Cyclists battle 鈥榟ail and fury' in training for B.C. provincial meet
U Kon Echelon cyclists enjoyed the full gamut of Yukon weather in recent training runs for a junior provincial meet this Friday in Courtney, B.C.
U Kon Echelon cyclists enjoyed the full gamut of Yukon weather in recent training runs for a junior provincial meet this Friday in Courtney, B.C.
The local cycling club held a race at Jake's Corner May 26, and a time trial on the North Klondike May 29.
Wednesday's event was a rough one for cyclists.
"It was a night of hail and fury,鈥� said local coach Trena Irving. "Athletes had indents from the hail as it whipped their arms and stormed down twice throughout the race.鈥�
The race was a warmup for the aforementioned provincial meet, focused on athletes under 19. Yukon cyclists attending include Mathew Knaack, Shea Hoffman, Cayla Jackson 鈥� riding tandem with Irving 鈥� and David Jackson.
Assistant coach Phil Hoffman will also attend the event.
"This is a great race for the kids to gauge where they're at with their development in comparison to kids of like ages,鈥� Irving explained. "It is also a practice meet for Shea Hoffman to see who will be competing against him at Canada Games this summer.鈥�
The event will be comprised of a road race, hill climb and criterium and will feature youth from across B.C. and Washington.
Meanwhile, last Sunday's race at Jake's Corner featured only a handful of participants on what was an excellent day for racing.
Knaack and David Jackson, both U-17 riders, turned in excellent races, completing the 78-km route in two hours, 20 minutes.
The race along the Alaska Highway simulated the distance of the road race coming up in Courtney.
Irving, Kerrie Paterson, and Richard Malvasio also cycled the route to ensure the youngsters didn't encounter any problems.
U Kon Echelon is a new bike club that hosts time trials Wednesday nights and races on Sunday. Anyone interested in road cycling is invited to become a member.
North Klondike results
Trena Irving (38:06); Mathew Knaack (41:32); Serene Pretorius (47:45); Ilza Pretorius (48:39); Cayla Jackson and Tyler Hunter (48:46); David Jackson (DNF).
Jake's Corner results
Kerrie Paterson (2:15:03); Richard Malvasio (2:19:00); Trena Irving (2:20:09); Mathew Knaack (2:20:29); David Jackson (2:20:33).
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