July 20, 2007 (Burnaby BC) - Despite threats of rain all morning the weather held up and racers took to the streets of Burnaby in near perfect conditions. In its second year, BC Super Week’s newest edition saw same extremely fast racing on its open 1.8km, 8-corner course.
Women's Race
The women’s race saw constant aggressors from all of the major teams and protagonists present. Attacks started from the gun with Giant Canada sending riders off of the front in quick succession, only to be countered by the powerful JAZZ Apple line up, featuring current New Zealand champion Allison Shanks and veteran rider Suzy Pryde, as well as Tour de White Rock Criterium winner Rushlee Buchanan.
No break was able to stay away for very long on the fast course, which featured a break-killing headwind on the longest straightaway. Primes were given out at an impressive rate, and provided the crowds with a chance to see which sprinters would likely feature in the finale. California rider Shelly Olds (Proman) took the lion’s share of the primes, as she continues a meteoric rise in just her third year in the sport, with Jenny Trew (Giant) and Gina Grain (Expresscopy.com) also making several hundred dollars in primes.
With two laps to go it was all JAZZ Apple on the front as they set up a full lead-out for their sprinter Malindills Maclean a former top competitor at junior worlds on the track. Despite their well-drilled team set-up it was Olds who had the speed on the night coming around Maclean to take the top step with Grain rounding out the podium in third. Giant riders Trew and Lisa Howard rounded out the top five.
Men’s Race
The men took to the streets right after the women, and played out in opposite fashion with a strong 9-man break escaping the large field in the 30-lap, 55km long race. In the break were some of the races biggest names; Gastown winner Kirk O’Bee with Health Net teammate Roman Kilun, Oleg Grishkin and Irish Champion David O’Loughlin of the Navigators, Espoir TT champion David Veilleux (Jittery Joes), BC Champion Ryan Anderson (Trek/Red Truck) the Symmetrics pair of Brandon Chrichton and Cam Evans and Italpasta’s David Richter.
Sensing that this would be the winning move, Symmetrics sprinter Andrew Pinfold made a huge effort to come across the gap and join the breakaway.
The break was aggressive throughout the race with O’Loughlin and Evans making big efforts to break the group before Veilleux nearly succeeded with two laps to go.
Coming down the final straight it was O’Bee replicating his result just 24 hours earlier, at the expense of Grishkin for a second straight time, with Pinfold rounding out the podium in third. Veilleux hung on for fourth while Anderson placed 5th continuing his recent hot streak.
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Photo: Greg Descantes
Pro men's podium (l-r): Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 3rd, Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net 1st, Oleg Grishkin (Rus) Navigators Insurance 2nd.
Photo: Greg Descantes
Photo: Greg Descantes
Women's podium (l-r): Gina Grain (Can) Expresscopy.com 3rd, Malindills Maclean (Nzl) JAZZ Apple Cycling Team 2nd, Shelley Olds (USA) PROMAN/Paradigm 1st.
Photo: Greg Descantes
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