Home > Feature

BC Superweek gives Sara Bergen and Trek Red Truck Racing the chance to perform on the big stage

Bergen works full time for most of the year at an architecture firm but is progressing towards another career with each of her successes on the road

July 10, 2016
Share on SMS
Photo credit: Cycling BC
Photo credit: Cycling BC

For most of the year, Sara Bergen works a full-time job at an architecture firm. After graduating with a degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in architectural and building engineering technology in 2012 she got a job at Perkins and Will. Then she discovered cycling.

The Coquitlam, B.C. native is turning heads this season with strong racing throughout the country. Currently competing at BC Superweek with her Trek Red Truck powered by Mosaic Homes team, Bergen is actively pursuing another career, this one as a competitive bike racer. Growing up Bergen did competitive gymnastics, could be found cross-country running on forest trails, climbing mountains or snowboarding but she only started racing bicycles competitively three seasons ago.

“I had no idea what I thought when I got into cycling. Some of my extended family are ex-Olympians so athletics has always intrigued me,” said Bergen.

Annually, BC Superweek draws a high caliber field of racers to the west coast of Canada. Two UCI races are part of the nine-day eight race event; the White Spot / Delta Road Race July 10 and the Gastown Grand Prix on July 13. Bergen is racing BC Superweek for the third year and has started the event with strong performances at the Tour de Delta. It’s the event that kicks off the proceedings at BC Superweek and she was fourth at the MK Delta Criterium, second at the Brenco Crit and second again at the White Spot / Delta Road Race. Joëlle Numainville (Cervelo-Bigla) was dominant winning all three races.

Up next on July 13 is the Gastown Grand Prix, perhaps the highest profile event taking place in the historic district of Vancouver. “it takes place right downtown, draws a huge number of people. It’s an event with an entertainment vibe, people stumble into it and get this great exposure to high caliber racing.” 

Working full time for much of the year, Bergen says there is one quality that spans between both her job at Perkins and Will and cycling, “There is a dedication to architecture that lends itself well to cycling. A dedication to the quality of the project and seeing it through from day one of conceptual design through to construction. There is a dedication to stick with and see through your and the client’s vision.”

This dedication also drives her to ride more, train harder and contribute to her team’s performance. Trek Red Truck powered by Mosaic Homes is a team Bergen says is built around two experienced veterans, Leah Guloein and Denise Ramsden who was Canadian national road champion in 2012.

“We are the team that punches above our weight,” said Bergen. “We have a lot of development riders and two accomplished riders who we lean on heavily.”

The team won the Canadian national criterium championship race this year with under-23 rider Kinley Gibson. “She has princess treatment at races now. She gets the call-ups and it’s her jersey but we are all incredibly proud of supporting that win,” said Bergen about winning a jersey whose prominence is brought to the fore at the criteriums during BC Superweek.

Bergen says being based in B.C. gives her and her teammates a home field advantage. “It’s the high caliber hometown race and it’s is freakin awesome, I get to sleep in my own bed,” said Bergen.

At the end of July, Bergen has been invited by Cycling Canada to travel to Europe for 20 days of racing with the NextGen women’s track program. It will be her first time in Europe and the invitation is in recognition of her progression as a rider.

“Trek Red Truck are a fantastic team and they have been great for the development of my racing,” said Bergen who is seizing every opportunity she gets to prove herself and continue to progress in the sport she has fiercely grown to love. “My office has committed to supporting me in my crazy endeavors, they sincerely want to see me succeed.”