GRAN FONDO BAIE-SAINTE-MARIE

“ES-TU PARÉ?”

The scenery changes as you cross over the Avon River in Falmouth and see the picturesque Minas Basin for the first time. After a rather boring drive on the Trans-Canada, and Highways 102 and 101, the Annapolis Valley appears in all its splendour. The Valley is one of my favourite places in all of Canada. The vegetation is distinctive, the air feels different, and the landscape is unique.

Nearby Grand-Pré is a place sacred to all Acadians, not because of Longfellow’s poem, Evangeline, but because of what really happened there during the 1755 Deportation. Though none of our direct ancestors were among those who suffered through that terrible time in Grand-Pré, the place has tremendous historical and spiritual significance. Elva and I stopped there on the way to our fourth Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie. It was a time for reflection. We visited the replica church, took in the movie, and drove up to the parking lot that oversees the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Landscape of Grand-Pré. It was a perfect day; sunny, calm, and 30 degrees C.

After driving through beautiful Wolfville, we headed for Pointe-de-l’Église and found the Fondo registration desk on the campus of l’Université Sainte-Anne. Volunteers were everywhere! All of them offered a smile and seemed genuinely to enjoy what they were doing. Pride in the event and the community shone through. We ran into University President Allister Surette and had a nice chat with him. He and I served together on the Société promotion Grand-Pré twenty or so years ago when the present visitor centre was being built at the National Historic Site.

Then, it was back along Highway 101 to our lodgings in Digby, the Coastal Inn. Now, for those of you who may not know, I’ve been a member of the infamous Over The Hill Gang for twenty years or so and we’ve travelled together to many Fondos. After enjoying the Baie Sainte-Marie edition three times myself, I finally convinced the boys to give it a try. Six of us made the trek: Ira Birt, Russ Melanson, Richard Birt, John MacQuarrie, Ian MacIntyre, and me.

We found the Coastal Inn to be a notch above our accommodation standard but, as Ira said: “It’s all I could find!” After a team meal of pasta at the nearby Pizza Delight, we retired early with an eye on the weather. I’d told the boys to ignore Environment Canada’s gloomy forecast. “I know a guy in Saulnierville who has an Acadian weather beetle, and he swears it’s not going to rain tomorrow”, I assured them.

On the morning of the Fondo, we made our way to the start line, meeting several Islanders along the way, including Dwayne Doucette, Tom Crowell, and Lisa MacInnis. The starting area was empty when we arrived but it soon filled to bursting. Our youngest member, Ian, rode up to tell me he’d been hit by a University security vehicle while loosening up on the road and had gone down. He was sore but able to ride. In the end, he’d finish second overall in the Gran Fondo, one second behind the fastest rider. It’s worth mentioning that Ian was reimbursed for the damage caused to several expensive bike components.

The excitement grew as 8:30 approached and we waited for the speeches to end. We five oldtimers headed out and soon got into a comfortable paceline. We hung out to the left and passed quite a few riders as we got up to speed. The loop through Bas-de-la-Rivière and New Edinburgh might have been scenic but the fog robbed us of a good view.

We got behind a large group and followed them to the start of the road through Ohio and Weaver Settlement. Finding them just a bit too “jumpy” for our liking, we took turns at the front, setting our own steady pace along the road through Havelock, New Tusket, and Corberrie. The stretch from Corberrie to Bangor is my favourite: tree-lined, smooth, gently-rolling. A couple of fast starters dropped back and rode with us until we pulled into the Bangor Sawmill rest stop for a snack and to fill our bottles.

I should mention that I rode my last Gran Fondo in September 2018; Baie Sainte-Marie, actually. In 2019, I developed atrial fibrillosis (a-fib) and, long story short, I finally had it treated through a surgical procedure called an “ablation” last May. My version of a-fib wasn’t dangerous but I had to ride solo for four years, not being able to keep pace with my OTHG buddies. This year, since the ablation, I was doing much better, that is until I caught COVID two weeks ago! So, it was a tough ride...

