Rob Britton is proving it鈥檚 never too late.
The 34-year-old Rally UHC pro cyclist out of Victoria, who competed in the world championships for the first time two years ago, continued churning into his late-career success. Maybe even to Tokyo 2020.
Britton won the men鈥檚 time trial at the Canadian road-racing championships in Saint-Georges, Que, on Saturday.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 ridden my time trial bike that much, so to come here and have this ride today and to beat Svein [Tuft], who鈥檚 obviously a legend in his own right, is amazing,鈥� Britton said in a statement.
鈥淚t was brutal out there today, so my plan was just to go all out in the first and last eight kilometres and just try not to break my rhythm too much.鈥�
This is a rider who didn鈥檛 turn pro in Victoria until he was 26.
鈥淭hat is damn old,鈥� Britton previously told the sa国际传媒.
鈥淚 sucked at even riding a bike in high school. I like to prove people wrong.
鈥淪ome riders reach their physical, mental and strength peaks when they are older. I will see where I am after 36 [post-Tokyo].鈥�
Britton moved from Regina to Victoria in 2006 and worked in construction here and on cruise ships and even sold vacuums to make ends meet.
Becoming a pro cyclist did not seem even remotely in the cards. That was until he fell in with the Island cycling community after meeting the Victoria husband-and-wife team of coach Tony Zarsadias and Olympic cyclist Erinne Willock.
That led to a fifth-place finish with the Canadian pursuit team at the 2011 Guadalajara Pan Am Games and a top-10 finish in the 2015 Tour of California and the overall championship in the 2015 Tour of the Gila.
鈥淚 felt like I was Tony鈥檚 and Erinne鈥檚 first kid,鈥� said Britton.
Olympian and pro cyclist Leah Kirchmann of Winnipeg won the Canadian women鈥檚 time trial.
The national road championships continue through the weekend.
