The Giro race at this year’s Whistler GranFondo saw a new record and a photo finish.
The event, with a $50,000 purse, is the race that attracts pro-level riders, and this year the overall winner, Jack Burke, reached the finish line in Whistler faster than anyone.
“There was a new course record set at three hours and 12 minutes,” said GranFondo president and “chief enthusiast” Neil McKinnon. “The lead rider… he did a great job.”
Burke, who rides professionally, is originally from Ontario and now based in Squamish. He started at age 11 with mountain biking before switching to road racing. He came in almost two-and-half minutes ahead of the pack that followed.
He told The Squamish Chief he felt ready for the event, as he had just taken part in the five-day Tour of Alberta race.
“All the training and preparation was built around that,” he said.
It was on the women’s side, with a host of top-level pro riders though, that things got interesting.
“It was a nail-biter,” McKinnon said. “It was probably the race to watch.”
Last year’s fastest female, Joelle Numainvile, of Laval, Que., technically ended up in second to Abbotsford’s Alison Jackson in a photo finish that saw four riders log identical times of 3:54:48. The next three riders were only two seconds off the pace and several others only a second or two behind that.
The Giro and the other GranFondo races start in Vancouver and make their way through Squamish on the road to Whistler. In all, an estimated 4,500 people signed up to ride, with most of the riders taking part in the actual GranFondo.
“Our numbers are up pretty substantially,” McKinnon said. “It’s pretty exciting to see.”
Matthew Van Nostrand won the GranFondo, while Kelly Jablonski took the Forte, which included the tough Cypress Mountain climb, and Bruce Philippi took the Medio.
McKinnon was pleased that between the organizers and the public, some extra vigilance this year meant that the race did not have any of the problems resulting from someone having thrown tacks on the road prior to the race, as was the case the last couple of years. Again, he emphasized the stretch through Squamish and its spectator areas are a favourite among riders, as onlookers come out to ring cowbells and cheer on the competitors.
“As per usual, Squamish is the highlight,” he said.
There was the bacon station once again, and some were handing out watermelon slices.
One of the highlights for the riders passing by was Kelly Thompson’s sign that said “Beer 50 KM ahead,” which brought laughs and thumbs-up from many cyclists. One could be heard saying it was the best sign he had seen.
She also had made a sign for her sister Katie Fox, who was riding in the race, along with her dad Paul Thompson.
“I’m pretty proud considering I whipped these up five minutes ago,” Thompson said.
There were also musicians along the way to urge the riders on, including a small group with a tuba player near Furry Creek that stepped in when a drummer could not make the event.
All in all, McKinnon was happy with the turnout and the weather, even the fact the riders picked up a bit of tailwind around Squamish.
“The spirits were very, very high,” he added.
