Yet another two-wheeled provincial championship race will be held on the roads of Squamish, and this time riders are gunning against nothing but the clock.
On Saturday (Aug. 14), more than 100 of the province's fastest road-racing cyclists will be competing for the Provincial Time Trial Championship title, to be raced on a 38.5 km course on the tranquil, flat roads of the Upper Squamish Valley along the Elaho River.
"The race is here because of the quiet roads, beautiful scenery and because a lot of events are in the Lower Mainland - so it's nice to have a change of venue," said race director Brian Storey, who also competes in the event.
This is the third years that Squamish is hosting the provincial championship, won last year by Matt Usborne in the senior men category, Leah Goldstein in the senior women category and Bradley Fairall from junior men. Storey noted that the number of competitors keeps growing each year, a testament to the sports increasing popularity and fondness of the race location and venue amongst cyclists who come to Squamish.
"We get about 10 new riders each year," said Storey. "The sport's growing and they like to race here."
The racing starts at 9 a.m., with riders pushing the pedals as fast as possible from the staging area the Sunwolf Outdoor Centre, down the Upper Squamish Valley Road for 19.25 km and looping straight back again to the finish line.
"It's a very fast course with no hills and no sharp corners," said Storey.
This translates into some pretty speedy cyclists racing against the clock to see who is the fastest cyclist in B.C. Starting at one-minute intervals, the 38.5-km course provides competitors with a true test of strength and speed. Last year, the winner maintained a 46 km/hr pace. Because the event is a time trial and therefore a solo effort, drafting will not be allowed.
"To win the B.C. Time Trials Championship is affirmation of your hard work," said Storey. "It's the measuring stick for their true fitness level. The winner of this race should be able to race quite well at a national level."
After the race, Sunwolf will also be hosting the post-race awards banquet and prize presentation.
"From an organizer's point of view, I'm very happy with the cooperation from the people of Squamish," said Storey. "Everything has been very smooth."
