Justin Purificati

Justin Purificati – 29 years old – Road Team

Bio

My name is Justin, and my nickname nowadays is Zwift All-Star. I grew up in Ottawa, went to school in Montreal, and now live back in Ottawa. I currently work at Greg Christie’s as the head mechanic, and ride my bikes as much as I can.

Why/how did you first get into cycling?

I’ve always enjoyed riding my bike growing up. I mostly started with mountain biking, building trails and hitting jumps with my friends. I played a  lot of competitive sports growing up, mostly soccer and alpine ski racing, but I always found time to ride in between my main sports. It was always a good way to unwind from competition and just have fun. While in University, I tore my ACL and as a way to stay active, I turned my attention to riding. After a summer of rehab of riding my bike around the city, I was looking for a way to return to competing in sports. That’s when I saw the Montreal Pro tour race and thought that would be pretty cool. I joined the University team, and ever since I stared riding and racing with roadies, I was hooked. The rest was just history.

Why do you like to race and what is your proudest racing moment?

My favourite aspect of riding is competitive nature of the sport. There’s always a desire to push yourself further, and you can always see tangible results. My favourite moment racing, was beating Jeremy Powers in a sprint at Killington Stage Race. I finished second, but I was pretty excited about beating a cyclocross legend that used to race for my favourite team, Jelly Belly.

What else do you do for fun other than cycling?

Outside of riding, I enjoy cooking playing guitar and listening to music. Mostly older music and heavier stuff. Something with a good riff and base line.

What is your favorite ride and why?

My favorite ride is 6 Gaps in Vermont. It covered 6 big climbs and roughly 200km with 4200m of elevation. Great roads, terrain and scenery, and always feels like an accomplishment to finish the ride. Great bonds with friends are made on this ride.