October 20/08 11:18 am - Vanier Park Cyclocross Classic (Vancouver)

Posted by Editor on 10/20/08
 

Vanier Park Cyclocross Classic - Vancouver, BC
Courtesy Matt Klymson

While the skies were dry, the rain soaked grass at the 2008 Vanier Park Cyclocross Classic in Vancouver, B.C. gave a clear advantage to the power brokers over the technicians. In almost every category, race breaking moves were made in the energy sapping grass sections that rendered tactics largely useless, and allowed riders who could punch out superior wattage in key moments to simply ride away from their pursuers.

The new partnership of West Coast Racing and Trek Truck Racing co-promoting this mainstay of the BC Cup Cyclocross Series drew out over 150 racers to this annual event's unique urban venue in the heart of downtown Vancouver. While the course design of returning Race Director Sven Sturm presented its usual split-personality, with half of it in a continuous ribbon of fast hardpack and gravel, and the other half on the grass, it was the latter's expanse of soft green fields that quickly carved up the start packs into many smaller battles of attrition. In the rare cases where fitness requirements failed to produce splits, the major technical area aptly billed as the "Slope of No Hope" put paid to several podium aspirations.

The tightly contested Men's B category followed all these major plotlines to a "T" and yielded some of the most compelling racing of the day. Behind winner Mike Sidic the action reached a feverish pitch in the closing stages.

"After some early troubles I reconnected late in the race to make it a group of four to decide the podium", described Matt Drown (West Coast Racing). "Our group had some trouble lapping traffic from another category out on the course at the same time, and that whittled it down further but I couldn't fully capitalize on a 2-up sprint." recounted Drown after being edged out by frequent rival Ryan Newsome (Local Ride).

Kelly Jones (Sugoi), who represented Canada at the 2007 Cyclo-cross World Championships, had no such difficulties in taking the Women's A event. "I learned a lot about suffering on the course last year", recounted Jones, "and so I was confident that if could through the opening sand pit cleanly in the lead I would have a good shot at it. I didn't get quite the start I wanted with Christy Love (West Coast Racing) taking the holeshot and then also Melanie Vaughan (Steed Cycles) slipping in front of me, but I decided to put in an early surge across a pretty unusual line to grab the lead into the sand, and after that I just needed to ride my own pace at the front and stay out of trouble."

In stark contrast, the Men's A produced several lead changes among the front running trio of Kevin Noiles (Trek Red Truck Racing), Drew Mackenzie (Island Racing Club), and Noiles' team mate Tyler Trace.

"Kevin had good legs to start with," admitted Trace, who entered the event as the BC Cup series leader, "and hit us with lots of attacks in the early going."

It wasn't to be Noiles' day, however. "I knew Kevin would be strong after his top 5 finish at the national championships last weekend," added Trace, "but I could tell I was moving through the grassy power sections a bit better than the other guys. I gapped them but gave it all back later going down after tangling with some course tape! Kevin's energy went down a bit and then Drew and I just rode off the front together. I put in one more big attack again on the grass field to get another gap, and then used all the areas where the course turned back on itself to keep checking that my lead was intact all the way into the line".

Noiles eased home after Mackenzie's second place finish to give Trek Red Truck Racing another top-three podium position to go along with Trace's win.

As always, the Kids' Cross sponsored by Bike Gallery was a hit, with cycling superstars of the future getting a glimpse of bike racing in several waves of pint-sized riders, some taking on a lap of the full BC Cup course, with others testing the waters on a special micro course.

Co-organizers West Coast Racing (www.westcoastracing.ca) and Trek Red Truck Racing (www.trekredtruckracing.com) would like to thank our list of excellent sponsors and partners who supported the race plus provided a bevy of prizes for all categories;

Race Face (www.raceface.com)
PowerBar (www.powerbar.ca)
Bike Gallery (www.vancouverbikegallery.com)
Schwalbe Tires (www.schwalbetires.com)
M&M Meats (mmmeatshop.com)
Active Life Physiotherapy (www.activelifephysio.ca)
Uprising Breads (www.uprisingbreads.com)
Atac Sportswear (www.bikeatac.com)
Running Room (www.runningroom.ca)
Vancouver Parks (www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks)

Look for photo galleries to be posted shortly at the main event page www.westcoastracing.ca/vanier

Photos by Ryan