A day on the flanks of Mount Brome

Past October, we joined multi-talented Damien Cyrenne for a day in the Canadian Bromont Ultra series. Not only does he work in the bike clothing industry, Damien also breathes sports at any moment he’s not on the job. You can find the 29-year-old riding his bike most of the time, switching to cross-country skiing when temperature hits below freezing point.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF YEAR

The Bromont Ultra is a one-of-a-kind mountain bike race held at the end of the racing season in Quebec, Canada. October is the perfect time of year to hit the tracks for a full day: with leaves turning red, yellow and orange at acceptable temperatures - the vast nature of Canada turns into a bikers paradise. During the previous editions, the event has welcomed adventurous visitors to compete on world-class trails for a full day of racing across a course that covers nearly every part of this picturesque rider’s paradise. Damien joined the 80km ride, covering nearly 3,000 meters of altitude in over 8 hours & shared his experience with us.

"In Canada, it's pretty hard to get good training in on the bike. The area is basically covered in snow for the first 4 months of the year. This year I jumped right on my bike from the moment I could, ending up at a descent 6,500km in total. It's been a pretty hectic year on the job, but still I was able to be on my bike 5 days a week, covering the others with running. With this in mind, I knew I was ready to challenge the Bromont Ultra this year.

At 8AM sharp, we started our endeavour. I had been riding intensively the days before, but the legs felt quite good. I was in the front of the pack for the first hour, but had to let go of the best riders once we got to the more technical parts. I had a flat tire after one and a half hours. From then I knew I wouldn't be able to get to the finish line within the time I was hoping for. Even worse, my stomach started to hurt and I realised by then it was going to be a hard day. I know these routes around the mountain quite well, but in a group setting everything feels way different. On the one hand, everything happens faster and it's hard to have a constant understanding of what's happening in front of you. But on the ther hand you're so much more competitive than on training and I got some of my best Strava times in."

After 8 hours of pure suffering, Damien made it to the end of the Ultra. Mission achieved for the Bromont born and raised.

"The Mountainbike scene in Bromont and the broader parts of Quebec is growing year on year. It's becoming the go-to place for alot of foreign travelers as well. It's always a pleasure to participate in these kind of races. Canadian cycling has a great outlook for the future years. I will be back next year. That's for sure. The mountains in Bromont feel like my playground and i just want to continue riding my bike every day. I'll settle down for winter and make sure I'm back on track for next year."