The science of cycling

Ryan MacDonald isn't coming home with a medal tied around his neck from the P.E.I. Canada Games.
Doesn't mean he doesn't deserve one.
Ask his coach, Andrew Parsons of Scotsburn and he'll tell you the 16-year-old Sylvester athlete did more than his share to help his teammates bring home Nova Scotia's first medal in cycling ever in the history of the Canada Games.
There's only one word he can use to describe his prodigy's performance: "Incredible."
"We got a bronze medal and we got it because we worked as a team," Parsons said. "Ryan played an essential role in that."
MacDonald was part of what is referred to in cycling as a peloton. A peloton is a group of bikers who travel in a group and conserve energy by taking turns riding behind the other cyclists. This reduces drag by as much as 40 percent if done right.
In the road race held Thursday, MacDonald joined a fellow Nova Scotian and riders from P.E.I., New Brunswick and Ontario, to lead the charge.
"He launched an attack and led away from the main field on the third lap and they weren't caught by the main pack until the 12th lap," Parsons said. "At one point they were three minutes 40 seconds ahead of the main group on a 10-km course, which is absolutely incredible."
In the end it was Geoff O'Toole of Dartmouth who won the bronze medal in that race, but Parsons believes it wouldn't have happened without MacDonald.
"Ryan took his turn leading that (peloton) group and protected his fellow rider which allowed us to set up for a sprint finish in which we got through. Without his help I'm not sure we would have got a medal. We needed all of the five riders on our team working together."
MacDonald's presence alone in the main group showed the other provinces that Nova Scotia wasn't just there for the ride. They were there to win.
"It let all the other riders in the breakaway group know we were serious - that we were going to push that group," Parsons said.
In the end MacDonald dropped to the
no. 25 spot in the competition, but his efforts paid off.
Friday during the Criterium, MacDonald competed on a 1.3 km track and did 40 laps in the heat and ended no. 22.
Parsons said riders were on their own from the time they started until they got back as far as hydration was involved.
"For the 40 laps they only get what they take with them on the bikes," he said. "When they're done they're dehydrated and exhausted."
MacDonald may still be a bit wore out when he gets home, but at least he can know that he made a difference and, who knows? Perhaps we'll see him back at the Canada Games in four years time.