July 08, 2019 (Delta, BC) – The White Spot | Delta Road Race has come down to a bunch sprint in recent years, but during Sunday’s women’s race, Olivia Baril from Team Macogep Tornatech Specialized p/b Mazda decided that she wanted to try and win the race early. The 21-year-old went away on the second half of the first lap and at one point had a 20-second gap but wound up being caught halfway through the third lap. However, it was that attack that caused a 12-rider break featuring some of the strongest riders in the field.

Among those riders was Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank’s Alison Jackson of Vermillion, Alberta, who won the eight-lap, 103.6 kilometre race in two hours, 38 minutes and 15 seconds, sprinting ahead of fellow Canadian Marie-Soleil Blais and Portland, Oregon’s Starla Teddergreen.

“This is my first win of the season and to win in Canada is special,” said Jackson, who finished third in the race in 2016. “I’ve wanted to win this race for several years now. I’ve been on the podium and my teammate Kendall Ryan won it last year, so we had to defend.”

Ryan was looking for a third straight win at the White Spot | Delta Road Race and ended up being tenth. Jackson knew that if the peloton caught the breakaway, Ryan would likely come out with the win. “For us, if the group came back together, Kendall was going to win it – we had 100 percent confidence in that,” explained the 30-year-old Jackson, who was the 2015 Canadian National Criterium Champion. “There were some other girls in the break who I think the odds for them were better if it stayed away… Hagens Berman had three people in it and they kept rolling to keep it away. We thought if it was going to stay away, we were going to keep me fresh for the final.”

The gap between the break and the peloton was as much as 70 seconds at one point during the race, a difference that ended up being too much to make up. Second place finisher Blais, who was riding for Team Canada, was part of the break the entire time. “In the beginning, we had two riders and Hagens Berman had four, so the responsibility was mostly on them to make it work. It wasn’t a bad situation in the sense that Kendall was in the bunch, so we had a good chance at the podium,” the Montreal native said. “We just rode it and the last kilometre got a bit chaotic, there was a crash, then someone attacked – so the sprint finish wasn’t as straightforward as I would have hoped, but that’s rarely the case anyway.”

Blais has raced the White Spot | Delta Road Race four times before, with this being her best result. “I think I’ve progressed every year and to finally be on the podium – even though I’m kind of bummed to not win – it’s still really nice,” she said, noting that she really likes the course. “There are a lot of turns, it’s never boring. The turns make it harder so you must always be conscious of your positioning because it can be kind of up and down like a yo-yo. I like that it’s very interesting – it’s a cool course.”

For Jackson, winning on home soil is big for the former elite cross-country star. “It’s hard winning a bike race, whether it’s in Europe or America or here… so whenever you get a win, you’ve got to savour it – that’s what this is for me,” added Jackson, who graduated from Langley’s Trinity Western University with a degree in kinesiology in 2014.

Men’s Race

In his biography on the Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling website, Samuel Bassetti lists his favourite quote as “No excuses, play like a champion”. And after two days of just missing the top step of the podium at BC Superweek and the Tour de Delta, the 28-year-old played like a champion to win the 2019 White Spot | Delta Road Race. Bassetti just managed to edge Langlois Brown rider Kaler Marshall to take the victory and the valuable UCI points to go along with it.

With eight laps to go in the 12-lap, 155.46 kilometre race, Team Canada rider Jack Burke and Evan Burtnik of XSpeed United Continental broke away from the group. The two built the gap up to 50 seconds with 7.5 laps remaining, but that’s when Burtnik crashed and Burke found himself caught by the peloton with seven to go. A strong group of seven riders broke away with 6.5 laps left before another seven caught up to them and the pack couldn’t bridge across – so with six to go and barring a catastrophe, it was clear who the top 15 riders would be.

“Travis McCabe, Pier-Andre Cote and I were all kind of at the back of the breakaway hanging out with each other,” said Bassetti. “The finish came up pretty fast, suddenly it was 200 metres to go and the guys up front hadn’t started sprinting. I started my sprint, weaved through the rest of the group and just nipped a couple guys at the line.”

