February 25, 2004 – Four Cycling BC members are vying for top honours in Sport BC's prestigious “Athlete of the Year” Awards, helping to boost cycling's profile within the wider sporting community. Cycling BC President and UCI certified Commissaire Wayne Pomario, long-time road racer Larry Zimich and Cross Country Mountain Biker Ryder Hesjedal have each been selected as finalists from over 120 nominations across 37 different sports. In addition, BMX “Volunteer Extraordinaire” Sandy Jensen has been selected for the Cycling BC President's Award.

The presence of four cyclists in contention for this year's honours follows in the wake of Victorian mountain biker, Roland Green, winning the title of Senior Athlete of the Year in 2003. Now in its 38th year, the Sport BC Awards recognize the achievements of athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers throughout BC's amateur sports system. Winners will be announced at a presentation dinner on March 9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

“It is a real privilege to have four cyclists reaching the final stages of the Sport BC Awards, not only as high-level competitors like Larry and Ryder, but also as officials and volunteers” said Tom Fawsitt, Cycling BC's Executive Director. “It's the Wayne Pomarios and Sandy Jensens who form the backbone of our sport, while our elite riders benefit from the development system they help to put in place”.

Cycling BC congratulates Wayne, Larry, Sandy and Ryder on their nominations, and is pleased to see the tradition of producing top athletes, officials and volunteers continuing to attract recognition from within BC's sporting community.