July 10, 2014 (Vancouver, BC) – The Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated criteriums in North America and it lived up to its billing in a big way on Tuesday night, with 120 men on the start line at the intersection of Water and Cambie.

Luke Keough of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling sprinted inches ahead of North Vancouver’s  Ryan Anderson of Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies to take home the $13,000 prize in the 50-lap, 60 kilometre race. It’s Keough’s second straight victory at BC Superweek, after he won the UBC Grand Prix p/b Mahony & Sons just 24 hours earlier.

“It was awesome, to race in front of such a great crowd out here in BC was absolutely amazing. You could just hear the crowd, it was electric,” Keough exclaimed just before receiving a giant novelty cheque in his name for $13,000. “I can’t thank my team enough, the way they ride is amazing, so strong, so dedicated, so selfless, and for me to be able to deliver that (win) was all I needed to do.”

The final lap looked like it would come down to a sprint and indeed it did. Anderson, who was second in Sunday’s White Spot | Delta Road Race and third in Saturday’s Brenco Criterium in Ladner, went for it just a bit too late.

“I’d say I was just picking my way through traffic coming up the final stretch there, so a little too far back on my part, but still a good night,” the 26-year-old said. “It was definitely pretty aggressive, but (overall) it was a good bike race.”

With Keough being atop the podium for the second straight night, one has to wonder if it’s his team’s strategy to set him up or teammate Ken Hanson, who was going for a record-tying third straight win at the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix.

“Ken’s won this two times, he knew the sprint. Today his legs were a little heavy coming out of that last turn in this long uphill drag (to the finish). I hit it early, hoping maybe he could hold on to it,” Keough added. “I knew (our Road Captain) Hilton Clarke was on my wheel and it was a long sprint and I’m glad I held it off.”

One of the biggest stories since UnitedHealthcare arrived at BC Superweek is the fact that the players paid their own way because the series wasn’t on the team’s 2014 race calendar. It’s a story that is partially true.

“It is (true) to an extent, all year we get great support and the one week we can make it up here and race these awesome races, we weren’t going to miss it,” he said.

One rider who excited the thousands of fans in Gastown with a couple of breakaways from the pack was Jan-Niklas Droste from Team Heizomat out of Germany. The cagey cycling fans in the crowd noticed that Droste bore a striking resemblance to Canadian cycling great and long-time BC Superweek supporter and participant Svein Tuft, who’s riding right now at the Tour de France.

“I saw the video from two years ago when he tried to win this race with a few laps to go and I got a lot of motivation from that. He’s a hero for Canada,” Droste said. “The first part of the race was really hard and a lot of guys tried to attack, but then I saw the gap and tried my best. It was really hard in the front, but there were a lot of primes and the nice crowd here, thanks for the support!”

Women’s Race
Speed necessitated a change to the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix this year, as the criterium was increased from 30 to 35 laps after the women’s field finished well ahead of schedule in 2013. And with riders averaging one minute and 39 seconds per 1.2 kilometre lap this year, the number of laps in the race may just be upped again for 2015.

Winnipeg’s Leah Kirchmann of Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, who makes her home in Squamish, provided the fastest overall time Wednesday night, winning and claiming the $13,000 first prize in a sprint to the finish ahead of New Zealander Jo Kiesanowski of Team TIBCO To The Top, who won the UBC Grand Prix p/b Mahony & Sons on Tuesday. The field was the largest thus far for a BC Superweek race in 2014, with 75 riders on the start line.

Kirchmann barely got through a crash on the first corner on the final lap of the technical course over the cobblestones in Gastown. Her Optum teammates maintained a high pace and kept her out of trouble.

“It was a really hectic last lap, I had faith in my team that they were going to set me up with a really fast lead out. I guess there was a crash – or a near crash – around the first corner, I actually felt someone run into my foot and my wheel, but I held it up and was able to stay ahead of the field,” she said.

Team TIBCO To The Top ended up with two riders on the podium as Samantha Schneider of West Allis, Wisconsin was third. For Schneider, it’s the second top-3 finish of BC Superweek, after she claimed second in Sunday’s White Spot | Delta Road Race.

The 23-year-old was also almost a victim of the mishap on the final lap.

“Coming off the first corner, there was unfortunately a crash from the inside, it went out and luckily my teammate, Jo and I got saved,” explained Schneider. “Leah made it through and (it was) single file all through the last lap and I couldn’t come around today, but it’s awesome racing here in Gastown, (BC Superweek) is really fun racing. We’re super happy we were able to come out and race here.”

