Over a hundred riders gathered in Kelowna on Sunday, November 6th to compete in the School of Hard Knox BC Provincial Cyclocross Championships presented by ChainLine Cycles w/ The Lions Cyclery in spite of extreme weather warnings, bone-chilling wind, and inclement conditions that hit the Okanagan throughout the weekend.
Having been without a BC cyclocross championship race since 2019, riders of all ages and abilities took part. Evan Russell (Saris Rouvy Sauerland) from Mill Bay, Vancouver Island came in 1st place in the Elite Men’s category, followed by Lief Rodgers (Giant Canada) in 2nd, and Ethan Pauly (TaG Cycling) in 3rd. Sandra Walter (Liv Racing) of Coquitlam, BC repeated as Provincial Champion in the Elite Women’s category though it was Canada’s 2021 National Cross-country Mountain Bike Champion, Jenn Jackson (Canyon), who crossed the line 28 seconds ahead of Walter. Jackson’s out-of-province rider status made her ineligible for the provincial title. Ella MacPhee (Charge BCXC) came in 2nd and Kaeleen Coles-Lyster (Local Ride Racing) came in 3rd on the provincial podium.
Multi-discipline extraordinaire Cam McCallum (Charge BCXC) can add 2022 Cyclocross Provincial Champion to his palmarés as the 17-year-old rider from Langley, BC beat out hometown favourites Noah Rubuliak (Giant Canada) and Rhett Bates who came in 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the Junior Men’s race. The Junior Women’s race included Madeleine Pollock (DEVO) of North Vancouver finishing in 1st place as provincial champ, followed by Kimberly Chen (The Cycling Co.) of Victoria in 2nd, and Geza Rodgers (Liv Canada) from Port Moody in 3rd.
BC’s 2022 Cyclocross Provincial Champions in the other categories include,
Master A Men – Wai-Ben Wong (Glotman Simpson)
Master A Women – Lindsay Burgess (Fort Street Cycle)
Master B Men – Jacob Rodgers (Giant Vancouver)
Master B Women – Kelly Welbourn (Steed Cycles)
Master C Men – Gary MacGregor (Riverway Dental Racing)
Master D Men – Colin Funk (Atomic Racing)
U17 Men – Oscar Wong (Tripleshot Cycling)
U17 Women – Sidney Swierenga (DEVO)
U15 Men – Levi Rubuliak
U15 Women – Brooke Bates (Okanagan Bike & Ski)
U13 Men – Daniel Ruddock
U13 Women – Grace Szabadi