BC Superweek: Rally Cycling on a roll at Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix
Eric Young wins third-straight Gastown title, while Kendell Ryan back on top in Women's race
Pictures: Scott Robarts Photography
Eric Young extended Rally Cycling’s impressive streak at this years BC Superweek on Wednesday night, winning the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix. It is Young’s third consecutive victory at the downtown Vancouver criterium.
In the Woman’s race, Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank’s Kendall Ryan landed her fourth win in five races at BC Superweek. Ryan sprinted to the win ahead Sara Bergen, Rally Cycling’s Canadian national criterium champion.
2018 BC Superweek – Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix: Pro Men
Rally Cycling has stomped its authority all over BC Superweek this year, in no small part due to the standout performances of Eric Young. The Boulder, Colo.-based rider won his third race at 2018 BC Superweek at Wednesday’s Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, and has been on the podium at each of the five races contested so far in the week long series.
RELATED: De Vos wins Tour de Delta Road Race
Young’s win Wednesday is also his third-straight Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix win. The Rally rider has owned the downtown Vancouver criterium lately, winning in 2016 and again in 2017 leading into this year’s race.
Ryan Anderson leads the peloton at the Gastown Grand Prix. Photo: Scott Robarts
Christopher Hatz of team Herrmann Radteam would go away on a long solo breakaway in aid of teammate Franz Knauer. Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix
Rally Cycling's Brad Huff leads out race winner Eric Young with Florenz Knauer just behind. Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix
Pro Men's podium (l to r): Florenz Knauer, 2nd, Eric Young, 1st, Emile Jean, 3rd. Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix
Behind Young, Florenz Knauer (Hermann Radteam) was second in the finish sprint. The B.C.-based German rider won Tuesday’s New West Grand Prix ahead of Young, but couldn’t repeat that performance a day later at the Wednesday evening crit. Emile Jean (Silber Pro Cycling) claimed the final podium spot in a photo-finish for third.
2018 BC Superweek – Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix: Pro Women
After Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling) interrupted Kendell Ryan’s three-race winning streak BC Superweek with a victory for Rally at Tuesday’s New West Grand Prix, the stage was set for a showdown between the two top riders at this year’s edition of the week-long series.
With both riders on top form, a rematch of the 2017 edition of the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, where Ryan beat Bergen in a sprint, was looking likely.
RELATED: BC Superweek: Sara Bergen wins New West Grand Prix
This year, Ryan dominated all three events at Tour de Delta with the help of her Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank teammates, culminating in a win at Sunday’s White Spot Delta Road Race.
Bergen, who missed the first three days of racing due to illness, returned to racing Tuesday to win the New West Grand Prix in her first appearance in the maple leaf jersey of the Canadian national criterium champion.
Racing on home turf, the fans were throwing their full support behind Bergen. Buoyed by the crowd support, the Rally Cycling rider went on the offensive again Wednesday in Gastown, attacking off the front to try gain separation from the field as she had the night before. Every time, she was marked by Ryan.
In the end, the race came down to a sprint. Ryan edged out the Canadian national champ by just shy of a bike length to win the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, her fourth win in five races at this year’s at BC Superweek. Bergen crossed second, with Desjardins’ Marie Soleil Blais in third.
