Megan Rathwell and Adam deVos, both of Victoria, conquered the climbs in the hills of Metchosin to win the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 titles respectively, Saturday morning in the Westhills Road Classic.
The event, which also doubles as the sa国际传媒 road championships, was the second event of the Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series.
Rathwell won the 80-kilometre women鈥檚 road race in two hours, 29 minutes and 31 seconds. Mical Dyck, Nik Vogler and Kristine Brynjolfson finished second through fourth, respectively, recording the same times.
鈥淭his is a super tough course,鈥� said Rathwell, who was second in the 2012 sa国际传媒 championships.
鈥淏ut I knew I could win if it came down to a sprint.鈥�
The 20-year-old deVos showed why he is considered one of sa国际传媒鈥檚 rising young riders by overtaking the lead pack at about the halfway point in winning the 120-kilometre men鈥檚 race in 3:03:59. Runner-up Dylan Davies of Vancouver was 1:04 behind and third-place Ryan Anderson 3:23 in arrears.
鈥淚 knew Dylan was super strong and a hard worker,鈥� said deVos.
鈥淏ut if we worked together, I knew I could take it in the end. It鈥檚 pretty special to be sa国际传媒 champion. It鈥檚 nice to beat guys like Rob [Britton] and Ryan [Anderson] as they are respected professionals.鈥�
The Cameron Cycling series began Friday evening with Curtis Deardon of Victoria winning the five-kilometre men鈥檚 Rumble individual time trial along Dallas Road in an explosive 6:28:00. Jesse Reams of Vancouver and Craig Richey of Victoria placed second and third, respectively, in an identical 6:32. Veteran pro Britton of Victoria, the two-time defending champion, was fourth in 6:38.
Kristine Brynolfson, a long-distance triathlete from Kamloops, won the women鈥檚 time trial in 7:42. Rathwell was second in 7:45 and top-ranked Canadian cyclo-cross rider Mical Dyck of Victoria third in 7:47.
The Cameron Cycling Series concludes today with the Russ Hay鈥檚 Accent Inns Bastion Square Grand Prix, which features spoke-to-spoke racing around tight downtown streets including the infamous Crash Corner at Yates and Wharf streets. Races start at 8 a.m. with the women鈥檚 elite race at noon and the men鈥檚 elite at 1 p.m.
Brynolfson and Britton take the series Omnium overall women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 leader鈥檚 jerseys into today鈥檚 final day.
