Banff GranFondo

Time - 5:30am. Place - cafeteria in the bowels of the Banff Springs Hotel...

"I need as much coffee as possible, is this your largest size?"
"yes"
"do you have free refills? Great, then I will buy this one, and you can give me two so I don't have to come back for a refill"
"I don't really understand, but sure. That will be $3.75"

I was left with an empty extra cup and only 16 ounces of bad coffee for four dollars.

The GranFondo is not a race. It's more of a participation event, and one that draws 1500 riders. But it has a start line, a finish line, a number plate and a timing crew. Hmmm.....
It makes me wonder what the deterrent to "real" racing is for the typical GranFondo participant. Maybe real race entry fees are too low, or maybe the average participant shies away from competition for competition's sake - away from the guise of participant medals, photo-ops and media coverage.

...But there is a finish line. And someone has to cross it first. Race or no-race, the competitive spirit is too hard to keep down, particularly among Calgary business-types. I had already been inspired (instructed) by my corporate hosts to "win" this non-competitive event.

With a mountain-bike style front number plate and the race/ride shortened to 100km for a bear scare, I felt right at home and was happy to oblige, first to cross the line. I could swear the relative altitude had me hardly breathing on some efforts after the high-elevation week in Colorado. "Team BDP" owned this non-competitive event with Jared Green also rolling across the line in our final leading group of 7. good value for them and their guests.

The ensuing attention surprised me: two video interviews (one on CBC news http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Calgary/ID/2272501767/) two more for the newspapers, general congratulations from all around, and all the excitement you would expect after a... Race. Maybe one side is onto something here, if we could only meet in the middle one day.