Local Riders end season on podium
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: December 01, 2009 4:15 PM
The Local Ride Racing team ended the 2009 competitive cycling season on the podium with Jean Ann McKirdy of Maple Ridge capturing the B.C. Cup overall cyclocross series title on Saturday in the elite women’s category.
Sunday saw five Local Ride Racing members win medals at the B.C. Cyclocross Championships in North Vancouver.
McKirdy stepped off a plane from L.A. on Friday night after a demanding National Team track cycling training camp and turned around on Saturday to dominate the women’s field in South Surrey, this time in the cyclocross discipline. She quickly rode away from her female competitors and set her sights on the B Men’s category racers, who were on the course at the same time. She won the women’s race handily and finished fourth overall in the B Men’s field. Her victory guaranteed her the overall B.C. Cup Series win.
“It’s nice to actually win the series after coming so close the past two years,” said McKirdy, who placed second overall in both 2007 and 2008.
Local Ride Racing’s young stars, Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge and Pete Whalen of Pitt Meadows, were the top U-17 women’s and men’s riders, respectively. Roy McBeth of Maple Ridge took fourth place in the Master Men’s race, while Steve Devantier of Pitt Meadows finished seventh in the A Men’s competition.
Sunday’s race in North Vancouver saw 140 competitors challenge for the B.C. Championship title and jersey. McKirdy was once again in the hunt for the elite women’s win, but she could not match the speed of national champion Alison Sydor. McKirdy had to settle for second place, followed by Local Ride Racing team mates, Sandra Walter, in third and Chelsea Bilsbarrow, in sixth. McBeth bettered his fourth-place finish from the previous day to take the bronze medal in the Masters 40-49 men’s race. Both Coles-Lyster and Whalen also picked up bronze medals in their respective U-17 categories.
