Season Wrap Up

Hello,

This season has been amazing, not necessarily my results, but more so how much I've learned and how much fun I have had traveling across Canada racing the new tracks and being with some of the most fun and interesting people. From the coaches to team mates to people from the other side of Canada that are just as stoked as I am to ride.

I just recently added to my learning experience this season at Hemlock Mountain for the BC Cup finals. I decided that this off season I want to step it up a level, I don't want to sit around waiting for some magical thing to make me faster, so to do this I've got to take chances and push myself. And that's just what I did last weekend at my final race. I was riding great Saturday, pushing myself and getting loose, the track was wide open and was very fast. Sunday I was having a great race run and hanging it out. Halfway through though my back wheel got caught in a rut when I attempted an outside line and I ended up upside down tangled in my bike with a mouth full of dust. I jumped back up as quick as I could and continued on to finish with my brake lever bent up and my seat crooked. I finished fourth in Junior, 12th in Pro and 9 seconds off the fastest time of the day. My result wasn't what I was hoping but that's the consequences sometimes of taking chances and pushing myself. One of the Cycling BC coaches said I was one of the two fastest riders through the rock drop and I am confident that if I apply what I've learned this season than I will be able to ride that pace and faster consistently next season.

I finished off the BC Cup series in 3rd overall and placed 4th overall in the Canada Cup series. As you have probably guessed I was not selected for the World Championships team, missing it by one spot. It was an arguable decision by the CCA as I placed higher in Canada Cup points over the fourth picked junior from Newfoundland, but he did place higher than me at National Championships. A lot of people heard and thought that I was going and even just last week one of the Cycling BC team coaches sent an email to the CCA asking them to reconsider there decision as he believed I had progressed so much this year that I should be going.

Thanks so much to the people/companies that have made this season my best yet; First of all I'd like to thank Nancy Riesco Interior Design Inc. and Vancor Capital Ltd. for their financial support for my flights this season. Cycling BC, without them I wouldn't have been able to make the jump from the provincial level to the national level with all their support providing accomadation, coaching and on ground transportation for the entire National Series. Steven's Pools for their very generous financial support. Banshee BIkes for setting me up with the Legend MK2 race machine. POC helmets and armour for keeping me safe and looking good. Spank Industries for their support and Mike for keeping my bikes spinning on Spank rims. Race Face for their continuing support of me and providing me with the best components around. X-Fusion shocks for their very tuneable suspension and Suspensionwerx for keeping my suspension running smoothly. Kuat racks for their incredibly useful racks. NRG enterprises for supplying me with all my Maxxis rubber and Hope products. I'd also like to thank North Shore Billet, Five-Ten, Leatt Brace, Tyler at Twenty6 products, Gamut USA and SDG saddles. And last but not least my very supportive family that helps me reach for and achieve my goals.

I am looking forward to training hard this off season and having fun riding my bike. This off season and next race season I will be stepping it up and jumping to that next level and become closer to my goals of being an international rider and travel the world.

Thanks to everyone for making this a great season.

Forrest

forrestriesco.blogspot.com



Thanks to all the people/companies for supporting me for the 2011 race season.

Banshee bikes.
POC helmets and armour.
Vancor Capital Ltd.
Nancy Riesco Interior Design Inc.
Cycling BC
Spank industries.
Race Face components
X-Fusion shocks
Kuat racks
Suspensionwerx
North Shore billet
Five-Ten
Leatt Brace
Twenty6 products
NRG enterprises
Gamut USA
SDG saddles