Ottawa’s Preston Street Criterium boosts women’s race

The women’s race in June 21’s 43rd edition the Preston Street Criterium in Ottawa has been bolstered with equal prize money and victory beer. Top-five men and women will receive equal cash, with $1,000 for the winners. The winners will also be weighed and be given their weight in Kitchesippi beer.

Some of Canada’s top cyclists will contest the Preston Street Crit in Ottawa’s Little Italy just a week before the Global Relay Canadian road championships in Saint-Georges, Que. The current national criterium champions are Leah Kirchmann and Remi Pelletier-Roy.

Tara Whitten, track cycling bronze medallist in the 2012 London Olympic Games, will hope that her The Cyclery-Opus team can keep its five-year winning streak going at the Preston Street Criterium. Last year, Annie Foreman-Mackey won the event while her team stacked the podium. Denise Ramsden and her Trek Red Truck Racing squad out Vancouver look to thwart The Cyclery-Opus. Ramsden was recently fourth in Sunday’s final stage of the Redlands Cycling Classic in California. Last season’s men’s winner was Benjamin Perry of Team NCCH. Perry now races for Silber Pro.