The break had three riders from Floyd’s Pro Cycling, so it looked like they might pull out the win, but Bassetti had his teammate George Simpson with him putting in some work. “It was super good to have George there, but it was kind of up to the Floyd’s riders to make sure it was together for McCabe to sprint because he was definitely the favourite in the group,” he explained. “It was pretty cohesive for the most part, so we just rolled all day and closed it out there at the end.”

For Marshall, it’s the Walla Walla, Washington native’s second straight runner-up spot at the White Spot | Delta Road Race after he finished behind Adam deVos a year ago. “Normally I don’t like bunch sprints but with a diminished group I figured if I could go within 400 metres I could get a gap and surprise them, so that’s what I tried,” said the 33-year-old. “I could sense Bassetti coming up on my left side, I knew as long as I could get my bike in front of him, then maybe I could make it – but it was a little bit of a long shot in the end.”

In third was Florenz Knauer riding for the German National Team. Knauer has had multiple podiums at BC Superweek over the years but remarkably has never finished in the top three in the race in Tsawwassen – and he almost didn’t make it through the last 250 metres of the course this year. “I cramped up right away when I jumped for the sprint and didn’t have the power there that I would need to win, but it was a close one,” said Knauer, who was on the podium seven times at BC Superweek last year. “I didn’t see Sam or Kaler, they were behind me and I think they took my wheel. I focused on Campbell Stewart because I knew he was strong and then I saw Kaler going and saw 250 metres to go so I knew I had to go then.”

The 30-year-old kept expectations low coming into BC Superweek this year after dealing with illness and a nagging knee injury. “I’m just happy to be here, I had knee problems and was sick recently,” said Knauer. “I’ve been training for three weeks now and racing, so I’m doing better than expected and I’m just happy to be part of BC Superweek, it’s always been a pleasure for me to be here.”

Bassetti has struggled with injuries himself in the first half of 2019, and the win is a major redemption. “It’s huge for me, at the beginning of the year I didn’t get to train for two and a half months so to come back and get a really solid win like this is really big for me and really big for Elevate-KHS.”

BC Superweek sees a rest day on Monday and continues Tuesday with the New West Grand Prix. The women race at 6:15 pm while the men take the course at 7:30 pm.

Results

Women
1. Alison Jackson (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) 2:38:15.8
2. Marie-Soleil Blais (Team Canada) 0:00
3. Starla Teddergreen (Hagens Berman Supermint)
4. Kinley Gibson (The Cyclery) 0:02
5. Olivia Baril (Macogep Tornatech Specialized P/P Mazda) 0:04
6. Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill (Quebecor Stingray Team) 0:04
7. Gillian Elsay (Team Canada) 0:07
8. Whitney Allison (Hagens Berman Supermint) 0:09
9. Sonia Taylor (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:43
10. Kendall Ryan (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) 0:54
11. Allison Beveridge (Team Canada) 0:54
12. Harriet Owen (Hagens Berman Supermint) 0:54
13. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Tag Cycling Race Team) 0:54
14. Claire Cameron (Fluevog’S Crit Nasty) 0:54
15. Rachel Langdon (Quebecor Stingray Team) 0:54
16. Helena Broomham (Instafund La Prima) 0:54
17. Nina Kessler (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) 0:54
18. Holly Breck (Quebecor Stingray Team) 0:54
19. Sarah VanDam (Trek Red Truck Racing) 0:54
20. Georgia Denford (Macogep Tornatech Specialized P/P Mazda) 0:54
21. Beatrice Le Sauteur (Macogep Tornatech Specialized P/P Mazda) 0:54
22. Joanie Caron (Fluevog’S Crit Nasty) 0:54
23. Brenna Wrye-Simpson (Mighty Riders) 0:54
24. Ariane Bonhomme (The Cyclery) 0:54
25. Haley Gill (Instafund La Prima) 0:54
26. Rachel Canning (Tag Cycling Race Team) 0:54
27. Leigh Ganzer (Hagens Berman Supermint) 0:54
28. Nichola Bendle (Mighty Riders) 0:54
29. Jasmine Soh (Trek Red Truck Racing) 0:54
30. Holly Simonson (Trek Red Truck Racing) 0:54
31. Megan Rathwell (Fluevog’S Crit Nasty) 0:54
32. Erin Attwell (The Cyclery) 0:54
33. Micaih Besler (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:54
34. Janna Gillick (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:54
35. Beth Ann Orton (Instafund La Prima) 0:54
36. Angie Buonassisi (Tag Cycling Race Team) 0:54
37. Chantalle Hansen (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:54
38. Georgia Simmerling (Team Canada) 0:54
39. Pamela Troyer (Mighty Riders) 0:54
40. Holly Henry (Trek Red Truck Racing) 0:54
41. Krista Matthews (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:54
42. Elizabeth Gin (Trek Red Truck Racing) 0:54
43. Stephanie Roorda (Team Canada) 0:54
44. Lindsay Goldman (Hagens Berman Supermint) 0:54
45. Sharlott Lucas (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) 01:17
46. Emily Marcolini (Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank) 02:46
47. Lily Williams (Hagens Berman Supermint) 03:12
48. Brenna Pauly (Trek Red Truck Racing) 04:26
49. Anna Talman (Instafund La Prima) 04:26
50. Esta Bovill (Instafund La Prima) 05:59
DNF Isabella Bertold (Instafund La Prima)
DNF Ann Pascale Ouellet (Macogep Tornatech Specialized P/P Mazda)
DNF Rebecca Cohen (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNF Aubrie DeSylva (The Cyclery)
DNF Lily Plante (Quebecor Stingray Team)
DNF Caroline Kenning (Mighty Riders)
DNF Katherine Enns (Mighty Riders)
DNF Anne Ouellet (Fluevog’S Crit Nasty)
DNF Evelyn Sifton (Fluevog’S Crit Nasty)
DNF Kara Lilly (Tag Cycling Race Team)
DNS Josephine Peloquin (Quebecor Stingray Team)

