April 16, 2012 (Ancaster, ON) – Sunday, about 2,000 cyclists braved rainy conditions to compete in the 19th annual Paris to Ancaster Bicycle Race (P2A). Toronto-based cyclist Mike Garrigan was the top male cyclist for the 60km race for the third consecutive year with a time of one hour, 45 minutes and 23 seconds. Mandy Dreyer of Dundas, Ontario, was the top female in the 60km race with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 14 seconds.

“We had a great day today,” says John Thorpe, Co-Chair, P2A. “P2A has gained a reputation as being a challenging course to ride, and today’s rainy weather helped to make the course especially tough. Congratulations on behalf of the organizers to everyone who came out to test their mettle in one of Ontario’s toughest races.”

“The weather made this the hardest I’ve ever seen it,” says Nathan Chown, third-place finisher and 2008 P2A champion. “It was like a skating rink out there. It was really difficult to tell what was solid and what wasn’t. It was great.”

The P2A course is comprised of farms lanes, trails and road sections, and the race’s competitors include professional riders as well as weekend warriors. This year’s race featured numerous high-profile riders, including recently retired professional British rider Roger Hammond; former Canadian Olympians Sue Palmer-Komar and Leigh Hobson; provincial cyclocross champion Aaron Schooler; and more. Numerous private land owners provide use of their lands for the race.

“The Paris to Ancaster race is my favourite race because it’s so inclusive,” says Garrigan. “It’s great that international riders are coming out to this event, and I’m hoping to see more of them (international riders) join us in the years ahead.”

Below is a list of this year’s top finishers for both the 60km and 35km race. A full list of results for the Paris to Ancaster Bicycle Race is available HERE.

Results (brief)

60KM Race – Men’s Top Finishers
1. Mike Garrigan 1:45:23
2. Aaron Schooler 1:45:34
3. Nathan Chown 1:55:39

60KM Race – Women’s Top Finishers
1. Mandy Dreyer 2:12:14
2. Jennifer Crake 2:13:03
3. Leigh Hobson 2:13:36

35KM Race – Men’s Top Finishers
1. Karsten Madsen 1:16:34
2. Rui Xu 1:20:49
3. Ted Sewell 1:23:42

35KM Race – Women’s Top Finishers
1. Nathalie Mousseau 1:34:45
2. Sabrina Chapman 1:34:56
3. Candace Neufeld 1:36:14