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2022 Cycling BC Community Award Winners Announced

From grassroots initiatives to elite performances, the honorees represent the passion and dedication that drives the sport of cycling forward in our province.

Cycling BC’s Community Awards recognize and celebrate the transformative power of sport and the people who have inspired us. Individuals and groups that have been nominated for these awards have demonstrated an exceptional level of achievement, contribution, and dedication to the sport of cycling in British Columbia.

Hundreds of nominations for the awards were submitted by members of the Cycling BC community between November 21, 2022, and January 4, 2023. The winners were selected by a selection committee made up of Cycling BC staff, board, and community members.

Cycling BC is pleased to announce the 2022 Cycling BC Community Award Winners:

Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year: Emmy Lan

Emmy blew the lid open on the Enduro World Series in 2022. In her first year competing in the full series, Emmy won her first EWS race of the year and then went on to win every EWS race she entered in 2022, leading to the U21 Overall EWS Championship.

Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year: Jackson Goldstone

2021’s Jr Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion continued his winning ways in 2022 with the overall Jr. UCI World Cup series title, 1st place at the Crankworx Canadian Open, and 1st place in his first-ever Red Bull Hardline.

Elite Female Sportsperson of the Year: Maggie Coles-Lyster

Maggie was double dominant in 2022 with multiple national championship titles on the road (Road Race, Criterium) and on the track (Omnium, Team Pursuit). Add a Commonwealth Games bronze medal in track, a 3rd overall at the UCI Track Champions League, sprinkled with a few 1st place finishes at several international crit races and you’ve got a recipe for world domination on two-wheels.

Elite Male Sportsperson of the Year: Finn Iles

Finn crossed the finish line at the 2022 UCI MTB DH World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne with a dropped chain and the fastest time of the day, winning his first-ever World Cup and becoming the first Canadian to win in the Elite category of any Downhill World Cup since the late Stevie Smith did it in 2013.

Master Female Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Welbourn

As both a Provincial and National Master Women’s Cyclocross Champion in 2022, it’s obvious that Kelly is very fast on two wheels. She continues to develop and improve her skills and is an inspiration to us all.

Master Male Sportsperson of the Year: Maurice Worsfold

Maurice has been a dedicated rider for over 30 years, consistently turning up to races and achieving great outcomes. Maurice won the 2022 BC Provincial Crit Championships (Master B Men) and was also in the top 3 in the Road Race. He has been an amazing ambassador for the sport of cycling, inspiring young and old alike.

Volunteer of the Year: Paul Rigby

Paul has an extremely busy professional and personal life and yet somehow found a tremendous amount of time to help support youth cycling in British Columbia. Paul has worked extremely hard behind the scenes to support youth development programs like DEVO this year.

Coach of the Year: Ash Jones & Steve Shore

Both super-committed, fantastic role models, technically sound, and passionate, Ash and Steve have developed a culture of hard work, respect and fun at Instinct Racing.

Official of the Year: Kim Allen

Kim brings plenty of enthusiasm to her role as a commissaire at events in a variety of cycling disciplines. Kim can often be seen at race registration, in the commissaire vehicle, and of course, at the start/finish area.

Adventure Rider of the Year: Rob Britton

Recently retired from the pro peloton, Rob set a new FKT (fastest known time) on the BC Epic 1000 this past summer. Rob had a finish time of two days, nine hours, and 24 minutes on the approximately 1,000-kilometer mixed surface route with 10,000 meters of climbing. For the rest of his adventures, just look at his Strava!

Greatest Achievement by an Individual: Finn Iles

Community Organizer of the Year: Andrew Nelson (Thrashers Bike Club)

Andrew added three new Cyclo-cross races to the local calendar which was a real boon to the CX season. The new series made the season more competitive and fun. All events were super well done and had great energy.

Adversity Award: Magnus Manson

Magnus is a young Downhill MTB racer who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and has been an inspiration to many who have been following his progress. While undergoing cancer treatments, stem cell transplant and other therapies, Magnus has remained steadfast in his training on the bike and resilient in his battles off the bike—he even managed to race in a BC Cup Downhill race after only a couple of months out of stem cell transplant. He is now looking ahead to getting back to training and getting back on the World Cup DH circuit.

Innovator of the Year Award: No selection for 2022

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Team of the Year: Rippers Lounge Racing

They’re back! Huge supporters of mountain bike downhill racing and riders, Rippers Lounge Racing are always there supporting and helping to grow the sport of DH.

Club of the Year: Bespoke Cycling Club

Bespoke Cycling Club is a brand-new club that has made an immediate positive impact in the community. The club supports all levels of riders in most major disciplines and has actively encouraged the development of new riders to cyclocross by supporting regular community cyclocross practices open to all. Bespoke brought good, positive, and community-minded vibes to every event they participated in. Small but mighty and a positive force to be reckoned with!

Event of the Year: Dunbar Summer Series

The Dunbar Summer Series continues to be one of the best-organized and well-attended race series in BC. For many, the Dunbar Summer Series has become the “must-do” race(s) on the events calendar. Simply put, it kicks butt.

Bike Shop of the Year: Corsa Cycles

Corsa Cycles was voted by the community as Bike Shop of the Year. They are a bike shop located in Vancouver and Squamish and serve bikes of all kinds, ranging from Road to MTB. This was the only category in the Community Awards that was determined by a popular vote.

 

“Cycling BC congratulates all the winners and nominees. I would also like to thank everyone who submitted nominations,” says Cycling BC’s CEO, Erin Waugh. “A special thank you goes out to the selection committee for taking the time to deliberate and taking on such a herculean task!”

The Cycling BC Community Awards Selection Committee: Deb Intas (Cycling BC Board Chair), Arlaine Mozell (Cycling BC staff), Thomas D’Arcy (Cycling BC staff), and George Amos (Cycling BC member).

This spring, an in-person celebration will be held to honour and recognize the award winners.