Three strong women riders took off from Bangor just ahead of us and we caught them near Clare Lake. I saw the sign for Saulnierville Station and sang Kenneth Saulnier’s song, M’en allant par Saulnierville Station, in my head for the rest of the ride. The women passed us on every hill and we caught them on the flats. I put this down to  weight; we simply carried more than them. Or, at least, I did! Reaching Meteghan, we turned left into heavy fog, headed for Cape Saint Marys. The cat-and-mouse game continued, and we passed a few more riders on the rollers around Saint-Alphonse. I was thankful for the pea-soup-thick fog as I chugged up the hill past Mavilette. Not being able to see the top gave me courage!

As we rounded the loop near Mavilette Beach, the fog was so thick we couldn’t even see the rest stop! Back on Route 1, we found our rhythm and traded pulls with the three women riders. I felt good as we got back to Meteghan, knowing that the worst hills were past us and it would be a straight shot to the finish line. I wanted to empty the tank. But, just as we passed Saulnierville, both quads started to cramp. “Shit”, I thought, as I fell off the pace. Coach Ira pulled up beside me and told me to “soft pedal”, so that’s what I did. The cramps were still there but I could crank the pedals. I caught up with the guys and watched the three women ride off in the distance.

“I’m going to catch them”, I told the boys, and bridged the gap just in time to see them speed up a small hill. I was following my own advice: “Make your next pull a good one ‘cause you never know when it might be your last”. At Petit-Ruisseau, we caught the women again and rode alongside Mark Bowlan, another Island rider, until the massive church steeple appeared out of the mist. Nine of us crossed the line within seconds of one another. My Garmin read 128.74 km, close to 5,000 calories, 30.5 km/hr, and over 1,000 meters of climbing. Not bad for five guys with an average age of 68, and well past our best-before dates!

Elva was waiting for me at the finish line, having finished the Medio, a distance of 67 kilometers, her fourth Baie Sainte-Marie Fondo. She had trained hard for the event, having battled asthma all through our very wet summer, and she found the section through Concessions very tough; “Up and down, up and down”. She’s not a wimp!

The two-pound lobster with all the fixins is a highlight of the event. Elva and I took our sweet time, enjoying every delectable morsel, taking in the entertainment while we ate. Endorphins coursed through my veins and I felt that glow that comes over you after a major exertion. There’s no better natural pain killer and mood booster!

Back at the Coastal Inn, Elva and I peeled off our grubby kit and got cleaned up. Since I’d missed out on Fondos in Trois-Rivières (2019), Guysborough (2021), and Bangor (2022), I was out of practice for the post-Fondo review with the rest of the gang. As we drank our pops in Coach Ira’s room, the entire ride was replayed, kilometer by kilometer, every one of us putting his own spin on things. I thanked my fellow riders for waiting for me on the hills and they raked me over the coals for “taking off” near the end. All was right with the world!

As the evening progressed, we glanced at the results on the Atlantic Chip Timing site. We five old guys finished in the top 15% among 228 Fondo riders while Ian, the young lad, did us proud as we knew he would. Elva finished second in her age group in the Medio Fondo and called it her best Fondo ever! While it’s not all about results for OTHG, we do take the training seriously and like to give a good account of ourselves in events like these.

Too soon, it was time for the six-hour ride back to the Island and normal life. As we watch the summer slip away, I know we’ll miss riding together and the special moments we experience after a sufferfest. As always, Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie featured friendly volunteers, good roads, value for money, good traffic control, and locals encouraging riders all along the route. The weather was almost ideal; no wind, with just the right temperature. Unfortunately, the thick fog along Route 1 kept us from appreciating the seaside scenery.

I’ve ridden Fondos with my buddies on Prince Edward Island, and in Ontario, Québec, Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Italy. Baie Sainte-Marie ranks right up there as one of the best, and Elva and I were glad to share our discovery with five of my best friends.

Gros merci aux bénévoles, au comité organisateur, aux commanditaires, et à l’Université Sainte-Anne!

We hope to be back for the next edition in 2025. I’ll be well into the 70-79 age group by then. It’s easy to get old; it’s staying young that’s hard!