The race was close right to the end, with there being very few breakaways – and each time a group of riders broke loose, the peloton reeled them back in, which made for the thrilling finish.

The $13,000 payday is the largest in North America – and one of the largest in the world – for a women’s criterium, a fact that Kirchmann was ecstatic to be reminded of.

She added, “This is a monumental achievement for me in my career and my team – and for women’s cycling – so thank you Global Relay!”

BC Superweek features $120,000 in prize money available during nine races over 10 days. BC Superweek runs from July 4-13, and is made up of the Tour de Delta (July 4, 5, 6), UBC Grand Prix p/b Mahony & Sons (July 8), Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix (July 9), Giro di Burnaby p/b Appia Developments (July 10) and the Tour de White Rock (July 11, 12, 13). For more information, visit here.

Results

Pro 1/2/3 Women
1. Leah Kirchmann (CAN) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 01:16.7
2. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL) Team TIBCO
3. Sam Schneider (USA) Team TIBCO
4. Laura Van Gilder (USA) Mellow Mushroom
5. Gillian Carleton (CAN) Vanderkitten
6. Joanie Caron (CAN) Garneau Factory Team
7. Lauren Stephens (USA) Team TIBCO 1:01 19.1
8. Allison Beveridge (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
9. Jade Wilcoxson (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits
10. Denise Ramsden (CAN) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits
11. Lauretta Hanson (AUS) AUS independent
12. Amy Cutler (USA) FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore
13. Kinley Gibson (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
14. Jamie Gilgen (CAN) RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam
15. Alison Jackson (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
16. Liza Rachetto (USA) Vanderkitten
17. Maria Calle (COL) Team Colombia
18. Miranda Griffiths (AUS) Vanderkitten
19. Erica Allar (USA) Colavita/Fine Cooking
20. Carrie Cartmill (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
21. Catherine Dessureault (CAN) sas-mazda-macogep-specialized
22. Mary Zider (USA) Colavita/Fine Cooking
23. Milena Salcedo (COL) Team Colombia
24. Annie Foreman-Mackey (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
25. Sara Bergen (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
26. Maddi Campbell (NZL) independent 01:26.4
27. Jessica Cutler (USA) FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore 01:27.5
28. Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN) Local Ride Racing
29. Ellen Watters (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
30. Patricia Schwager (SUI) Team TIBCO
31. Anika Todd (CAN) Team TIBCO 01:30.2
32. Ivy Audrain (USA) Glotman Simpson Cycling
33. Marie-Soleil Blais (CAN) RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam
34. Krista Rawlings (CAN) Mount Royal Bagel Factory
35. Amy Bradley (AUS) Garneau Factory Team
36. Lauren Dagostino (USA) independent
37. Morgan Cabot (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling 01:33.2
38. Jessica Prinner (USA) Colavita/Fine Cooking
39. Courteney Lowe (NZL) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 01:35.1
40. Kate Chilcott (NZL) Vanderkitten
41. Annie Ewart (CAN) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 01:40.5
42. Leah Guloien (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
43. Shoshauna Routley (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes 01:43.7
44. Tina Pic (USA) Mellow Mushroom 01:55.3
45. Elle Anderson (USA) Vanderkitten 01:59.1
DNF Tiffany Pezzulo (USA) Vanderkitten
DNF Sara Headley (USA) Team TIBCO
DNF Rosalie Cardin (CAN) sas-mazda-macogep-specialized
DNF Kristi Lay (CAN) sas-mazda-macogep-specialized
DNF Adriane Provost (CAN) sas-mazda-macogep-specialized
DNF Sarah Coney (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Jenny Lehmann (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Ashley Barson (CAN) RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam
DNF Sarah Rasmussen (CAN) RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam
DNF Krista Ruby (CAN) RealDeal/Gears p/b WASPcam
DNF Kristine Brynjolfson (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Rachel Canning (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Meghan Grant (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Heather Kay (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Megan Rathwell (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Katie Rushton (CAN) ATAC Sportswear
DNF Ariane Bonhomme (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
DNF Amelie Bruneau (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
DNF Emily Flynn (CAN) Stevens-The Cyclery
DNF Justine Clift (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Erin Redl (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Alysia Withers (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Suzanne Hamilton (CAN) BiciSport
DNF Emma Lujan (CAN) Bike Barn
DNF Emily Spence (CAN) CRCA BH/Comedy Central
DNF Natalie Koncz (USA) Nemesis Racing
DNF Brenna Pauly (CAN) Tripleshot Cycling
DNF Allison Daniel (CAN) independent
DNF Norrene Godfrey (USA) independent
DNF Gina Haatz (GER) independent
DNS Anne Morin (CAN) sas-mazda-macogep-specialized
DNS Tessa Pinckston (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes

