June 7/10 16:39 pm - TNA Westside Cycling Classic: Report and Results

Posted by Editoress on 06/7/10
 

2010 TNA Westside Cycling Classic p/b Shape Properties & Mosaic Homes on June 6th in Vancouver

Big Wins for Red Truck Racing at the 2010 TNA Westside Classic

The weather forecast was bleak but the racing was hot at the West Point Grey venue of the 6th annual TNA Westside Cycling Classic presented by Shape Properties and Mosaic Homes.

The racing got under way early with Master & Junior Men, Cat 4 Men and Cat 4 Women taking to the 10.5 km loop around Pacific Spirit Park near the University of British Columbia. The biggest field of the day was the Cat. 4 men which included a large contingent of the sponsoring team TNA including some well known celebrities Trevor Linden, Rob Fennie and Derek Porter. The field split up over the challenging Camosun Climb and in the final sprint Noah Bloom edged out TNA rider Jeff Duyker for the win. The Masters Mens field which included some strong Junior athletes was much more calculating in it’s race. A few small breaks tried to get away but no move was allowed to stick and the field was slowly whittled down to a select bunch. The sprint to the line saw J.D. VanderVliet (Comox Valley) take the sprint over Horacio Chaves (Mighty Cycling) and James Neil (Trek Red Truck Racing). The women’s Cat 4 race was settled with a strong performance by the Glotman Simpson team with Leah Perrier and teammate Jennifer McMahon going one, two and Jeanine Ball (Local Ride Racing) filled out the podium.

The next races would showcase some of the strongest riders in the province and the level of racing was fabulous. The Elite men went off for the first of 12 laps with the women following a lap later for their 8 lap race. Each field had to get the cobwebs out early as they had a first lap prime up for grabs. Jesse Reams (Garneau Evolution) took the $100 for the men and Jean Ann McKirdy (Local Ride Racing) pocketed the C note for the ladies. The women’s field split into 2 around mid race and all the while Jean Ann and her teammate Sandra Walter were gobbling up the Queen of the Mountain points at the top of the Camosun climb with Jean Ann taking QoM at the end. A good size group stayed together until the end and a strong sprint finish by Leah Kirchmann (Trek Red Truck Racing) gave her the win over Claire Cameron (Mighty Racing) and strong Jean Ann McKirdy filled out the podium.

The men’s race saw strong team performances from Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes, Garnaeu Evolution and Team H&R Block. Each of these powerhouse outfits took their shot at establishing a break away but a persistent pack kept bringing the group back together. The King of the Mountain prize was a battle between Geoff O’toole (Garneau Evolution) and teammate Jason Thompson. O’toole won the coin toss and took the KoM win and the $200. Attack after attack after attack failed to establish a lead group and only succeeded in shedding riders out the back. The second to last lap saw fireworks on the Camosun climb and the pack rolled through start/finish absolutely shattered, but once again nothing stuck and the remnants of the group came back together for one final assault up Camosun. The last hurdle managed to bring out the top twenty riders for the final sprint and with his powerful punch Tyler Trace (Trek Red Truck Racing) took the win ahead of Jacob Swingboth (Team H&R Block) with Jesse Reams (Garnaeu Evolution) in third.

The rain started just as the final tents came down so once again the Westside Classic was contested in fine conditions. The Wedgewood Cycling Team put on a great show and thanks to their sponsors as well as The Bike Gallery for providing neutral wheel support with help from Mavic.

The TNA Westside Classic will again be a primary fund raising initiative for the Wedgewood Cycling Team, in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. Funds raised this year will go towards helping the fight against Cancer in British Columbia.
Full details and registration is now live