September 13/07 7:59 am - Victoria TrackFest #3 / FloraGLO BC Cup #4

Posted by Editoress on 09/13/07
 

Victoria TrackFest #3 / FloraGLO BC Cup #4 September 9-10, Victoria BC
Courtesy Dave Shishkoff

Weather was not a concern for this warm, sunny day, as 27 of BC's finest track racers gathered for the fourth and final time in Victoria for 2007, and for the first time this year, the locals outnumbered the visitors (by one!)

Racing opened with a Madison, where the dynamic duo of Matt Chater (Fast Twitch) and Murray Solem (BH) held a wide gap on the three other teams despite restricted gears in this open event. Predictably, they also cleaned up in the second Madison later in the day.

The first BC Cup event of the day for the sprinters was the 500m ITT. Jody Edgar (Team Whistler) took 1st in the C's, Michael Cooper (Dr. Walker / GVVA) in the B's took top honors, and Chater outrode Kelyn Akuna (Fast Twitch) by 5 hundredths of a second to grab this sprint victory. In a fictitious interview, Chater was quoted as saying 'shaving my eyebrows finally paid off!'

The C Scratch saw Mike Sidic (IND) collect the win, as well as Cooper in the very close B's field and Chater once more for the A's, who finished the 10km race in 13:43, averaging nearly 44kph.

Matched Sprints followed. Edgar again out-sprinted the C field, Cooper predictably kept the B's under control and Akuna held off Chater at the line in the A's. Cooper was taken aside for drug testing, but only came up positive for all-around decency and good sportsmanship.

The Tempo followed, Sidic again rode a dominant race, finishing 1st. Chris Anstey (Schwalbe) collected the most points for the B victory, and Julian Base (Team Whistler) was at the front enough to make a healthy gap on Chater. Base, in another fictitious interview, told reporters that he just pretended he was Chater for that race, and things seemed to work out.

In the Keirins, Edgar once more displayed his sprinting prowess in the C's, completing this hat trick. Sadly, Cooper's was upset (for the first time this year?) by a flying Marty Machacek (OrganicAthlete) who in the final sprint came up and around the whole bunch to take it near the rail. In the A's, Chater sniped Akuna once more, with, surprisingly, this vegan in tow.

The final BC Cup event was the Points Race, and an exhausted field lined up for a final grab at the glory. In the C's, Edgar managed to deny Sidic the hat trick. Cooper and Anstey tied in points, but Cooper finished 1st in the final sprint, and so was given top honors. Luis Bernhardt was one point beyond for third in the large yet close B field. In the A's, Chater took every sprint, and the rest of the field fought over the remaining scraps.

For the final Omnium totals, in the Sprint category, Edgar was the unmistakable C champ, followed by Gerry Loster (Dr. Walker / GVVA) and Adam Barlev (Escape Velocity). Cooper also took first, with Machacek in 2nd and junior rider Jacob Schwingboth (dEVo) in 3rd. The A's saw Chater, Akuna and Charles Durrant (Schwalbe) in the sprints.

On the Endurance side of things, it was Sidic, Edgar and Barlev for the C's, Cooper, followed by Anstey and Bernhardt for the B's (due to a miscalculation, Anstey was awarded top honors at the event, but corrected calculations determined Cooper was the top finisher.) In the A's, it was no surprise Chater took top honors, followed by Julian Base (Team Whistler) and Emile de Rosenay (Gears and Grinds).

According to quick calculations, this propels Chater into the top position overall in the BC Cup ranking, bumping aside previous leader Chris Reid (MASI-ADOBE). Your faithful reporter (OrganicAthlete) is now seated in 2nd overall, and can only hope that aliens abduct Chater for their Remembrance Day celebrations if he has any hope in taking the top spot. ; )

The two women riders, Michelle Lasota (Dr. Walker / GVVA) and track new-comer Laura Whitehead (Ridley's Cycle) also deserve recognition, as do the two junior riders, Schwingboth and Ben Cowburn (Burnaby Velodrome), who were pitted against the B riders most of the day. Hopefully these numbers are higher in 2008!

Many thanks to the Commissaires and and all the volunteers for this event, as well as our supporters: Bob Cameron, Gerry Loster and Wayne Walker, who donated cash which mainly went back to the riders. As well, a big thank you to Brenda and Tom Hobar, whom for each Trackfest event have personally donated $100 specifically for the women's field (which, sadly, was split between only 2-3 riders each event). A big thanks to the following supporters for their prize donations for this event: Sequel Naturals (Vega), Riders Cycles, and OrganicAthlete Victoria.

And, of course, a big thank-you to all the racers, see you in Burnaby in November for the fifth and final FloraGLO Track BC Cup event!