June 07, 2019 (Victoria, BC) – Thunder Bay’s Jennifer Bell showed us sometimes smug Victorians that you don’t need mild year-round weather and daffodils in February to win national cycling championships. “I train indoors seven months of the year,” the Thunder Bay Cycling Club member said after capturing her third consecutive Canadian Masters Time Trial Cycling Championship (women 30-39) in tonight’s Veloguide Time Trial. “Thunder Bay (winters) are really cold.”

Bell covered the windy but scenic 18K time trial, known as the “race of truth,” in 25 minutes, seven seconds followed by Powerwatts/Planete-Courier’s Élodie Berthlier (from Quebec City) in second and Victoria Wheelers’ Samantha Hoft taking the final podium spot.

In the 30-39 Men’s Masters championship, Campbell River’s John Vanderveen claimed the crown finishing in 21:58:8. “I’m just trying to figure this all out,” he said after his win, referring to his first year of road racing after making a successful transition from triathlon.

In only her second year of racing, Victoria’s Triple Shot Cycling Heather Simonson repeated her 2018 debut by again winning the 50-59 women’s crown with a time of 24:30.8. “The wind was tough, but it’s the same for everyone,” Simonson said.

Nine-time Master Track World Champion Stéphane LeBeau from Rawdon, Quebec won the 60+ men’s race, edging out the reigning Canadian Masters champion CAL-NAT’s Racing Robert Anderson by five seconds.

Others crowned: Watt Riot Cycling’s Debra Parker (W40-49) from Cranbrook; Penderfund p/b Neighbourhood Holdings’ Matt Usborne (M40-49 from Vancouver); Hammer/53X11’s David Gazsi from Quebec and Escape Velocity’s Barbara Morris (w60+) from Vancouver.
The Veloguide Time Trial also featured youth riders, elite and non-master categories and kicks off a full weekend of cycling action.

The Robert W. Cameron Law Cycling Series p/b Jim Pattison Lexus and the 2019 Canadian Masters Road Cycling Championships continues tomorrow with the Motus Classic which will crown another set of Canadian Masters Road Cycling Champions when they battle the gruelling hills of Metchosin.

Then the action continues Sunday with the Russ Hay’s Grand Prix and masters chasing the Canadian Masters Criterium Championship titles around the Legislature Building criterium course. Sunday’s action also includes elite and junior racing, the ever-popular, “too cute for words” Tim Hortons Timbit Challenge.

Results (brief)

Men 30-39
1. John Vanderveen (River City Cycle Club) 0:21:58
2. Matt Webb (Glotman Simpson Cycling) 0:22:53
3. Andrew McCartney (Victoria Breakaway Cycling Club) 0:22:02

Men 40-49
1. Matt Usborne (Penderfund p/b Neighbourhood Holdings) 0:21:37
2. Chris McNeil (Soul Sportif) 0:21:39
3. Vincent Marcotte (Langlois Brown Racing) 0:27:40

Men 50-59
1. David Gazsi (Hammer / 53X11) 0:21:42
2. David Albert (Power watts/ Planète-Courier) 0:22:33
3. Ron Amos (Hammer / 53X11) 0:22:38

Men 60+
1. Stephane LeBeau (Independent – Opus) 0:23:47
2. Robert Anderson (Cal-Nat’s Racing Team) 0:23:53
3. Andrew Neale (TripleShot Cycling Club) 0:24:05

Women 30-39
1. Jennifer Bell (Thunder Bay Cycling Club) 0:25:07
2. Élodie Berthelier (Powerwatts / Planète-Courier) 0:25:52
3. Samantha Hoft (Victoria Wheelers) 0:26:01

Women 40-49
1. Debra Parker (Watt Riot Cycling) 0:25:30
2. Haley Block (Watt Riot Cycling) 0:27:35
3. Colleen Malcolm (Velocity Cycling Club) 0:27:58

Women 50-59
1. Heather Simonson (TripleShot Cycling Club) 0:24:30
2. Gisele St. Hilaire (Independent) 0:26:33
3. Gail Wozny (Juventus) 0:26:36

Women 60+
1. Barbara Morris (Escape Velocity) 0:28:01
2. Jane Weller (TAG Racing Team) 0:32:39

Full results here.