. We're sitting at 160, which is low with 3 days to the close of registration. If the numbers are below a particular level, I know the OBC's going to loose money. The magic number is way above 160! Start to worry. Get the database set up for all of the various forms (sign on, riders by name, riders by number, riders by category, riders by hair colour). Discover that everything I set up last year doesn't work with my new laptop. Argh!
• Monday - Get the final schedule details off to Ross Knight so that he can draw up the master chart that shows where every pack is at every point in time during the race. Check on registration levels - about 260 - better, but not good enough. Send out press releases. Send out road closure notices again.
• Tuesday - compulsively check the registration levels every hour. They're going up, but I'm still worried. Go to the A crit. Do the quick announcement, cut my crit short so that I can get home and finish the updates for the rider information sheets and website
• Wednesday - I've now gone to from checking every hour to checking the registration count every 15 minutes. I can tell when the guys got home from the crit and told their wives that they going to race on Saturday. Answer a bazillion e-mails - how to I get to the start line? can I wear a sleeveless jersey? Pray for enough volunteers who are race smart and can drive a car (this year, we had 18 vehicles following the race - many of the cars were driven by people who have raced in the past).
• Wednesday afternoon - Ross calls - race would work better if we moved this start and that start by just a bit. Ok, the ideas sound good. Ross is a real pro at judging this.
• Wednesday night, 23:59 - check registration counts - 620. Ok, we're good to go.
• Thursday morning, 5:00 - assign numbers to riders - I ran out of coffee and while checking the list, find that I have two people as #520. Fix that, and resend the order for the bib numbers. Get more coffee - life is good now - go to Staples with a 2300 page printing job (wavers, start lists, info sheets). Another bazillion emails - but only a few people asking "Is it too late to register" - send form reply...
• Thursday afternoon - things are ok - time to actually go for a ride
• Friday morning - meet with NCC, get keys to the park. Get the keys for the Chelsea Community Centre. Pick up race radios. Buy food for 80 volunteers.
• Friday afternoon - registration. Meet with commissaires. Ross makes sure that everything gets a green light.
• Saturday morning, 3:30: alarm clock goes off. Get coffee. Drive to park, start getting set up. Ross arrives at 5:30. Sportstats at 5:45. The van with food for the riders at 5:50. The OBC van with everything else 6:00. Quick rain shower (please don't rain all day!!!) Volunteers start showing up around 6:30. Traffic cones have to be set out (at the base of Fortune). 7:15 - a quick review of how everything works with the drivers. 7:30 - get to the start line, get the cars in place, get the right people into the right cars. 7:40 - 5 minutes to first start - we're ready. 7:55 - all of the first wave groups are off, not too many people missed their starts. Relax. Breath. Watch the first few groups go by - good to see local riders at the sharp end. 9:30 - second wave - Masters C and D - their start depends on the progress of the Master B race - which is right on schedule. 10:00 start to get the U15 racers together - their start really depends on the progress of a number of races. 10:30, again right on time, start the minimes. 10:31. I'm done for another year! 11:30 - the last racer comes through the finish line, just as we're getting everything taken apart.

I must thank the over 80 volunteers who come out each year - I don't really tell them what to do, they all just know what needs to be done.

For the local racers - the Grand Prix has now run with the same (essentially) format for 13 years. All that has changed is the start/finish location and the number of laps for a couple of categories. I know that some of you want me to blow up the Fortune climb. An equal number want the finish at Camp Fortune. Someone even asked for a free lap... I'm open to new ideas!