2014 Real Deal Youth Cup

The 2014 The Real Deal Youth Cup was held at the Honda Canada facility in Markham, Ontario. This was a new venue for the youth O-Cup series. The Honda Canada facility is on private property and is a really nice 1.5km 6-turn loop around the facility. Just under 90 youth from all over the province, ages 9-16 competed in the cycling competition organized by Real Deal Racing and the Ontario Cycling Association. Katrina was the only youth racer from the area racing in Markham and she did a fantastic job representing Courtesy Bicycles Race Team.

As with all the youth cup races in Ontario, there are three components: An individual time-trial, a road race and the overall general classification. The Real Deal Racing Youth Cup had an additional race, a sprint competition. An overall winner of the general classification was determined by the standings in the time trial and road race components.

Katrina Pawley Mason (Courtesy Bicycles Race Team) won gold in the time trial by a margin of 12 seconds. The time trial was a race against the clock to determine which youth could go 3 kilometers (2 loops) the fastest twice around the six-turn 1.5km course. Katrina completed the course in 5’20” with an average speed of 33.8 km/h.

Katrina also won the road race, a 10 lap criterium race around the same course. Katrina remained in the main group for the first 5 laps, fending off attacks from the other riders.

Right at the start, the main field was reduced to four riders as the girls jumped hard and immediately attacked the group. Katrina reacted quickly to the early attack by one of the other girls and pushed hard to catch the wheel and remain second wheel. For each of the first four laps, the other girls attacked the field and challenged Katrina and each other. Attack after attack, coming out of corners and on the downhills, made it a very exciting race.

On the fifth lap as they were coming to the line, you could see that the other girls were working against Katrina but were getting tired. Katrina was also pushing very hard and it wasn't easy for any of them. After the field started to string-out on the final stretch of the fourth lap, Katrina attacked the field and broke away, never looking back. Katrina got out front immediately and quickly put a 5-length gap between herself and the next rider.

Katrina increased her gap on the field every lap and took gold by a margin of 40 seconds over the second place rider and a margin of 2’12” over the third place rider. Katrina’s average speed for the 15 kilometres was 31.1 km/h.

Katrina was placed in the finals for the sprint competition as a result of her standings in the first two races. The sprints were a 400m all-out sprint against the other riders along a flat and straight section of road. Katrina out-sprinted the other girls and won the event by over three bike-lengths.

Katrina Pawley Mason (Courtesy Bicycles Race Team) won the overall competition for the PeeWee girls as a result of her first place finishes in the individual time trial and road race. Taking home 4 gold medals from the competition.

Full results at: Ontario Cycling Association.