Sara Bergen accomplished something Sunday only former Olympian and world champion Roland Green had done before in the 24-year history of what is now known as the Accent Inns/Russ Hays Grand Prix .
Bergen lapped the field in winning the women鈥檚 race. Green previously did it twice on the men鈥檚 side.
The Trek Red Truck pro Bergen completed the 30 laps around the legislature, the last 15 solo, in 52:16.
鈥淚 was lucky my teammates allowed me to ride an aggressive race,鈥� said the 27-year-old from Coquitlam.
鈥淭hey gave me the guts to make bold moves.鈥�
Rising 17-year-old star Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge was second and Alysia Withers of Vancouver third.
The Victoria-based Accent Inns/Russ Hays team swept the men鈥檚 podium with Cody Canning first, Isaac LeBlanc second and Amiel Flett-Brown third. They were a blur during the 50 laps in 1:07:13.
Canning and Bergen join a list of past Victoria Grand Prix champions that includes Green, Olympic medallists Alison Sydor and Brian Walton, and Olympians Erinne Willock, Gina Grain and Andreas Hestler.
The race was held around Bastion Square, with its infamous Crash Corner at Yates and Wharf, from 1992 to 2014. It was shifted to around the legislature last year.
鈥淭he venue was beautiful and course fantastic,鈥� said Bergen.
The races Sunday also stood as the sa国际传媒 criterium championships, with Bergen adding the provincial women鈥檚 criterium title to the sa国际传媒 road race championship she captured last weekend in Abbotsford.
鈥淲e had our guys in the lead at the right time,鈥� said Canning, of the Accent Inns/Russ Hays sweep of the men鈥檚 race Sunday.
鈥淲e lost control a lot of times, but our team rallied in the last 10 laps. We knew we had to take a chance in the sprints. Isaac [LeBlanc] took it out. He was incredible.鈥�
It was LeBlanc鈥檚 way of paying back after Canning and the rest of his teammates took it for him last week as LeBlanc won the sa国际传媒 road race championship in Abbotsford.
鈥淚t feels amazing to give back to the team,鈥� said LeBlanc.
鈥淐ody [Canning] has led me out twice this year [including last week in Abby].鈥�
The Grand Prix on Sunday closed out the 2016 Robert W. Cameron Law Series, which also included the EnergyLab Dallas Road Time Trial on Friday evening and Cheemos Perogies Road Cycling Classic on Saturday in Metchosin. The series champions, based on total points over the three events, were Nanaimo鈥檚 Jenna Gillick of Team ATAC for women鈥檚, and Surrey鈥檚 Kyle Buckosky of Red Truck for men鈥檚.
More than 500 competitors took part in the three weekend races.
鈥淥n the roads, on the trails, at the Juan de Fuca velodrome, we鈥檙e seeing not only the weekend warriors and commuters, but sa国际传媒鈥檚 next Olympians, Paralympians and other international stars,鈥� said series race director Jon Watkin, in a statement.
