Daring downhill riders dominated a classic cross-country line from the top of the Canmore Nordic Centre trails in an all-natural, stunt-free Super-D race, last weekend.
Logan Sadesky, 15, was the fastest U17 rider for Day 2 of Canmore Bikefest, nearly catching his Rundle Mountain Cycling Club coach, Matt Hadley.
“I was 18 seconds off my coach. I’m pretty proud of that,” said Sadesky, who has been a force to reckon with in the Alberta Cup series this year.
On a course that favoured his deft technical skills, Sadesky was quickest through the twisty, rooted sections, clocking a winning time of 11:16. The time was strong enough for the U17 title and would have ranked fifth in the open men’s division.
“My strengths are up near the top, stuff that’s a little more technical, not so much on the really fast road sections,” Sadesky said. “This course was pretty technical, so it worked out for me.”
In traditional Alberta Cup mountain bike races, Sadesky said he tends to lose time on the climbs, so the Super-D is now one of his favourite races.
“This is definitely my strongest. It’s something different.”
RMCC high flyer Andreas Massitti finished second in the U17 race with a time of 11:26, finishing ahead of Reed Godfrey, who clocked a time of 11:48.
Kate Aardal of Calgary took the win in the women’s category. The race was her first Super-D, so she lowered her seat, strapped on her baggies and prepared for the thrill.
“It was tight. Tight corners in some sections, lots of roots. It had a bit of everything,” Aardal said.
Dry conditions made riding a bit tricky, and she did go off course on occasion, but not enough to sabotage her ride. The Calgary engineer is now off to Single Track Six.
