July 11, 2008 – Langley’s Svein Tuft (Symmetrics) kicked off BC Superweek and the Tour de Delta Friday night the same way he finished last weekend’s Canadian Time Trial Championships, and the same way he hopes to finish at next month’s Olympics in Beijing: well out in front.

Tuft won the inaugural Brenco Prologue, hammering through the leg-shaking 3.2-kilometer time trial in just three minutes and 44.16 seconds, more than five seconds ahead of Symmetrics Pro Cycling teammate and North Vancouver’s Andrew Pinfold. Bissel Pro Cycling Team’s Scott Zwizanski of Sausalito, California finished third.

“It’s a hard event because the intensity over such a short period, so you really pay for it,” Tuft said. “You have to go right into the hurt locker and just sit there the whole time and man, it’s hard.”

It was the first year for the time-trial race through the streets of North Delta, which replaced the old Tour de Delta Hillclimb. Blasting down a large steel ramp onto the lightning quick course, the so-called “race of truth” saw cyclists go up against the clock on special time-trial bikes at speeds up to 60 kilometers an hour.

For Tuft, the biggest challenge Friday was adjusting to a course shorter than Prologues he’s used to — and a lot shorter than the 40-kilometer Time Trial he dominated at the Canadian Championships.

“It’s different from the pacing of a 40K; these kinds of courses you just have to lay everything out there,” he said. “There’s no point where you can back off. In a 40K you can pick sections to recover, but here it’s just as hard as you can go the whole time.”

Zwizanski’s challenge, in addition to unseating a strong showing from the powerful, locally-based Symmetrics squad — Zach Bell, also bound for Beijing, was fifth and veteran Eric Wohlberg, a three-time Canadian Olympian, was seventh — included getting a race tire off Bissel teammate Garrett Peltonen, who went out 10 minutes earlier and finished sixth, but didn’t get to rest to enjoy his result.

“He had to get off his bike and get off the wheel for me,” Zwizanski said with a laugh, pointing out sharing was necessary as most of Bissel’s team was down at the Cascade Classic in Oregon. “We made sure we were gapped. Originally they had us just five minutes apart, but they moved us to 10 minutes and it worked out just fine. You just have to focus on turning it over in as big a gear as you can and going fast and know it’s only three or four minutes and you’ll still be alive at the end so you just kind of suffer as much as you can.”

While there was little surprise to see Tuft and his Symmetrics teammates atop winner’s list, Australian Ruth Corset seemed to be the most surprised to see her name atop the women’s names.

Corset, who is part of New Zealand’s Jazz Apple Cycling Team, finished in a time of 4:23.98, less than a second ahead of Calgary native Laura Brown from the local Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler squad, and two seconds faster than Richmond’s Sarah Stewart of the Okanagan-based Total Restoration Cycling Team.

“I’m not a time trial rider so I was just really shocked when I found out I won it,” said Corset, “I’m more of a hill climber so I was very surprised . I was hoping the course would be like last year, straight up a hill, so I was quite disappointed when I found out it was more of a flat time trial course, and that’s why it was such a surprise.”

Corset is part of a development team led by New Zealand cycling legend — and two-time Olympian — Susy Pryde. At 30, Corset is by far the oldest member on a young team, but the former triathlete only took up competitive cycling three years ago, leaving her daughters, age four and six, home in Australia with her husband for this, her first taste of racing internationally. A quick learner, she won the Mt. Hamilton Road Race in San Jose back on May 25.

“This is my first time racing internationally so it’s all new to me” she said. “I’m learning so much, I’ve only been over here for three months and racing overseas for three months. We’re learning to gel well together and hoping to have a really good tour this week.”

So is Tuft, who in the last two seasons has won the US Open in front of 8 million viewers on NBC, the International Cycling Union’s America Tour title (as both an individual and the Symmetrics squad that won the team award), three gold medals at the Pan American Cycling Championships in Uruguay, the prestigious six-stage Tour de Beauce in Quebec, the Yaletown Grand Prix on Canada Day, and the Canadian National Time Trial Championships last weekend.

For all his international success, nothing compares to being home.

“To race back home is always great and BC this time of the year is just beauty,” said Tuft. “So for me coming into Beijing I’m going to be doing a heat camp after this, so this is a great block to really just fine tune the engine and just work on what I need to focus on. I’ll be doing extra miles every day and racing as hard as I can here.”