Men
1. Samuel Bassetti (Elevate – KHS Pro Cycling) 3:28:24.7
2. Kaler Marshall (Langlois Brown) 0:00
3. Florenz Knauer (German National Team)
4. Travis McCabe (Floyd’S Pro Cycling)
5. Pier-Andre Cote (Team Canada)
6. Campbell Stewart (Cycling New Zealand)
7. Hayden Strong (Marc Pro Cycling)
8. Lukas Conly (Ride With Randall)
9. Marcel Franz (German National Team)
10. Evan Hartig (Toronto Hustle)
11. Travis Samuel (DCbank Pro Cycling Team)
12. George Simpson (Elevate – KHS Pro Cycling)
13. Nigel Ellsay (Team Canada)
14. Emile Jean (Floyd’S Pro Cycling) 0:16
15. Noah Granigan (Floyd’S Pro Cycling) 01:01
16. Nick Kergozou (Cycling New Zealand) 03:06
17. Taj Jones (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) 03:06
18. Matthew Rice (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) 03:06
19. Alex Murison (Trek Red Truck Racing) 03:06
20. Leon Echtermann (German National Team) 03:06
21. Christopher Hatz (German National Team) 03:06
22. Adam de Vos (Team Canada) 03:06
23. Jure Rupnik (DCbank Pro Cycling Team) 03:06
24. Scott Wannop (Mighty Riders) 03:06
25. Corbin Strong (Cycling New Zealand) 03:06
26. Felix Boutin (Probaclac/Devinci) 03:06
27. Timothy Savre (Hewdog Racing) 03:06
28. Nick Monette (Mighty Riders) 03:06
29. Ulises Castillo Soto (Elevate – KHS Pro Cycling) 03:06
30. Kyle Kirby (Marc Pro Cycling) 03:06
31. Laurent Gervais (Team Canada) 03:06
32. Patrick Riddell (Langlois Brown) 03:06
33. Eder Frayre (Team California) 03:06
34. Jackson Bocksnick (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 03:06
35. Zack Gilmore (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) 03:06
36. Mark Bonar (Hewdog Racing) 03:06
37. Patrick Collins (Toronto Hustle) 03:06
38. Jack Burke (Team Canada) 03:06
39. Noah Simms (Floyd’S Pro Cycling) 03:06
40. Kyle Buckosky (Trek Red Truck Racing) 03:06
41. Alexander Cowan (Floyd’S Pro Cycling) 03:06
42. John Borstelmann (Marc Pro Cycling) 03:06
43. Connor Toppings (Probaclac/Devinci) 03:06
44. Nigel Kinney (Langlois Brown) 03:06
45. Olivier Brisbois (Probaclac/Devinci) 03:06
46. Jonathon Noble (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) 03:06
47. Ryan Anderson (Team Canada) 03:06
48. Jonathan Clarke (Floyd’S Pro Cycling) 03:06
49. Edward Walsh (Xspeed United Continental) 03:06
50. Chris Ernst (Hewdog Racing) 03:16
51. Ryan Roth (Xspeed United Continental) 03:17
52. Jordan Cheyne (Elevate – Khs Pro Cycling) 03:17
53. Brendan Armstrong (Trek Red Truck Racing) 03:17
54. Dylan Simpson (Central Roofing – Revolution Cycling) 03:17
55. Kyle Swanson (Elevate – Khs Pro Cycling) 03:17
