Editorial Note, Wed, June 14, 2023: Portions of the original description of the men’s Cat 1/2 race have been removed or corrected for accuracy.
The 2023 Tour de Concord marked its third consecutive year further establishing itself as a staple criterium race in Vancouver. Hosted by Concord Pacific, the Tour de Concord included a full day of revelry at the Concord Pacific Place property just north of False Creek. The day included a free family bike festival complete with bike demos, free bike tune-ups, food trucks, a beer garden, free popcorn and ice cream for kids, Cycling BC’s HopOn kids bike zone, and more. Despite sporadic rain throughout the day, spectators showed up in droves to take in the day’s events, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.
The first event of the day featured a large field of 28 young riders who were given an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a cheering crowd, and they did not disappoint. Team Devo showered the peloton with their green jerseys by entering 13 racers in the youth race but it would be United Velo’s Luke Bayard that would cross the finish line in first place, with Damian Babul (Team Devo) and Julian Bear (Team Devo) following close behind, taking second and third place respectively.
The rain began to pick up as the Cat 4/5 Women took the start line, making for an entertaining race as the racers showed off their pace and talent around a fast and wet track. Melanie Katcher (Ruckus Racing) flexed her racing muscle, leading the race and setting fast lap times to take the win. Stephanie Brown (Red Kilo) split the two Ruckus Racing riders coming in 2nd place ahead of Alice Clarke (Ruckus Racing) in 3rd.
The already wet track became increasingly more challenging as the rain continued to come down, but the Cat 3/4 Men adapted quickly to the conditions. Demonstrating their adaptability to race in any weather, the Cat 3/4 Men rose to the challenge with young Monty Rigby (Team Devo) overcoming the wet conditions and all challengers to finish atop the podium. Thomas Ford (UBC Cycling Team) crossed the finish line in second place, with Frederique Lotin (Future Racing) rounding out the top three.
With the rain letting up a bit for the Cat 1/2/3 Women’s race, the track still demanded technical precision and focus from the racers. After 40 thrilling laps, Ngaire Barraclough and Mara Roldan (Red Truck Racing pb Mosaic Homes) battled side by side in a sprint to the finish line with Barraclough narrowly finishing ahead of Roldan. Sidney Swierenga (Team Devo) wasn’t too far behind finishing in third place taking the final podium spot.
The rain stopped just in time for the kids fun lap around the race course as dozens of little rippers showed up for their turn on the crit circuit.
The Tour de Concord Charity Race was new to the event this year and brought out several sponsors and corporate teams, including the Vancouver Police Department, to race on the track and raising upwards of $10,000 for local charitable causes.
This year’s Tour de Concord culminated with the Cat 1/2 Men’s race. By this time the track had dried a bit, which would allow the racers to take the corners faster than the previous races earlier in the day. Spectators gathered closely around the start line as the Cat 1/2 Men took off and the energy throughout the crowd became electric as the race came to an exciting conclusion. Just like the Cat 1/2/3 Women’s race, the crowd was gifted with another sprint finish. At the final turn leading up to the finish line, Campbell Parrish (Red Truck Racing pb Mosaic Homes) would ultimately pull ahead of Alexander Fraser-Maraun (Bicicletta Factory Racing) who finished in 2nd and Andrew Jonker (Steed Cycles) who wasn’t too far behind in 3rd place.
A huge congratulations to every single rider who participated in this year’s Tour de Concord. A special thanks to Concord Pacific, M1 Sports Management, race officials and all the volunteers for hosting yet another spectacular event. The effort and time that goes into organizing an event of this magnitude is greatly appreciated.
View Tour de Concord Vancouver 2023 Full Results
View Tour de Concord Vancouver 2023 Photo Gallery by TLBVelo Photography
