Canada gets complete medal collection in Pan Am Games individual time trial

by Kevin Mackinnon

Hugo Houle took gold, Jasmin Glaesser overcame a flat tire for silver, and the youngest man in the field, Sean Mackinnon, 19, hung tough for bronze to give Canada a complete collection of medals at the Pan Am Games individual time trial race in Milton, Ont.

Glaesser guts it out

After flatting just before the halfway point of the women’s 19.5-km race, Jasmin Glaesser found herself going from a “comfortably in the hunt for gold” position to having to press hard to stay on the podium. Glaesser managed to get herself back into a decent rhythm, though, and surged through the last half of the race to take the silver medal behind 19-year-old U.S. rider Kelly Catlin, who finished with a time of 26:25.58. Glaesser’s time was 27:01.31, 35.73 seconds off. As disappointed as Glaesser might have been, the incredibly gracious ride took the tough break in stride and acknowledged the impressive performance from the young American.

“Just before the halfway point, my front wheel flatted and I had to pull over and my mechanic changed the wheel for me but of course obviously you’re stopping your ride right there and you have to find you rhythm again after,” said Glaesser. “Definitely I’m disappointed it happened today but it’s part of bike racing and being able to hang on for second, I’m still proud of myself for that.

“We had a great run on the track with the team pursuit and the women’s omnium and I knew I was capable of the gold today but just to be able to be on the podium again and to be able to have a great race in front of all the people who came out to cheer today.”

El Salvador’s Evelyn Garcia led through the first half of the race, but wasn’t able to close into the fierce headwind the riders faced in the final 6 km of the race, eventually finishing third with 27:20.24.

Canadian Laura Brown looked to be in the hunt for a medal, too, but ended up a painful three seconds behind Garcia in fourth.

Houle leads the way

After riding the Giro earlier this year, Hugo Houle regrouped, refreshed and then started to set his sites on a Pan Am title. He easily handled the field at the national championships TT in June, then came to the Pan Am Games as the favourite.

Houle lived up to that billing with an impressive performance that saw him lead the way through every time check and average an incredible 49 km/h to take the men’s title in 45:13.48, winning the race by a whopping 1:17.87 over Mexico’s Ignacio Prado.

“I’m pretty good to go deep,” he said. “The first lap you just cruise. The second lap, the last stretch I just put the gas on and went as hard as I can.

“You train so long for this, so you just leave it all there. I’m really happy.”

The rider from Sainte-Perpétue, Que., had some hometown support at the Games. “I’m from a small town in Quebec and I have about 10 people from my village here,” Houle said. “They just did the trip to have fun around me. My parents are here and the people really close to me and some of the guys who trained me for 10 hours a week. It’s great to share these feelings with all the people who support me. Without them, I am nothing.

“I race big races in Europe and I get my ass kicked. Racing the Giro was not the best. So to come here and show myself I can win is a really great thing.”

Second-place Prado was surprised by his success. “I started off very fast but the wind holds you back so then you kind of slow down,” he said. “So my legs started off fine, but then sometimes they get very hard and the wind gets you from the side. In the end, I just tried to keep up with the timing that I had.

“The time trial is an event that I’ve done in the juniors up until now. This is where I maintain myself and this is where I have my experience, and this had helped me in this race. This is my first international medal in the elite level.”

Mackinnon’s ride was also a first for the rider from Hamilton, his first 40 km TT that is. He suffered during the second lap after going out a bit “hot,” but managed to hang on for the bronze medal with a 46:51.46 clocking. “It’s absolutely amazing,” he said. “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. I just woke up this morning with the ‘I’m-going-to-go-out-there-and-do-my-best attitude.’ I’ve never actually done the 40 K TT so guess it was good luck the first time.

“This hopefully is the start of a really solid cycling career; this whole experience of Pan Am so close to home has been absolutely amazing. I couldn’t ask for much more.”

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