Summer time: lots of lazy days, lounging on the porch, drinking lemonade, watching the grass grow. Yeah, right. For one of Jasper’s top long distance mountain bike riders, summer means deep muscle burns, a strict nutritional regime, grueling marathon bikes rides, and a whole lot of pain.

The bike competition circuit is about to ratchet up a notch for Jasper’s Cory Wallace, who won the top spot at last August’s mountainous TransRockies TR3 Fernie, B.C. to Canmore, Alta, multi-day world class race. 

Wallace is now Kona Mountain Bike’s top and only marathon cyclist (along with several teammates, he also competes in cross-country riding). Heading into the summer race with full backing from a major bicycling sponsor, Wallace is hoping for some big wins this summer.

“I have been training and racing in Victoria, B.C. for the last three months. I’ve been keeping things somewhat low key, winning some local races as well as a B.C. Cup but mostly just preparing for the big races coming up in the summer,” Wallace said in an email to the Fitzhugh. “It has been great having the full sponsorship from Kona and Freewheel Cycle this year as it is allowing me to train full time and hopefully be up there with the best of them when it counts.”

With full sponsorship, the Kona team has been helping out this year by paying for more of Wallace’s travel, accommodation, bikes, gear and bike adjustments (Wallace also has several other sponsors who help out with these factors). 

According to Wallace’s blog, the sponsorship means instead of working a day job between races, he can take a day to: power nap, consume copious amounts of food, ride two hours at 0 per cent effort, take a nutrition course, power nap again, watch a hockey game, and then get 10 hours of sleep.

“In my hometown of Jasper, Kona’s have been my bike of choice for ripping up the best trails in the world for over 15 years. I began riding Kona’s when I was 11 years old and have never been more excited to ride them than now,” said Wallace about the sponsorship on his blog.

Wallace’s season takes off starting June 19 with the Test of Metal in Squamish, B.C. After that, he’s in the seven-day B.C. Bike Race from June 28 to July 3 on the west coast. The XC Nationals are in Canmore on July 17 and then the 24 hrs Solo Nationals in Canmore will conclude the month of July. 

“The winner of this race is getting an expense trip paid to Worlds in Australia this October so that is a key race on the calendar,” said Wallace about the 24 hrs Solo National race.

In August, things will keep rolling for Wallace and he will look to defend his title at TransRockies. After that, he’ll head down to the States for the six-day Breckenridge Epic in the high Rockies of Colorado.

Kona is already very happy with the long distance riding Wallace has been laying down.

“He just seems to enjoy the pain or something,” said Shawn Nesbitt, a team organizer with Kona Mountain Bikes and the guy who slotted Wallace into the marathon position. “I needed a guy who could ride three four hours one day, and then do it again the next day and repeat that, like, six times over and Cory is the guy. He’s just a hammerhead.”

Anyone that is interested in the seasons progress for Wallace can follow along at his blog at www.ctwally.blogspot.com.