April 24, 2013 (Maple Ridge, B.C.) – The 11th Annual Race the Ridge cycling stage race presented by Local Ride Bike Shop is set to take Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows by storm this coming weekend, April 27-28, with its popular event, which features three exciting and competitive stages in two days – and there is still time to register.
Registration for Race the Ridge closes at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25.
“Race the Ridge has acquired a reputation of offering high quality road racing on three excellent and challenging courses, thanks largely to the fantastic roads and support we have in the community,” said race organizer and Local Ride Bike Shop owner Barry Lyster.
The hallmark event of the weekend is the third and final stage, Sunday’s Town Core Criterium, a thrilling, high-speed spectacle that will determine the overall winner. Packs of riders will speed through the tight turns of this technical 800m downtown Maple Ridge course at up to 50km/hour as they sprint for prime prizes and the 2013 title. Sunday also features a free kid’s race at 12:30 p.m., which takes place near the race hub at Haney Place. There will be road closures in effect in the downtown core for this event, so spectators are encouraged to walk or ride their bikes to check out the action.
“The Town Core Criterium is the best stage for spectators to get close to the action and really see how fast these riders can go. Most of the course is visible from Haney Memorial Peace Park, so viewers can actually see the race unfold before their eyes. This is an incredibly tactical and exciting race,” said Lyster.
The stage two Pitt-Polder Time Trial course is a new addition to Race the Ridge that offers challenges of its own. This event is an individual race against the clock in Pitt Meadows on Saturday afternoon, an all-out 12km effort that ends on the rough pavement and generally blustery winds on the run-in to Pitt Lake. Riders will take off at 30-second intervals and aim to log the fastest times and earn precious seconds in the overall stage race ranking, which will see the rider with the lowest time in each category at the end of all three stages crowned the Race the Ridge 2013 Champion.
“I really like the new time trial route,” said Lyster. “It may not look that difficult on paper, but it’s a real killer when you’re out there battling the lactic acid in your legs, the strong winds, and the broken pavement as the finish line nears.”
The weekend’s action gets underway early Saturday morning for stage one, the tried and true Thorn Hill Road Race, which starts at Thorn Hill Elementary School puts riders through their paces on multiple laps of a hilly and scenic 9.8km loop on the beautiful rural roads of Maple Ridge’s Thorn Hill area.
“The road race is a very tough stage and it definitely favours the climbers, but watch out for the more powerful riders too. Maple Ridge’s Jean Ann Berkenpas (Xprezo Factory Team) has done very well in the Cat 1/2 women’s event in the past and she is definitely someone to keep an eye on,” said Lyster. “She’s a very aggressive and unrelenting competitor.” Many other locals will also be racing in the various categories from Youth and Novice to Cat 1/2, including the members of the host team, Maple Ridge’s Local Ride Racing.
Berkenpas may be a strong Cat 1/2 candidate for Race the Ridge’s new $100 Jeremy Storie Most Aggressive Rider award, while Local Ride Racing’s promising youngster, 14-year-old Maggie Coles-Lyster (Maple Ridge) will vie for the honour in the Cat 3/4 category. The prize is for the Cat 1/2/3 and Cat 3/4 women’s categories, in memory of that late Jeremy Storie as part of the legacy left by Storie, who was an integral and steadfast member of the cycling community. A dedicated supporter of women’s and youth cycling, he always encouraged his athletes to animate the races in which they competed to make the sport more challenging and exciting for everyone. Superior Glass, a local business that is a committed supporter of cycling events, generously kicked in funds for the prize purse.
GranFondo Canada is also contributing a couple of very sought-after prizes for this year’s Race the Ridge. The overall winners of the Cat 3/4 women’s and Cat 3 men’s categories will receive a free entry to the extremely popular RBC GranFondo Whistler ride on September 7.
Other great Race the Ridge and community supporters include Local Ride Racing Team and Race the Ridge sponsor, Golden Ears Physiotherapy, who will have a tent on site with a crew of physiotherapists ready to help racers with taping and treatment before and after their races.
As Race the Ridge’s official accommodation sponsor, Ramada Inn Pitt Meadows is offering discounted room rates to racers for the weekend.
Thanks also to Local Ride Bike Shop, Power2Max bicycle power meter systems, Panago Pizza, District of Maple Ridge, City of Pitt Meadows, Cycling BC, Kicking Horse Coffee, Arcus Community Living, Ridge Meadows Auxillary Police, and Giant Bicycles.
For more information about Race the Ridge, please visit www.localride.ca or click HERE.
To register online, please visit www.karelo.com or link directly HERE.