July 07, 2012 – Svein Tuft made it look easy, but insisted it wasn’t – at least not until the end. After pedaling 52 kilometers in just over an hour, it’s easy to believe him. The 35-year-old Langley native pulled away from an impressive field halfway through the opening stage of BC Superweek on Friday night, cruising across the finish line with his arms raised and the rest of the riders more than half a lap behind him at the Tour de Delta’s MK Delta Lands Criterium.

Tuft has been enjoying a break from racing on the top-level Pro Tour in Europe, including the Giro d’Italia, for Orica-GreenEDGE. He didn’t feel great at the start line, but got stronger as the race went on, getting into an early seven-rider break, then pulling away midway through 40 laps of the 1.3-kilometer street circuit.

“Your body doesn’t change physically,” Tuft said of his time off. “It’s just how much you want to push and really these crits, that’s what it’s all about, because everyone is going as hard as they can and it’s just trying to go that little bit more to try and crack guys. And as soon as you can crack them, you’ve got to hurt yourself for a while because you’ve got to create that gap to make them think it’s “impossible to catch you. And as soon as you do that, then you have to maintain, you just really have to put your head down and you know that you can do.”

With five-straight Canadian Time Trial titles and a seventh-place finish in the 2008 Olympics, Tuft had no problem doing just that, finishing in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 50 seconds – 45 seconds ahead of the field. Not bad for a guy who barely got back from a week of mountain biking in northern BC in time for the race.

“Living the good life, but sometimes a little rest does a guy good, and more just mentally. We spend so much time on the road, racing on the road, it’s nice to get out and hit he refresh button,” he said. “You come back and you can dig.”

 

Tuft dug hard into a field that includes Pro Tour teammate Christian Meier, riders from several top US teams, and many other top Canadians, including the current National Criterium champion, Ben Chaddock, of Idaho-based Team Exergy.

They were soon all racing for second place. Florenz Knauer, in town for BC Superweek with the German-based Team Baier Lanshut, won that runer-up sprint, finishing just ahead of Australian Tommy Nankervis while the last of several hard crashes piled up behind them in the final corner.

“I went on final straightaway and got to corner first,” Knauer said through a thick German accent. “It was a strong and fast race, and the first 20 laps around was really fast. But Tuft was just higher … like … another level.”

In the 39-kilometer women’s race, it was Nicky Wangsgard of Primal/MapMyRide Cycling that found the extra gear – but not until just before the crucial final corner.

Wangsgard held off an early attack from Stephanie Roorda, an alternate on the Canadian track team for the 2012 Olympic, then made a break of her own to get to that last corner first, sprinting to win by just three-tenths of a second. Not bad for a just-turned 40-year-old college professor in her final year of pro cycling.

“I am retiring,” said Wangsgard, who finished the 30-lap, 39-kilometer race in 1 hour, 2.5 seconds. “Usually I go for a preem so I can check out a sprint, but I didn’t because I got a long week ahead of me so I didn’t want to waste any matches. So I didn’t know, I just wanted to be first to this corner and Stephanie went early, and I had to go, and luckily I was able to beat her to this corner.”

For Roorda, BC Superweek is helping her get over the disappointment of not making the travelling portion of Canada’s Olympic team, while also keeping her sharp in case something happens and they need the alternate.

“After trials it was a bit of a tough thing because that’s something I was working toward the last two years, but luckily these races were happening because I love racing here,” he said. “I have to maintain my fitness and this I perfect for that.”

With Vancouver-based Jenny Lehman coming in third, Friday was also a perfect start for Roorda’s teammate on the Local Ride/Dr Vie. Superfoods, Lisa Howard, who runs a local development program to help women get started cycling.

Howard’s program, which helps Jasmine Glaesser get to the Olympics in just three years, was part of Lehman’s development path. Roorda is a teammate, and Wangsgard is a friend, someone she talked into coming to BC Superweek.