Pro 1/2 Men
1. Luke Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 17:49.6
2. Ryan Anderson (CAN) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits
3. Ken Hanson (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
4. Florenz Knauer (GER) Team Heizomat
5. Kristofer Dahl (CAN) SmartStop
6. Jordan Parra (COL) Team Colombia
7. Pierrick Naud (CAN) Garneau-Quebecor
8. Eric Young (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits
9. Hilton Clarke (AUS) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 17:52.9
10. Karl Menzies (AUS) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 17:55.1
11. Aurelien Passeron (FRA) Silber Pro Cycling Team 17:56.4
12. Michael Schweizer (GER) Baku
13. Brandon Etzl (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee/Norco Bicyles
14. Jean-Michel Lachance (CAN) QC Silber Pro Cycling Team
15. Thomas Brown (USA) Astellas Cycling Team
16. Alexander Ray (NZL) Hincapie Devo 17:58.0
17. Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
18. Stephen Clancy (IRL) Team Novo Nordisk 17:59.2
19. Chris Uberti (USA) Astellas Cycling Team
20. David Guttenplan (USA) SeaSucker/Guttenplan Coaching
21. David Cueli (USA) UnitedHealthcare of Georgia/706 Project
22. Dustin Andrews (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
23. Brendan Cornett (USA) UnitedHealthcare of Georgia/706 Project
24. Craig Richey (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes 18:01.4
25. Evan Murphy (USA) CRCA/Foundation
26. Matteo Dal-Cin (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team
27. Ole Quast (GER) KED Stevens Radteam Berlin
28. Alex Candelario (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 18:05.3
29. Frank Travieso (USA) UnitedHealthcare of Georgia/706 Project 18:07.3
30. Dylan Davies (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
31. Travis Samuel (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee/Norco Bicyles
32. Hogan Sills (USA) Astellas Cycling Team
33. Cid Martinez (BOL) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
34. Issac Howe (USA) Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes
35. Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
36. Andrew Scarano (USA) UnitedHealthcare of Georgia/706 Project
38. Kyle Murphy (USA) CRCA/Foundation
39. Garrett Mcleod (CAN) Team H&R Block
40. Geoff Kabush (CAN) SCOTT-3Rox Racing
41. Tom Soladay (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits
42. Michael Van Den Ham (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
43. Mat Stephens (USA) Boneshaker
44. Glenn Ferreira (USA) Team Metra/Cycles 54
45. Derrick St-John (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team
46. Anton Varabei (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee/Norco Bicyles
47. Chris Worsfold (CAN) Tranquilio/Code Sports 18:13.5
48. Jeffrey Werner (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
49. Braydon Bourne (CAN) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
50. Clay Murfet (AUS) Astellas Cycling Team
51. Gavi Epstein (CAN) Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes
52. Mark Mcconnell (CAN) Synergy Racing
53. Kevin Mullervy (USA) Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes
54. Matt Green (GBR) Astellas Cycling Team
55. Jure Rupnik (SLO) Range Road Racing
56. Alexander Grad (GER) Team Heizomat
57. Shannon Johnson (AUS) NCCH p/b Dec Express
58. Bailey Mcknight (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
59. Garrett Olsen (USA) Team Skyline
60. Greg Christian (USA) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
61. Maurice Worsfold (CAN) independent
61. Drew Christopher (USA) Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes
62. Vladi Riha (GER) VC Vegesack
63. Elliott Doyle (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team
64. Christoph Schweizer (GER) Baku
65. Jackson Pickell (CAN) Local Ride Racing 18:17.4
66. Adam Myerson (USA) SmartStop
67. Aaron Perry (NZL) Team Novo Nordisk 1:18 19.2
68. Dominik Roels (GER) independent 18:20.2
69. Juan Pimentel Jr. (USA) CRCA/Foundation 18:22.2
70. Sherwood Plant (CAN) Musette Racing
71. Fabian Schormair (GER) Team Heizomat
72. Geordie Morrison (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
73. Ryan Macdonald (CAN) Team H&R Block
74. Adam De Vos (CAN) Team H&R Block
75. Justin Morris (AUS) Team Novo Nordisk 18:23.8
76. Jacob Kauffman (AUS) Garneau-Quebecor 18:25.6
77. Morgan Schmitt (USA) Canyon Bicycles 18:26.5
78. Jan-Niklas Droste (GER) Team Heizomat
