(June 1 2013 – Metchosin, BC) If you can say anything about newly-crowned BC Road Cycling Champions Megan Rathwell‘s and Adam deVos’ victories in the Westhills Road Cycling Classic, you have to say they were well-deserved.
The unforgiving hills of Metchosin and early lead break responsibilities gave both a run for their money in the second leg of the Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series.
The Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes rider deVos, from Victoria, overtook the lead pack half way through the 12-lap 120 km elite men’s race, along with Super Champion Cycle Shop rider Dylan Davies (Vancouver).
“I knew Dylan was super strong – a hard worker,” said deVos. “But if we worked together I knew I could take it in the end.”
The 20-year-old said he was a bit nervous that the break might be too early, but the gap kept growing, giving him the confidence to take it alone in the last lap, winning in 3:03:59 – one minute, four seconds over Davies and three minutes, 23 seconds over Ryan Anderson’s third-place finishing pack sprint.
For deVos, the BC Road Cycling Champion title was particularly sweet. “It’s pretty special to be a BC Champion,” deVos said. “But it’s nice to beat guys like Rob (Britton) and Ryan (Anderson) as they are respected professionals.”
(L-R) Dylan Davies (Super Champions Cycle Shop), Adam deVos (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes), Ryan Anderson (Independant)
In the 80K, eight lap-women’s elite race, enemy lines were drawn fast by an unexpected challenge.
“Category 3 rider Anika Todd attacked right away, and we got rid of the field early,” said Rathwell. “We knew Anika was strong, but we didn’t expect the early attack. It kept us working the whole race.”
This is Todd’s, from Victoria, first year riding. It was also another first – Rathwell’s (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes) first road race victory, after finishing second in last year’s Tour de Rock Road Race, the 2012 BC Championships and the 2012 Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series omnium.
(L-R) Mical Dyck (Pro City Racing), Megan Rathwell (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes), Nik Vogler (Russ Hay’s Accent Inns)
“This is a super tough course,” Rathwell said after finishing in two hours, 29 minutes and 31 seconds. “But I knew that I could win if it came down to a sprint.”
Mical Dyck, Nik Vogler and Kristine Brynjolfson finished second, third and fourth respectively in the same time.
Brynjolfson and Britton take the Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series Omnium leader’s jersey into the Russ Hay’s Accent Inns Bastion Square Grand Prix tomorrow with the elite women race at noon and the men’s race at 1 p.m. Races start at 8 a.m. and run throughout the day with the Tim Horton’s Timbit Challenge at 11 a.m.
Full Results Here
Sharon White, Media Director 250 595-2337, sharon.white@telus.net