Tuft will swap the Canadian jersey he wore Friday for the Tour de Delta leader’s jersey as racing continues with the Lehigh Criterium in Ladner on Saturday and the White Spot Road Race on Sunday. After the Tour de Delta finishes, BC Superweek continues with the Tour de Gastown and Giro di Burnaby mid week before wrapping up with the historic three-race Tour de White Rock from July 18-20.

Results

Elite Women

1. Ruth Corset (Nzl) Jazz Apple Cycling Team 04:24.0
2. Laura Brown (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:24.4
3. Sarah Stewart (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:25.7
4. Steph Roorda (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:27.8
5. Lauren Ellis (Nzl) Jazz Apple Cycling Team 04:28.7
6. Moriah Macgregor (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:29.4
7. Jenny Trew (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:29.6
8. Lisa Howard (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:30.6
9. Heather Kay (Can) ERTC/Revolution Cycle 04:32.5
10. Lisa Dorian (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 04:34.5
11. Susannah Pryde (Nzl) Jazz Apple Cycling Team 04:34.7
12. Kristine Brynjolfson (Can) Team Coastal 04:35.1
13. Kelly Benjamin (Usa) Cheerwine Pro Cycling 04:35.3
14. Gina Kavesh (Usa) Wines of Washington 04:36.2
15. Jennifer Tabbernor (Can) Team Whistler 04:37.7
16. Jessica Hannah (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:38.5
17. Heather Lamson (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:39.0
18. Gillian Moody (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:40.6
19. Fiona Macleod (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:41.0
20. Hannah Banks (Aus) ValueAct Capital 04:41.1
21. Alyssa Weninger (Can) Sask/BCW 04:41.7
22. Jaymie Mcgowan (Can) Oak Bay Bikes 04:41.7
23. Chelsea Bilsbarrow (Can) Giant Bicycles/Team Whistler Canada 04:43.4
24. Jennifer Schulz (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:43.5
25. Morgan Schneidler (Usa) Wines of Washington 04:45.3
26. Marie-Claude Gagnon (Can) Glotman Simpson 04:45.4
27. Monica Nelson (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:47.0
28. Malindills Maclean (Nzl) Jazz Apple Cycling Team 04:47.4
29. Kelsey Miller (Can) Wedgewood Cycling Team 04:48.4
30. Shoshauna Laxson (Usa) Team Whistler 04:48.5
31. Leslie Vice (Can) Glotman Simpson 04:48.9
32. Taitt Sato (Usa) ValueAct Capital 04:49.2
33. Rachel Canning (Can) Escape Velocity / DEVO 04:53.3
34. Karen Watson (Can) Glotman Simpson 04:56.2
35. Sarah Mcmillan (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 04:57.7
36. Dana Lis (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 04:59.4
37. Margaret Pugh (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 05:01.6
38. Sonja Heilmeier (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 05:03.2
39. Clara Hungr (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 05:04.5
40. Bonnie Catlin (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 05:04.7
41. Sarah Nathan (Can) Chicks Cycling Club 05:06.1
42. Sarah Bamberger (Usa) Cheerwine Pro Cycling 05:11.8
43. Jennifer Kohm (Can) Glotman Simpson 05:11.9

