2018 Ice Breaker Grand Prix

And it's off - the traditional start to the road season found its mark today at the Ice Breaker Grand Prix in Ontario.

It is a good name for the first race of the year - Ice Breaker. Hypothetically for any given year you could expect it to be pretty cold the second weekend in January. The odds might be better in far North Dakota, Minnesota, or Maine, but this isn't any of those places, and so for this four corner course in Southern California the odds are far more even. Hit and miss. This 2018 edition of the race was one for the wishful-thinkers; unfortunately, or not, bundling up for forty-degree weather does not change the reality of mid-to-high seventies.

At some point in that gap of time between the last summer criterium and this first one of the year, a span of time filled with mountain biking and cyclocross, I tend to forget how exciting crits can be. Their massed groups, high speeds, attacks, pursuits, and sprint finishes offer a different type of competition, and even though I was only around for the morning races, I saw no reason for disappointment. If the rest of the season plays out as well as the kick-off race, there is much to look forward to in the coming months of warmer weather action.

The Flickr album contains a selection of ninety-nine photos from this years' race - included are some Cat 3/4, Masters 50+, Cat 4, Masters 45+, and a few Cat 3s.