Fort Collins Colorado
06/09/2014
Cyclocross is a physically demanding, off-road brand of bike racing. A typical course consists of a 1.5 to 2 mile loop with paved and dirt sections over rolling terrain. As if that weren’t enough, there are natural and man-made obstacles that force riders to quickly jump off of their bikes, carry them, and remount when they’ve cleared them. When thinking of a way to get your health on track and lose a few hundred pounds, there are lots of crazy exercises and diets you might try. But cyclocross?
Ernest Gagnon of Billerica, MA did exactly that. About 4 years ago, Ernest weighed nearly 570 pounds and his health was failing. Only in his early 30’s, his diabetes was becoming more serious and his doctors had begun talking about gastric bypass surgery. Instead of surgery, Ernest decided to take matters into his own hands, or feet, as it were. At over 500 pounds, he was going to start cycling and pursue bike racing; a dream he had as a child.
After contacting several cyclists in his area via Facebook, the mission was on. Get active. Lose weight. Begin a healthier lifestyle. In the process, Ernest also found something else. Himself. He gained a network of friends and the confidence to take racing cyclocross head-on. He has since raced 15 cyclocross races in several states. This October, he will be taking on Cross of the North in Fort Collins, CO. All of his prior races have been in the northeastern United States. “I’m honored to come to Colorado for Cross of the North” says Ernest. “I’ve never been west of the eastern time zone, so it will be fun!”
The weekend of October 10-12, Fort Collins is hosting Cross of the North with Ernest as the guest of the host team, 1st City Cycling. They, along with Your Group Ride and Cross of the North, are sponsoring Ernest’s trip to Colorado. “On behalf of the Fort Collins cycling community, I’m excited to share our love of the sport with Ernest and I look forward to Ernest sharing his love of cycling with us.” says Dan Porter, Founder and President of Your Group Ride. “It’s going to be a great race weekend.”
Timothy Lynch, Race Director of Cross of the North sums it up best. “Ernest Gagnon is an inspiration to us all and he reminds us that the sport of cyclocross can be enjoyed by everyone of any age, or fitness level. Whether you race or spectate, cyclocross is about the passion on the bike and the community and camaraderie it promotes. We are thrilled that Ernest has chosen the 2014 Cross of the North for his first Colorado cyclocross experience and look forward to hosting him!”
If you’ve never been to a cyclocross race, Cross of the North 2014 will be a great introduction. Don’t race bikes? Come out and simply experience the Colorado cycling community. Who knows, you may be inspired to do more than just ride a bike.
Cross of the North 2014 will be held at The Ranch Events Complex at 5290 Arena Circle, Loveland, CO 80538 the weekend of October 10-12. Events will include races on both Saturday and Sunday as well as a “Friday Night Lights” event on October 10. For more details on the weekend, please visit http://www.crossofthenorth.com
Additional Links:
Ernest Gagnon
www.facebook.com/ernestgagnoncyclist
Cross Of The North
www.twitter.com/crossofthenorth
www.facebook.com/crossofthenorth
First City Cycling Team
www.facebook.com/firstcitycyclingteam
Your Group Ride
www.facebook.com/yourgroupride
More on Ernest:
Velo News: http://bit.ly/1hxTHzy
NPR: http://n.pr/1m22lFc
