July 27, 2004 – Amid sunny skies and a warm ocean breeze, the race for the SISU BC Cup Series Crown came down to the final event of the SISU Series, Tour de White Rock’s infamously difficult Road Race. With unrelenting hills and harrowing descents, the road race tested man and machine.

In what has become a hard-fought chase for the Men’s crown, the 2004 Championship honours came down to two familiar names that would duke it out on the streets of White Rock. Symmetrics Cycling’s young prodigy, Cam Evans, hot off winning the National Espoir Road Championship would spar with Trek-VW’s long-time stalwart, Sean Dawson. The bottom step of the podium would also be decided at White Rock, with a handful of talented racers, including the Symmetrics’ trio of Andrew Pinfold, Scott Goguen and Will Routley, together with Solo/Adobe rider Scott Slater, lining up for the 130km journey.

In a race animated by a large pro contingent, Whistler’s Will Routley (Symmetrics), stayed away with a pack made up of North America’s most talented racers, including overall, winner, Jelly Belly’s Caleb Manion, and
last year’s road race winner, Ben Brooks (Jelly Belly). Manion, attacking Routley at the base of Columbia, went on to capture the win, with Routley rolling into the finish a close second, followed by Kirk O’Bee (Navigators). Brooks and Dawson rounded out the top five.

The women’s SISU BC Cup Series title was secured by Trek-VW phenomenon Sara Neil prior to starting the hilly White Rock road course, taking much of the pressure off the Series Champion’s shoulders. Pitted against a small but select field of talented racers including Athens Olympic-bound rider Alison Sydor, ’02 SISU BC Cup Champion, Marni Prazky (Symmetrics), and emerging hotfoot Maria Lee (Giant/SpeedGroup), Neil would go on to clinch the road race in a close win over Sydor, with Washington’s Suzi Weldon rolling past the finish 3rd, Lee 4th, and soon-to-be wed, Christina Briante (Petra/Vans/Orbea) making up the top 5.

After seven sensational events, the SISU BC Cup Road Racing Series had two distinct flavours. In the Men’s title race, Symmetrics’ stamped its authority over the Series, as indeed it has in many of the races it has entered, sweeping six of seven points winning finishes (points to BC licenced riders only). And, 44-year-old mother of two Sara Neil clinched her 5th BC Cup title, topping a field of women many of whom are less than half her age.

SISU BC CUP Top 3 Riders (Men)
1. Cam Evans Symmetrics Delta
2. Sean Dawson Trek-VW Vancouver
3. Will Routley Symmetrics Whistler

SISU BC CUP Top 3 Riders (Women)
1. Sara Neil Trek-VW Vancouver
2. Marni Prazsky Symmetrics Vancouver
3. Maria Lee Giant/SpeedGroup Vancouver

Cycling BC would like to thank the Series Sponsors, SISU, PowerBar, Pedal, and Caravan Canopies for their ongoing support of the Series. Thanks also to the hundreds of racers who took part in Series events. In addition, credit goes to the event organizers who put on a fantastic SISU BC Cup Road Series.