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LESPY

@andrewlespy

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Andrew L’Esperance | Professional Cyclist racing off-road @3tbike @maxxisbike and @pearlizumiofficial
Canada 🇨🇦

POSTS STORIES REELS

New @maxxisbike tread day 🙌

I think Aspen AT and I are going to get along just fine. 🤝

POV on the Tahoe-Donner trails getting up to speed for @downievilleclassic this weekend. by @andrewlespy

P9 @thetraka and racing near the front for a good chunk of the day!

Very happy with the top 10 ride, but more stoked on the courage to race from the front, make moves and put myself in a position to go with the leaders.

If you want some of the story of the race. 👇

I went in a break that formed at around km 80/325. We had a good group and were working well together. Fellow @smithoptics athlete @gregvanavermaet was there driving it! This was a bit of energy investment but worth it to get through the tough climbs in the middle of the course with a head start. For me, this worked perfectly. Mads and Hugo caught me just as I was cresting to start the descent before the last climb out of this section. I followed. Then I figured I needed more time for the next climb so I worked the descent and got a bit more time. On the final climb out of this section I got gapped but rode my pace and limited my losses so I could hopefully close on the final ~6 min descent out of this section. I rode a fast but safe pace on the descent and made it to the leaders. In hindsight, I could have done a few things better once I got there, but stoked to have committed and made it. I didn’t last too long in that group but luckily had strong riders coming up behind. I rode most of the main flat section with Paul Voss all the way to km 223/325. He was great to ride with and motivation was high was we were still racing for 3rd. On the final main climb I got caught by 1 strong group with Matt, Romain and Ben but couldn’t hold on. The next group that came by, I could, and we worked a good chunk of the next flat sections together. In the end, that group shattered and I was rolling in solo for 9th.

What a day!! Happy with my first experience at the Traka.

Special thanks to @3tbike for the support out there and the very fast bike. Also thanks to @smithoptics and @quocshoes for bringing the energy and enthusiasm all week!!

Photos by @_matteo.grava_ by @andrewlespy

Fall IS my favourite time of the year. It’s @haleyhuntersmith ‘s too.

It feels nice to spend time in one place, slow things down and give space to rest and reflect after a busy season. The mild weather we have been having in the townships is making things extra nice.

Speaking of reflection, Unbound 2026, it was a doozy on race day (remember) but the lead-in was actually pretty enjoyable.

We worked with @smithoptics and @gpowersfilm to share a bit of behind-the-scenes. Check the link in my bio or stories for my best attempt at writing. by @andrewlespy

Keeping bottles where they belong.
Developed with @andrewlespy, our prototype bottle retention system was put to the test at Big Sugar last weekend. The simple, easy to use design held up exceptionally well over the rough terrain, keeping Andrew’s bottles secure and his fueling on track when it mattered most.
Andrew finished 17th at Big Sugar and secured 11th overall in the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix. Huge congrats on a great season!
Real world testing, real race conditions, and a prototype that delivered when it counted.

📷 @gpowersfilm by @andrewlespy

@bigsugarclassic is always an interesting race with both the 1-day race and the overall LTGP series in play.

The course was in incredible shape this year and rolling really fast. Almost 35 kph at the end! It really was a pleasure to race.

My day went smooth and I was happy with the bike and tire decisions. @3tbike RaceMax2 and @maxxisbike 50 mm Reaver and 55 mm Aspen ST.

In hindsight, I feel I could have raced better tactically, and maybe slightly better positioning and legs on the wall, but overall, not too bad. It stings a bit to miss out on the top 10 of the LTGP by 1 point, but also stoked on how tight and exciting the whole series was, right down to the last moments.

This season has been an interesting one and I am looking forward to taking some time to fully reflect on it. I am pretty sure I will call the season now, but we’ll see.

@factionbikestudio bottle cage add-on was so so sick. Really happy with this project and looking forward to refining it even more.

Thanks @gpowersfilm for the photos and thanks for the fun week hanging and letting me shoot some photos too! by @andrewlespy

LTGP Finale tomorrow @bigsugarclassic 👆

Photos by @gpowersfilm by @andrewlespy

Another project with @andrewlespy is ready for race day at Big Sugar!
Together with Andrew, we’ve taken a problem he kept running into on course, bottles ejecting over rough terrain, and turned it into a prototype bottle retention system built for gravel racing. It’s designed to be a no-drop system that keeps his fueling and hydration bottles locked in place through washboard and when things get rough. Grabbing and returning a bottle is all done by feel, so Andrew’s eyes stay on the road ahead.
What makes it different? We didn’t just build a bottle cage that holds on tight. The system works with any bottle and fits on any bottle cage. That means Andrew can roll through a feed zone and grab whatever bottle is handed to him.
Why does it matter? Because a lost bottle is more than lost water. Those bottles carry the carbs and supplements Andrew relies on to perform in the final hours of a race. Lose one early, and it can cost him when it matters most. Keeping them on the bike is crucial.
The first real-world race test happens this weekend at Big Sugar, part of the Lifetime Grand Prix. We’re excited to see it perform under race conditions.
Stay tuned for more insights and details to follow. by @andrewlespy

Andrew L’Esperance aka Lespy is a Canadian professional cyclist I’ve been photographing for the past four years. There are a lot of inconsistencies in my job between the brands I photograph for and the athletes I work with but some how, luckily, Lespy has been a regular on my shot list and I’ve lost track of how many “bike checks” and bike races we’ve shot together over the past few years.

When I signed up for Little Sugar I jokingly offered him the opportunity to take mine and he enthusiastically said yes. This video documents the experience… How do we think he did!? 📸

Bike & Fit Credits to:
@raceface
@quocshoes
@srammtb
@maap.cc
@fox
@maxxistires
@drinkbivo by @andrewlespy

Clean day surfing the loose corners and dodging the sharp rocks on the Bentonville trails. My legs were not there when I needed them to be at the beginning, but, they came around, and then I got moving.

Yesterday’s race reminded me that somedays you simply are not at your best and you just race the best with what you have on the day, and I think I did just that. I made it up to the sprint for 6th overall, ended up 8th and landed with 5th place points for the LTGP.

Highlight of the day was getting to rip the trails with some of the younger talent, North American XC MTB is in a good place. Skills and depth are there!

I tweaked my tire setup this year slightly, @maxxisbike 2.4 Aspen with a tougher casing in the back with a 2.35 Rekon Race in 60 TPI casing up front, with @stansnotubes race sealant as the next line of defence. I really appreciated the RR for front end grip and cornering.

Cheers to @desherick and crew for top notch work in the feedzones!

Photos by @visu_wil by @andrewlespy

The Canadian National Champs jersey is perfect just like this, clean and simple. 🇨🇦

Thanks to @pearlizumiofficial for the quick work to get this to me for the final MTB race of the season.

Looking forward to Little Sugar tomorrow with tough terrain and a stacked field. by @andrewlespy

Back on the @ibiscycles Ripley SL for tomorrow’s Little Sugar. Spent the last few days checking out the course and getting the rig up to speed on the Bentonville trails, good times! Looking forward to the hefty challenge tomorrow.

Photos by @gpowersfilm by @andrewlespy

Mid 🎥 shoot in your mid thirties 😵‍💫 gotta keep those glutes limber 😂

Shot by @ben_linderman for @maxxisbike at Unbound 2026. by @andrewlespy