56. Amani Drake (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) 03:33
DNF Regan Gough (Cycling New Zealand)
DNF Jordan Kerby (Cycling New Zealand)
DNF Tom Sexton (Cycling New Zealand)
DNF George Jackson (Central Roofing – Revolution Cycling)
DNF Carne Groube (Central Roofing – Revolution Cycling)
DNF Harry Waine (Central Roofing – Revolution Cycling)
DNF Antoine Leplingard (DCbank Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Jean Denis Thibault (DCbank Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Marko Pavlic (DCbank Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Thomas Schellenberg (DCbank Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Hendrik Pineda (Probaclac/Devinci)
DNF Thierry Kirouac Marcassa (Probaclac/Devinci)
DNF Mitchell Ketler (Probaclac/Devinci)
DNF Alfredo Rodriguez Victoria (Elevate – KHS Pro Cycling)
DNF Ashley Mackay (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast)
DNF Jasper Albrecht (Xspeed United Continental)
DNF Evan Burtnik (Xspeed United Continental)
DNF Dylan McKenna (Xspeed United Continental)
DNF Nicholas Diniz (Xspeed United Continental)
DNF Elijah Louttit (Hewdog Racing)
DNF Zachary Konings (Hewdog Racing)
DNF Marc Dupuis (Hewdog Racing)
DNF Chris MacLeod (Trek Red Truck Racing)
DNF Cole Glover (Trek Red Truck Racing)
DNF Amiel Flett Brown (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNF Adam Holcombe (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNF Wai-Ben Wong (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNF Emmett Culp (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNF Nicholas Jones (Langlois Brown)
DNF Dylan Davies (Langlois Brown)
DNF Sherwood Plant (Langlois Brown)
DNF Cameron Fitzmaurice (Tag Cycling Race Team)
DNF Ethan Pauly (Tag Cycling Race Team)
DNF Brett Wakefield (Tag Cycling Race Team)
DNF Mateusz Rozycki (Tag Cycling Race Team)
DNF Gavin Murray (Marc Pro Cycling)
DNF Willie Myers (Marc Pro Cycling)
DNF Gera Medina (Team California)
DNF Enrique Serato (Team California)
DNF Tim McBirney (Team California)
DNF Ethan Frankel (Team California)
DNF John Willcox (Ride With Randall)
DNF Justin Purifcati (Ride With Randall)
DNF Brendan Cowley (Ride With Randall)
DNF Ryan Golbeck (Mighty Riders)
DNF Keegan Rowe (Mighty Riders)
DNF Ethan Palamarek (Toronto Hustle)
DNF Kurt Penno (Toronto Hustle)
DNF Isaac Niles (Toronto Hustle)
DNF Sam Titter-Dower (Toronto Hustle)
DNS Henry Levett (Central Roofing – Revolution Cycling)
DNS Clarke Lind (Trek Red Truck Racing)
DNS Dylan Wiwad (Glotman Simpson Cycling)
DNS Colin Patterson (Marc Pro Cycling)
DNS Max Rubarth (Ride With Randall)
DNS Normand Richard (Mighty Riders)