79. Stuart Wight (CAN) Team H&R Block
80. Charles Eldridge (USA) Team Novo Nordisk 18:28.0
81. Christopher D’Arcy (CAN) Todd’s Racing
82. Nigel Ellsay (CAN) Sojasun Espoir-ACNC
83. Jonaton Restrepo (COL) Team Colombia 18:31.2
84. William Routley (CAN) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 18:32.2
85. Dylan Cunningham (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank 18:33.2
86. Luke Ockerby (AUS) Garneau-Quebecor 18:34.1
87. Emile De Rosnay (CAN) Musette Racing 18:35.1
88. Kevin Massicotte (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee/Norco Bicyles
89. Nigel Kinney (USA) Musette Racing
90. Steven Grandy (CAN) Broad Street Cycles/ Stuckylife 18:38.1
91. Conor O’Brien (CAN) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
92. Brad Huff (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits 18:41.2
93. Arturo Suarez (MEX) Todd’s Racing 18:45.3
94. Conor Mullervy (USA) Champion System-Stan’s NoTubes 18:48.7
95. Benjamin Dilley (USA) Team Novo Nordisk
96. Mackenzie Garvin (CAN) Cyclemiesters BowCycle 18:50.1
97. Ryan Roth (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team 18:51.7
98. Ruud Cremers (NED) Team Novo Nordisk 1:00 19:35.5
99. Simon Lambert-Lemay (CAN) Garneau-Quebecor 1:00 19:45.9
100. Simon-Pierre Gauthier (CAN) Garneau-Quebecor 1:00 19:47.2
101. Justin Williams (USA) Astellas Cycling Team 20:42.0
DNF Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
DNF Max Korus (USA) Astellas Cycling Team
DNF Cody Canning (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
DNF Tom Malczynski (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
DNF Mike Rothengatter (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
DNF William Elliott (CAN) NCCH p/b Dec Express
DNF Simon Fothergill (CAN) NCCH p/b Dec Express
DNF Brad Clifford (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Kyle Buckosky (CAN) Team H&R Block
DNF Federico Marchiori (ITA) Team H&R Block
DNF David Gerth (CAN) Musette Racing
DNF Robert Hargrove (CAN) Musette Racing
DNF Scott Laliberte (CAN) Musette Racing
DNF David Gillam (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Keifer Livingston (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Trevor Pearson (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Mark Rainer (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Travis Streb (CAN) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Sebastian Molano (COL) Team Colombia
DNF Ben Andrew (CAN) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
DNF Marvin Guzman (CAN) Tranquilio/Code Sports
DNF Jon Bula (CAN) Fulgas
DNF Alex Hui (CAN) Pro City Racing/Rumble
DNF Hendrik Werner (GER) RRG Porz
DNF Ty Andrews (CAN) independent
DNF Richard Machhein (CAN) independent
DNF Bruno Nella (CAN) independent
DNF Chris Stastny (USA) Firefighters Upsala
DNF Jakub Wasiela (CAN) Gastown Cycling
DNS Curtis Dearden (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
DNS Raphael Lalumiere (CAN) Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s p/b Scotiabank
DNS Eric Johnston (CAN) NCCH p/b Dec Express
DNS Jacob Restall (AUS) NCCH p/b Dec Express
DNS Luke Vanlauwe (CAN) NCCH p/b Dec Express
DNS Henri De Boever (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNS Trevor Stothard (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNS Joel Taylor (CAN) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNS Benjamin Chaddock (CAN) Garneau-Quebecor
DNS Chris Prendergast (CAN) Team H&R Block
DNS William Goodfellow (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team
DNS Robert Ralph (CAN) Silber Pro Cycling Team
DNS Daniel Echavarria (COL) Team Colombia
DNS Stephen Rockwood (CAN) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
DNS Christian Meier (CAN) Orica GreenEDGE
DNS Ira Sy (CAN) Echelon Racing
DNS Amiel Flett-Brown (CAN) Musette Racing
DNS Jesse Anthony (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits

The follow riders receive a warning for not signing on prior to the commencement of the race:
– Clay Murfet (AUS) Astellas Cycling Team
– Brendan Cornett (USA) UnitedHealthcare of Georgia/706 Project
– Anton Varabei (CAN) Jet Fuel Coffee/Norco Bicyles
– Jure Rupnik (SLO) Range Road Racing
– Glenn Ferreira (USA) Team Metra/Cycles 54
– Maurice Worsfold (CAN) independent
– Tom Soladay (USA) Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefits

UCI 12.1.040.28 – Failure to respect instructions by Commissaire – Fine $50
– Adrian Hegyvary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team