June 25, 2018 (Saguenay, QC) – Four titles were awarded on the final day of the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Quebecor that concluded on Sunday with the Criterium Challenge in Chicoutimi. A light rain greeted riders but soon the weather gods were smiling for the finale of the championships last held in Saguenay in 1996.

Held on a 1.6 kilometre circuit, BC’s Sara Bergen took the win in the women’s Crit for Rally Cycling’s fourth title of the week, while Quebec’s Nickolas Zukowsky led a Silber Pro Cycling sweep of the Elite men’s podium.

Rally dominated the women’s race, 60 minutes plus three laps, sending off a series of attacks and chasing down moves by defending champ, Leah Kirchmann (MB) Team Sunweb and Alison Jackson (ON) Tibco-SVB.

After an attack by Jackson was brought back, Bergen attacked and gained a 1-min gap even coming close to lapping the field as she soloed in for the victory. Kirchmann tried to respond and give chase but was marked by Bergen’s teammate Katherine Maine, the newly crowned road champion, who sat on Kirchmann’s wheel and then out-sprinted her for second.

“It’s been a great week,” said Bergen, “and a huge shoutout to all of my team mates. We were definitely eager to go for the win, and we respect the other riders are strong, but we were confident in the legs we had. Alison came back from a go and Leah put in a dig, so I knew that was the time to go, after that came back. When you feel the worst, that’s the time to go and I felt pretty terrible, so it was time to go!”

With 12 riders in the Elite men’s race, also 60 minutes plus three laps, Silber dominated with waves of attacks as Rally Cycling’s Adam de Vos and Nigel Ellsay, along with others chased them down.

Near the end Zukowsky was able to make a move stick as De Vos tried to counter but was marked by Silber’s Ryan Roth. Zukowsky soloed in for the victory with Roth claiming second, while a third Silber rider, Pier-Andre Cote, grabbed the final podium spot for the sweep to cap the end of the championships.

“The plan was to be super aggressive because we had 12 guys in there,” said Zukowsky. “We always had numbers up the road and put pressure on the strong guys, like Rally and [Alex] Cataford from UHC. So we were aggressive and it paid off pretty good. I just followed de Vos’ move and Ryan [Roth] bridged up to us and Ryan told me to go, so I went and didn’t look back. I still can’t believe it worked out.”

Earlier in the day Simone Boilard (QC) Équipe du Québec and Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (QC) Équipe du Québec escaped in the Junior Women’s 30 min+ 3 lap race, 22.4 km, as the duo finished 1-2 with Elizabeth Gin (BC) Cycling BC taking third – it was Boilard second gold of the championships.

The Junior Men’s 45 min+ 3 lap affair, 36.8 km, saw track star Riley Pickrell (BC) Cycling BC take the 3-up sprint to the line for the gold with Thomas Schellenberg (BC) Cycling BC/Applewood Garneau in second and Robin Plamondon (QC) Équipe du Québec finishing third.

Results here.