From Ryder Hesjedal in the pressurized heights of the Tour de France and Giro d鈥橧talia, to the likes of Adam de Vos and Rob Britton in the Tour of California, there are several Island cyclists pedalling at the pro levels.
Megan Rathwell of Victoria did, too, but is enjoying life just as much back on the local circuits. She won her third career women鈥檚 Cheemos Perogies Classic Road Race crown on Saturday in Metchosin as part of the annual Robert W. Cameron Cycling Series.
鈥淚 was riding pro last year and did not enjoy the travel as much,鈥� said the 31-year-old, now with the Broad Street Cycle team.
鈥淚 like just having fun now and doing the local races.鈥�
Which she does very well, adding to her Classic Road Race titles from 2013 and 2014, by completing the 70 kilometres in two hours, 30 minutes, 29 seconds.
鈥淚 like races of attrition like this,鈥� said Rathwell. 鈥淚t came down to a sprint finish, and I found a gap.鈥�
Local knowledge helped.
鈥淚 ride this course a lot in the winter in the rain,鈥� she said.
Nanaimo鈥檚 Janna Gillick, from Team ATAC, was second in the four-rider breakaway sprint to the wire with Morgan Cabot of Vancouver third and Anna Traxler of Calgary fourth.
Garrett McLeod of Vancouver, from H&R Block Pro Cycling Team, won the 120-kilometre men鈥檚 road race to add to his title from two years ago. That Metchosin road knowledge went a long way because McLeod was the lone H&R Block rider entered and had no teammate support on the course.
鈥淗aving won this race in 2014, I knew it was a tough course,鈥� he said, in a statement. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have any teammates in the race, so I just watched the others, and saved myself for the end.鈥�
McLeod headed the sprint pack in 3:09:04, with Trek Red Truck pro Kyle Buckosky of Surrey second and unaffiliated Brent Dallimore of Vancouver third.
The Cameron Law Cycling Series began with the EnergyLab Dallas Road Time Trial on Friday . Buckosky was the men鈥檚 champion and Gillick the women鈥檚.
The series concludes today with the Accent Inns/Russ Hays sa国际传媒 Criterium Championships around the legislative buildings, beginning at 8 a.m., with the women鈥檚 elite race at noon and the men鈥檚 elite at 1 p.m. There will be a Timbits kids鈥� challenge and a celebrity race, featuring past Island Olympians from several sports and politicians.
This is the second year of the shift to the legislature venue from the legendary former criterium site, which featured cramped and often-hairy wheel-to-wheel racing around the compact and tight downtown Bastion Square course. Among those who survived the infamous Crash Corner is a list of starry past champions that includes Olympic medallists Alison Sydor and Brian Walton, world champion Roland Green and Olympians Erinne Willock, Gina Grain and Andreas Hestler.
Race director Jon Watkin said: 鈥淭he Bastion Square circuit was a big part of Island cycling culture since 1992, and changing venues from such an historic site was a tough decision, but a right decision because the new venue around the legislature is amazing and lends itself well to more of a family festival feel for residents and tourists in the heart of the Inner Harbour.鈥�
