June 10/19 8:03 am - Canadian Masters Road Championships Conclude with Criteriums

Posted by Editoress on 06/10/19
 

The Canadian Masters Cycling Championships concluded on Sunday in Victoria with the Criterium, when eight titles were awarded to women and men in categories ranging from 30+ to 60+.

For United Velo's Scott Goguen, the Russ Hay's Grand Prix / 2019 Canadian Masters Cycling Championship crit course was a mix of nostalgia and glory.

"I last raced the Legislature Building course in 1984," Goguen said after capturing the Men's 50-59 criterium crown, "so this was the first time I've raced it since." (The Russ Hays' Grand Prix returned to the Legislature four years ago after a few decades of circling Bastion Square).

The 50-59 men's field may have been a little bit wasted for wear after Saturday's gruelling Motus Cycling Classic, as they kept together most of the race. Goguen, sporting a bit of road rash after a spill in the road race's last few laps, took a few turns at the front before breaking away in the last lap.

"I just waited as nobody wanted to break," he said. "but sometimes you just have to break the ice."

In the early morning races, the pack mentality continued with titles determined at the line.

"Shannon (Baerg) and I wanted to pull the group apart in the first few laps. It was a very tame race," said Victoria Wheelers Samantha Hoft who claimed another gold with the 30-39 crit win, giving her two golds and one bronze for the weekend.

For Baerg, racing for Island Racing Club, the Russ Hay's Grand Prix was a last -minute entry decision but one that gave her the 2019 Canadian Masters Cycling Champion 50-59 crown.

"I love racing crits and with the championships here in Victoria, I couldn't miss it," Baerg said. "I didn't have any expectations but often that's good as it doesn't put extra pressure on you."

While the weekend showcased Canadian masters royalty, the Russ Hay's Grand Prix also shone the spotlight on the bright future of cycling. In the Youth B Race (U13/U15/U17), for example, 13-year-old Triple Shot's Kimberly Chen came third in the youth race, caught her breath and within the hour claimed an emphatic victory in the Novice / Cat 4 women's race. Her younger brother and sister also came home with (participant) medals in the hugely popular Tim Hortons Timbit Challenge where 200 kids aged 3 to 10 "raced" for incredible prizes donated by Tim Hortons.

It took until the 29-minute mark of the Men's Cat 3 race for the spectators lining the course to see a successful break away as four riders sprung free from the field: TaG's Aedan Crocker and Caleb Bender; Riverway Dental Racing's Kevin Park and Glotman Simpson Cycling's Colin Fowlow. The four maintained a three-quarter of a 1K lap lead until one lap to go. The bell lap then showed the benefit of having a friend by your side as the TaG-team finished one-two (Crocker, then Bender) at the line. Park took the last spot on the podium finishing in 36:53 while Fowlow took fourth, three seconds back.

In the Russ Hay's Grand Prix elite women's race, 18-year-old track sensation Sarah Van Dam, racing for Trek Red Truck p/p Mosaic Homes, swept the course clean by winning all the primes ($250 in total) and astonishingly saving some strength for the end.

"These two really helped put me into position," the eventual-winner Van Dam said, referring to her teammates Brenna Pauly and Holly Simonson. "It's all about being first at that last corner as it's a short sprint – you need that momentum."

It's going to be a busy summer for Simonson as she heads to the junior nationals in Quebec in two weeks, then off to the world track juniors in Germany and then back home for B.C. Super Week.

The final race of the action-packed weekend – the elite men's cat 1-2 – really made the commissaires earn their keep. Early in the 50-minute plus five-lap race, a six-man break exploded from the field and lapped the field at the 27-minute mark.

The six – Trek Red Truck Racing's Riley Pickrell and Chris Macleod; Langlois Brown Racing's Patrick Riddell and Dylan Davies; Mighty Cycling's Nick Monette and Glotman Simpson Cycling's Jackson Bocksnick – tried to bask in the glow of the peloton and take a well-deserved rest, but that just wasn't in the cards.

Attempting to "un-lap" themselves, two riders Mighty Rider's Sam Horn and Langlois Brown Racing's Nigel Kinney attacked at the 42-minute mark and woke up the field.

Typically, a lapped field would leave the course at the end of the timed 50 minutes, but with two breaks on the course, things got interesting. The second break of about 10 seconds forced a field sprint with three laps to go.

After the lapped field left the course with two laps to go, the six leaders laid down the gauntlet. Davies tried to take advantage of the Government Street incline with an attack after the bell lap's first corner, but Pickrell would have nothing of it.  Working with MacLeod, he surged ahead around the final corner to take the victory.

"I saw Dylan go and he's a dangerous man in the last lap," Pickrell said, "but Chris (MacLeod, TRT teammate) got me to the finish sprint."

The fascinating finish capped off another successful Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series and two consecutive Victoria-hosted Canadian Masters Cycling Championships – a three-day cycling feast that featured more than 500 cyclists from age three to over 60.

Courtesy Sharon White, Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series

Brief results

Men 30-39 (50 min +5 laps)

1    Clayton Hiltz, Victoria Wheelers 57.43.4
2    Taylor Little, Pender Fund p/b Neighbourhood Homes s/t
3    Jeff Sparling, ProCity s/t

 

Men 40-49 (50 min + 5 laps)

 1   Vincent Marcotte, Langlois Brown Racing 57:48
 2   Graham Fox, Pender Racing p/b Neighbourhood Homes s/t
 3   Jeffrey Werner, Langlois Brown Racing s/t

 

Men 50-59 (40 min + 5 laps)

 1   Scott Goguen, United Velo 47:43:9
 2   Steve McKee, Wheels of Bloor / Autostyle Collision 47:44:0
 3   Richard Loney, Fulgas Cycling Team 47:44:9

 

Men 60+ (30 minute + 5 laps)

 1   Stephane LeBeau, Independent Opus 40:10:0
 2   Andrew Neale, TripleShot Cycling Club, 40:10:1
 3   Horacio Chaves, Independent 40:10:2

 

Women 30-39 (40 min + 5 laps)

  1  Samantha Hoft, Victoria Wheeler 48:14:23
  2  Jennifer Bell, Thunder Bay Cycling 48:17:49
  3  Michelle Arduini, Liv Cycling Vancouver -2 laps

 

Women 40-49 (40 min + 5 laps)

  1  Jennifer Gerth, Fluevog’s Crit Nasty, 48:13:98
  2  Chantal Gosselin, Polo Vélo Women’s Racing Team, 48:18:19
  3  Shawna Donaldson, Synergy Racing 48:18:20

 

Women 50-59 (40 min + 5 laps)

 1   Shannon Baerg, Island Racing Club 48:14:02
 2   Kelly Erdman, 54 Blue 48:14:20
 3   Carol Deavy, Polo Vélo Women’s Racing Team 48:14:23

 

Women 60+ (40 min + 5 laps)

 1   Jane Weller, TaG Cycling Race Team 48:20:85

Full results

Masters Road Nationals Open with Time Trials

Masters Road Titles Awarded on Saturday