“[Howard] said you or Steph can win tonight so it worked out good,” said Wangsgard. “I said I think I need to finish my season by coming to BC Superweek and making some money so I can move on in life.”

Given Wangsgard, who said having May through early August off allowed her to cycling professionally for 10 years, is planning to stay in the sport as a director with Primal/MapMyRide, it may not take long to get back to BC Superweek.

“I was impressed by what I saw,” she said. “I notice future talent.”

The hard part for Wangsgard will be staying ahead of it for eight more races.

The nine-race, $105,000 BC Superweek continues with the second stage of the Tour de Delta, the exciting Brenco Criterium, on Saturday night, before wrapping up with the White Spot Road Race on Sunday morning.

Results

Women Pro 1/2/3

1. Nicky Wangsgard (Usa) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bicycles  00:02.5
2. Stephanie Roorda (Can) Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods
3. Jenny Lehmann (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
4. Carrie Cartmill (Can) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
5. Joanie Caron (Can) Colavita-espnW Pro Cycling
6. Kate Finegan (Aus) Independent
7. Shoshauna Laxson (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
8. Ivy Audrain (Usa) Keller Rohrback
9. Dana Walton (Usa) Team Alliance Environmental
10. Megan Rathwell (Can) Russ Hay’s/Accent Inns  00:06.4
11. Jennifer McMahon (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling  00:07.9
12. Kristine Brynjolfson (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
13. Jean Ann Berkenpas (Can) Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods
14. Erika Broekema (Ned) NWVG  00:11.3
15. Moriah Jo MacGregor (Can) Colavita-espnW Pro cycling  00:13.9
DNF Naomi Cooper (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Erin Redl (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Melanie von Stetten (Can) Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods
DNF Florence Laplante-Lamarche (Can) Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery
DNF Gina Haatz (Ger) Independent
DNF Rachel Canning (Can) Independent
DNS Justine Clift (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNS Morgan Cabot (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNS Jessica Cutler (Usa) Primal/MapMyRide p/b BH Bicycles
DNS Lisa Howard (Can) Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods

Men Pro 1/2

1. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-Green Edge Pro 02:50.0
2. Florenz Knauer (Ger) Team Baier Lanshut  03:35.0
3. Tommy Nankervis (Aus) realcyclist.com Pro
4. Ryan Anderson (Can) Spider Tech Pro
5. Steve Fisher (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling
6. Jacob Schwingboth (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
7. Jackie Simes (Usa) Jamis/Sutter Home Cycling Team Pro
8. Christian Meier (Can) Orica-Green Edge Pro
9. Roman van Uden (Nzl) PureBlack Racing
10. Jesse Anthony (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro
11. Daniel Bichlmann (Ger) Team Baier Lanshut
12. Marvin Guzman (Can) Independent
13. Anton  Varabei (Can) Jet Fuel Coffee/La Bicicletta
14. Cody Canning (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
15. Ben Chaddock (Can) Team Exergy Pro Cycling
16. Colter Young (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes 1 03:40.6
17. Conor Mullervy (Usa) Team Exergy Pro Cycling
18. Adam De Vos (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
19. Chris Gruber (Can) Champion System p/b Stans NoTubes
20. Dan  Skinner (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
21. Michael van den Ham (Can) Rideokanagan.com
22. Kevin Mullervy (Usa) Team Exergy Pro Cycling
23. Mike Sidic (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
24. Jeff Werner (Can) Garneau Evolution  03:44.5
25. Will Routley (Can) Spider Tech Pro
26. Bailey  McKnight (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
27. Marsh Cooper (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro
28. Hendrik Werner (Ger) Team HED p/b Staps
29. Danny Heeley (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling
30. Curtis Dearden (Can) Russ Hay’s/Accent Inns
31. Alexander Cataford (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
32. Jesse Reams (Can) Hagens Berman Cycling
33. Zachary Davies (Usa) Team Exergy Pro Cycling
34. Dave Stephens (Can) Garneau Evolution
35. Matthias Bertling (Ger) Independent
36. Andreas Fliessgarten (Ger) Team Baier Lanshut
37. Kris Dahl (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
38. Greg Christian (Usa) Garneau Evolution
39. Quinn Keogh (Usa) Team Exergy Pro Cycling
40. Rob Britton (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
41. James Williamson (Nzl) PureBlack Racing
42. Federico Marchiori (Ita) Cyber Team Breganze
43. Louis Crosby (Nzl) PureBlack Racing
44. Justin Kerr (Nzl) Team H&R BLOCK
45. Michael Olheiser (Usa) realcyclist.com Pro 03:53.4
46. Joseph Cooper (Nzl) PureBlack Racing  03:55.9
47. Scott Zwizanski (Usa) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro 03:56.9
48. Dan Bechtold (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling
49. Philip Mooney (Usa) Jamis/Sutter Home Cycling Team  Pro 04:01.2
50. Stefan Fussstetter (Ger) Team Baier Lanshut  04:02.5
51. Ian Burnett (Usa) realcyclist.com Pro
52. Michael Wegner (Can) Independent  04:09.4
53. David Fleischhauer (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling  04:23.9
54. Nic Hamilton (Can) Jelly belly presented by Kenda Pro 04:26.7
55. Aaron  Schooler (Can) Team H&R BLOCK  04:30.9
56. Taylor Gunman (Nzl) PureBlack Racing  04:49.2
DNF Sebastian Salas (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro
DNF James McCoy (Nzl) PureBlack Racing
DNF Ian Crane (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling
DNF Gabe Varela (Usa) Hagens Berman Cycling
DNF Cody Campbell (Can) Hagens Berman Cycling
DNF Dustin Andrews (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Bradley Clifford (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Tyler Trace (Can) Trek Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes
DNF Tim Abercrombie (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Noah Bloom (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Kyle Buckosky (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Scott Inman (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Erik Mulder (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Mike Rothengatter (Can) Garneau Evolution
DNF Laurent Dallaire (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
DNF Craig Jones (Gbr) Team H&R BLOCK
DNF Garrett McLeod (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
DNF Andrew Pinfold (Can) Team H&R BLOCK
DNF David  Gonda (Can) Rideokanagan.com
DNF Dylan Harris (Can) Rideokanagan.com
DNF Clayton Meisner (Can) Rideokanagan.com
DNF Mark Rainer (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Bart Ludbrook (Nzl) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Ted Matson (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Emile de Rosnay (Can) Russ Hay’s/Accent Inns
DNF Cid Martinez (Can) Russ Hay’s/Accent Inns
DNF Steven Grandy (Can) Russ Hay’s/Accent Inns
DNF Evan Mundy (Can) Jet Fuel Coffee/La Bicicletta
DNF Maurice Worsfold (Can) Speed Theory
DNF Chris Worsfold (Can) Speed Theory
DNF Dave Johnson (Can) Speed Theory
DNF Evan Hepner (Usa) Cascade Bicycle Studio
DNF Dominik Roels (Ger) Team HED p/b Staps
DNF Mackenzie Garvin (Can) Cyclemiesters Bowcycle
DNF Kevin Noiles (Can) cyclocrossracing.com
DNF Julian  Base (Can) Fraser Valley Cycling Club
DNF Brett Boniface (Can) FVRCC 1
DNF Mark McConnell (Can) Synergy Racing
DNF Scott Laliberte (Can) Westwood Cycle Club
DNF Rory McAdams (Usa) Independent
DNF Shane Savage (Can) Independent
DNF Manuel Fehlmann (Can) Independent
DNF Teklit Zeweldi (Can) Independent
DNF David Gillam (Can) Glotman Simpson Cycling
DNF Mike Laxdal (Can) Independent
DNF Tom Radermacher (Ger) Team HED p/b Staps