May 30/10 17:30 pm - Hardwood Canada Cup XC #3: Report and Full Elite results

Posted by Editoress on 05/30/10
 

The favourites won at round three of the Canada Cup cross-country series at Hardwood Ski and Bike, north of Toronto, but they had to battle for their wins, pointing to the increasing depth in Canadian fields.  Emily Batty (Trek World Racing) and Derek Zandstra (3 Rox Racing) each won in very hot and dusty conditions, coming back to race on what could be considered their 'home' course after an early season on the World Cup circuit in Europe.

Photos

In both races, a trio of riders broke away early, and rode together until late in the race, when the winner finally managed to get clear.  Batty, her former Toronto Trek Store team mate Mical Dyck and Amanda Sin (3 Rox Racing) were the three riders to break clear in the women's race.

According to Batty, "Mical set the pace on the first lap, which separated us from the rest of the field.  Then Amanda was at the front for the middle part of the race, before I attacked on the final lap to get a gap."

Dyck, after fading in the middle of the four lap race, came back to overtake Sin for second.  Catherine Vipond (Norco Factory) takes over the Canada Cup series lead from Mikaela Kofman (3 Rox Racing) after finishing sixth to Kofman's 12th.

In the men's five lap race, the three to break clear by the middle of the first lap were Zandstra, Raphaël Gagne (Rocky Mountain) and Andrew Watson (Norco Factory).  Gagne briefly got away when the other two were caught up in traffic behind riders from other categories on the course, but Zandstra and Watson were able to rejoin him, and Zandstra then powered away on the final lap to take his first win of the season.  Watson, in the absence of former series leader Max Plaxton (Sho-Air/Specialized), who was busy winning a U.S. pro series race in Texas, donned the leader's jersey for the men.

"It was a tough race," commented Zandstra.  "It's such a fast course that no one can get away.  In the singletrack you can hope for someone to make a mistake and get a gap.  The third lap, Watson and I both got stuck behind a girl that crashed, and Raph got away.  Andrew and I gave 'er to catch up, and that put a big damper into both of us. On the whole last lap I kept the pressure high, and on the climbs I was getting a little gap, and on the very last big climb I just gave it at the top and got into the singletrack first."

Batty was the top Under-23 rider for the women, with Tyson Wagler (3 Rox Racing) for the men.  Evan Guthrie (Rocky Mountain/Cycling BC), coming back from a bout of mononucleosis, was with the U23 leaders until fading in the final lap to finish fourth.

In the Junior Expert races, Kristina Laforge (Equipe du Quebec/Cyclone d'Alma) completely dominated the women's three lap competition, finishing two and a half minutes in front of national champion Laura Bietola (3 Rox Racing).  Laforge took the lead in the Canada Cup standings.  For the Junior men, it was a battle between Mitchell Bailey (Jetpower) and Leandre Bouchard (Equipe du Quebec/Cyclone d'Alma), until Bouchard flatted.  Impressively, Bouchard was able to run to the pit, replace his wheel and still finish third, behind Evan McNeely (EMD Serono Specialized).  Bailey leads the series standings.