April 02, 2012 (Nanaimo, BC) – There was snow on the ground and a lot more on Mount Benson at 7am Sunday morning, but by the 11am start time, it had turned into a beautiful sunny, but cool morning. The eight starters rolled off easily and for the first few kilometres they stayed together but on the first ascent of Jacks Hill a group of four including Doug Merrick, Charles Hamer Ian Smith and Iain Hay upped the pace and caused a split. Phil Birrer and Keegan Metheringham hovered a couple of hundred metres back, but Dave Steen and Kyle Waring were already a good way back. The lead four kept up the pressure, losing Hay to a flat just before the half way mark, and eventually left Birrer and Metheringham trailing almost half a kilometre down with Steen (now in his usual time trial mode) chasing steadily and Waring, showing his state of unfitness, bringing up the rear.

In the final sprint, Ian Smith took a couple of seconds out of Charles and Doug, who finished in that order. Keegan out sprinted Phil for fourth and Dave managed to stay away from Kyle to take sixth. Brodie Hay decided to ride a fifteen kilometre time trial to see how he had improved since last fall and beat his previous best time by almost a minute and a half.

Everyone had good things to say about the course so, if the Duke Point Terminal is still closed, there will be a three-lap race on the same circuit in two weeks.

30km Road Race
1. Ian Smith (MIVA) 40:55
2. Charles Hamer (MIVA) 0:02
3. Doug Merrick (MIVA/CVCC) s.t.
4. Keegan Metheringham (Ind.) 4:05
5. Phillip Birrer (MIVA) 4:07
6. Dave Steen (MIVA) 7:17
7. Kyle Waring (MIVA) 9:17
DNF Iain Hay (MIVA) (flat)

15km TT
1. Brodie Hay (MIVA) CAD 29:07