The Robert Cameron Law Cycling Series
Easily the biggest weekend of road racing on Vancouver Island, The Robert Cameron Law Cycling Series is a major target for Victoria’s roadies. It not only offers a chance to race bigger fields, with racers traveling from up-island and the mainland, but big crowds and spectacular downtown courses. Falling the weekend after BC Road Provincials, this year the Robert Cameron Law Cycling Series (RCLCS?) also offered a chance at redemption if things didn’t go as planned the weekend before. Broad Street Cycles had four racers taking on the weekend, all decked out in the brand new BSC kit: Fabian Merino and Allie Guenther took on all three days of racing, in the Cat 3 Men’s and Women’s Elite 1/2/3 fields respectively; Nicholas Kupiak (@ridegradient) journeyed down from Nanaimo to take on Saturday’s Road Race and Sunday’s Legislature Crit for his second weekend in the Cat 1/2 field; and Parker Bloom made his first appearance on pavement in Saturday’s Road Race. Up against large fields and the strong Trek Red Truck and Russ Hays / Accent Inn’s teams, we couldn’t be happier with how everyone raced all weekend.
Night 1 : Peninsula Co-op Sprint Challenge
New for this year was the Peninsula Co-op Sprint Challenge, held at future SSCXWC2015 venue Western Speedway. With most of us not racing, we got a group together to ride out and watch the evenings races. Fabian raced earlier, but too early for us to make it to watch. Allie had a great night, with a pair of 2nd places in the Scratch Race and Sprint Challenge. Russ Hay’s / Accent Inn’s took the win in both Men’s races, Curtis winning the Scratch Race and Cody winning the Sprint.
The combination of 4-up sprints and high speed oval racing gave the night a NASCAR meets Velodrome feel, aided by the ever present roar of moto’s running on the next track over the entire night. Multiple races, easy spectating, and a solid concession stand made for a pretty relaxed evening of watching races.
Day 2 : Metchosin Classic Road Race – p/b Cheemo Perogies
Held on the classic Provincial’s course from the last couple years, the Metchosin Road Race is a physically demanding, but fast and fun course to race. Saturday’s events were split into an early start and a late start, Fabian and Parker taking on the Men’s Cat 3/4/Jr/Masters early start and Allie and Nicholas racing at a more civil time in the Elite races. Starting with a massive field, Parker and Fabian helped push the pace in the Men’s 3/4 race until the group was reduced to 10-12 racers by the last lap. With a bit of teamwork, the duo manged to hold off challenges from Wheeler’s Andrew Russell and ProCity’s Andrew McCartney to deliver Fabian for the win!
Men’s / Women’s Elite Road Race
After a couple laps of testing things out, the Men’s race exploded when Trek Red Truck’s Craig Ritchey went on a solo flier and established a solid gap on the field. He was joined a couple laps later by Russ Hay’s Jordan Landolt, and the pair continued to extend their lead throughout the rest of the race. Ritchey out sprinted Landolt for the win, and ProCity’s Issac LeBlanc took the field sprint for 3rd place. While there was a number of attacks, the Women’s race shed riders from the main group but never fully split apart. Local Ride Racing’s young phenom Maggie Coles-Lyster took the field sprint, followed by Cowichan Cyles Janna Gillick.
Crasheur
Above: Fabian relaxing post win while Craig and Jordan head out on the bell lap. Below: Craig and Isaac getting their sprint on.
Russ Hays / Accent Inns Grand Prix
Replacing the long standing classic Bastion Square Crit, the Legislative Crit had big shoes to fill. Initial concerns about the disturbing lack of course side patio’s were quickly overcome by the scenic Harbourfront setting and fast, wide open corner. The absence of a ‘crash corner’ wasn’t bad either – races are much more exciting when they’re not neutralized or cancelled by crashes. Fabian was BSC’s lone representative in the Men’s 3/4 race, which mostly stayed together through to the finish. Gambling on a late attack, Fabian established a solid gap before being reeled in by the field before the finish line.
Behind the organized chaos of crit racing, Race to Alaska’s le Mans start was a different kind of chaos
Women’s Elite Crit
While they looked relaxed as they chatted at the back of the group on the start line, Trek Red Truck had showed up with a strong team and clear intentions. They quickly took control of the field, sending one rider after another off the front and letting the rest of the field chase. Kinley Gibson eventually delivered Trek Red Tuck the win, and Allie held on for 9th. Huge congrats to Mical Dyck for chasing down the TRT riders all day and still taking 4th!
Men’s Elite Crit
After much excitement, Trek Red Truck doubled up on the win’s Sunday, with Craig Ritchey chasing down, and immediately attack a late break by Russ Hay’s Curtis Dearden for his second win of the weekend. Very impressive weekend of racing by Ritchey, and the whole Trek Red Truck team. (two drained camera batteries later, the only photo evidence that this race took place comes courtesy of Leif Keithley)
