B.C., Manitoba cyclists riding strong at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games

The Western Canada Summer Games are off and running Wood Buffalo, Alta., and the medal counts are starting to rack up. For Manitoba and B.C., cycling is turning out to be a particularly golden event.

On Saturday, Manitoba’s Danick Vandale took gold in the boys’ time trial, finishing at 0:21:25.59. British Columbia, meanwhile, whose team traditionally holds top standing at the Games in terms of overall medal count, was represented on the podium in second and third place. Brendan James Armstrong rolled in behind Vandale with a gap of 23 seconds, crossing the finish at 0:22:19.82, while Jackson Thomas Pickell took bronze with a time of 0:22:31.07.

For the girls, on the other hand, the podium may as well have been painted with the B.C. flag.

Erin Attwell, from Victoria, B.C., took gold with a time of 0:24:58.37 — giving her a nearly two-minute lead on the rest of the field. Kelsey Anne MacDonald from Pitt Meadows, B.C. was in third, clocking a time of 0:26:13.77, while Emily Handford rounded out B.C.’s 1-2-3 with bronze and a time of 0:26:15.53.

The Games were established in 1975 for amateur athletes in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, providing participants an opportunity to advance their skills, as well as gain a bit of high-profile exposure for national and international races. Held every four years, the Games attract a strong group of up-and-coming athletes between the ages of 13 and 23, and is one of the most prestigious amateur multi-sport events in western Canada.

Cycling continues on August 10 and 11 with the cross-country events.