Elite Canmore mountain biker earns first big win in short course

NEW BRUNSWICK – Logan Sadesky went into another gear and burned rubber to the finish line to pick up his first major XCC victory against tough national competition.

The formidable field didn’t make it easy on the 24-year-old cross-country mountain biker of Canmore though, who was pushed to the limit for a photo finish at the Canada Cup in Dieppe, New Brunswick on July 12.

“Where it really came down to was that final approach into the finish line,” said Sadesky. “I’ve just learned over the years and I knew that trying to be that second wheel coming into that final sprint was key and I was able to do that and just overtake the one guy in front of me.”

Hitting up to 55 km/h in the final sprint, Sadesky hauled ass in the short race, a 1.25km lap five times around, and crossed the finish line .37 seconds in front of second place Carter Woods and .60 seconds ahead of third place Ian Ackert in the elite men’s category.

Historically, most short and sweet races haven’t suited Sadesky well, but gaining experience on the Dieppe course over the years gave the gold medallist the edge needed this time around.

“It has some small little technical features here and there, but mainly it's about positioning yourself within the group and putting yourself in a good spot for the kind of the last lap showdown,” said Sadesky.

One of the top ranked cross-country mountain bikers in the country, Sadesky now sets focus on the Canadian championships this week (July 18-21) in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

With the recent victory, and in the best shape he’s been in a long time, Sadesky is looking forward to testing himself.

“I’ve been slowly kind of creeping up towards the sharper end of the Canadian field here in the last few years, and I’m not on paper the fastest person in Canada or anything like that, but, you know, it’s mountain bike racing and anything could happen,” said Sadesky.

Two more Canmore riders will race at nationals, teenage riders Larix Hallett and Charlie Pittard, who are both representing Team Alberta.

In Dieppe, Hallett had a strong finish of his own, finishing eighth in the 15km XCO among U17 boys at a time of 48:09.18.

Getting a feel for the competition, Hallett readjusted his tactics after an 18th place finish in the XCC, just a few days prior. The 16-year-old rider led most of the short track race but didn’t have the gas tank to finish.

When the longer XCO competition was up, he let the other riders do most of the front pack riding.

“These guys are so fast this year … so it really comes a lot down to tactics and these races,” said Hallett.

A strong starter and excellent in descending down steep parts of the course, Hallett is feeling confident ahead of nationals, especially after getting a taste of the competition in Dieppe.

“I need to just rest up a lot more and then just prepare for it,” he said.

Pittard, who is representing Team Alberta for U17 girls, is in a bit of an odd spot. At 14 years old, she’s the youngest rider in her category; however, the experience she’s gaining has helped the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club member.

She finished 23rd in the XCO and 24th in XCC in Dieppe.

“It’s really hard for me to place in the category, but I'm still doing quite well,” said Pittard.

“It’s really cool to see the speed some of the people are at, so racing up [in age] has really helped me see what speed I need to be at and try and compete at a higher level.”