Elite Men

1. Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:44.2
2. Andrew Pinfold (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:49.6
3. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team 03:49.9
4. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Team Waste Management 03:50.0
5. Zach Bell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:50.1
6. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team 03:54.3
7. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:54.4
8. Rob Britton (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 03:54.5
9. Tim Sherstobitoff (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 03:55.1
10. Dan Skinner (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 03:55.6
11. Tyler Trace (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 03:55.8
12. Michael Rothengatter (Can) Escape Velocity 03:57.0
13. Cory Forrest (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 03:58.4
14. Ben Chaddock (Can) Team Whistler 03:59.0
15. Sean Mazich (USA) Team Waste Management 03:59.1
16. Cam Evans (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:59.5
17. Ryan Anderson (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 03:59.8
18. John Tolkamp (Can) Escape Velocity 04:00.1
19. Matt Shriver (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:00.2
20. Dan Macdonald (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:00.5
21. Mathew Bell (Can) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 04:00.9
22. Aaron Schooler (Can) Team H&R Block 04:01.1
23. Stevie Cullinan (USA) Team Waste Management 04:01.2
24. Trevor Haaheim (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:01.2
25. Chris Mcneil (Can) Team H&R Block 04:01.5
26. Jamie Sparling (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:01.6
27. Jared Barrilleaux (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:01.7
28. Guy Biggar (Can) Escape Velocity / DEVO 04:02.3
29. Kirk O’Bee (USA) Health Net Pro Cycling Team 04:02.5
30. Matt Potma (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:02.5
31. Alistair Howard (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:02.6
32. Christian Meier (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 04:03.0
33. Ron Jensen (USA) Team Waste Management 04:03.0
34. John Perkins (Can) Glotman Simpson Racing 04:03.5
35. Evan Elken (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:03.6
36. Jonathan Gormick (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:03.7
37. Devon Vigus (USA) California Giant/Specialized 04:03.8
38. Mark Macdonald (Can) Team H&R Block 04:03.8
39. Jon Parrish (USA) Team Waste Management 04:04.8
40. Francois Parisien (Can) Team RACE Pro 04:04.8
41. Nathan Macdonald (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:05.0
42. Mike Norton (USA) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 04:05.0
43. Dana Williams (Can) TNA/Shape Properties 04:05.2
44. Jonathan Page (Can) Escape Velocity 04:05.2
45. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:05.8
46. Tim Henry (USA) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:06.1
47. Shaun Adamson (Can) Juventus 04:06.5
48. Owen Sturgess (Can) Escape Velocity 04:06.5
49. Jeff Ain (Can) Escape Velocity 04:06.5
50. Mathieu Roy (Can) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 04:06.7
51. Nic Hamilton (Can) Team Aviawest 04:07.2
52. Cody Stevenson (Aus) Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling 04:07.3
53. Owen Harrison (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:07.4
54. Kyle Ward (USA) Team Waste Management 04:07.8
55. Ryan Taylor (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:08.7
56. Jacob Erker (Can) Symmetrics Cycling 04:08.8
57. Jeff Bolstad (Can) Team H&R Block 04:08.9
58. Shawn Goulet (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:09.6
59. Dave Vukets (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:09.8
60. Dave Brooks (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:09.9
61. Russell Stead (Can) La Bicicletta 04:10.5
62. Scott Laliberte (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:10.5
63. Tom Last (Gbr) Kinesis UK 04:10.6
64. Frederic Bussieres (Can) Team Aviawest 04:10.7
65. Kevin Noiles (Can) TREK Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic 04:10.9
66. Paul Beard (Can) Escape Velocity 04:11.8
67. Jesse James Collins (Can) Bicisport Gruppo Sportivo Campione 04:12.1
68. Brad Kerr (Can) Total Restoration Cycling Team 04:12.6
69. Josh James (Can) Kinesis UK 04:12.7
70. Grant Van Horn (USA) Team Waste Management 04:13.2
71. Julian Base (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:13.8
72. Mike Sayers (USA) BMC Pro Cycling Team 04:14.0
73. Maxime Vives (Can) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 04:14.0
74. Sebastian Salas (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:15.2
75. Jonathan Cheung (Can) Independent 04:15.6
76. Chris Reid (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:15.8
77. Chris Devries (Can) Team H&R Block 04:16.6
78. Marcel Aarden (Can) Kona-Adobe 04:16.9
79. Matthew Guse (Can) Calyon Pro Cycling Team 04:17.4
80. Chris Squire (Can) La Bicicletta 04:17.6
81. Evan Flater (Can) Team Aviawest 04:17.6
82. John Meehan (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling Team 04:18.1
83. Maurice Worsfold (Can) Glotman Simpson Racing 04:19.0
84. Chris Worsfold (Can) Glotman Simpson Racing 04:19.1
85. Anthony Steenbergen (Can) Team H&R Block 04:19.6
86. Matthew Cottrell (Can) Team Aviawest 04:20.4
87. Chris Reynolds (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:21.1
88. Jason Fluckiger (Can) repswest 04:22.2
89. Attila Hajdu (Can) La Bicicletta 04:24.1
90. Brett Boniface (Can) Campione-Ratcliff Racing Team 04:25.1
91. David Gillam (Can) Cycle Solutions 04:30.0
92. Shane Savage (Can) Mighty Cycling 04:30.1
93. Joe Wessel (Can) Kelowna Cycle Opus sd23 04:32.0
94. Kurtis Vallee (Can) Team Aviawest 04:33.8