Gallery: Sara Bergen, Liam Magennis win Choices Market Criterium at the Tour de Whiterock
Exciting racing continued at BC Superweek with the explosive Choices Market Criterium
The win goes to Liam Magennis of team Subaru NSWIS and MS in a group sprint. Photo: Scott Robarts
Sara Bergen and Ellen Watters lead the race up the climb, followed by a fading Annie Forman-Mackie. Photo: Scott Robarts
The chase was on to bring back Subaru NSWIS and MS rider Magennis. Photo: Scott Robarts
Will Routley early in the race was a man on a mission. He would finish the day on the podium in third. Photo: Scott Robarts
Sara Bergen just edges in front of Alison Jackson for the win. Followed by Kendelle Hodges. Photo: Scott Robarts
Women's podium have all finished in the top three at other BC Superweeke vents this year. Alison Jackson was second , Sara Bergen took the win and Kendelle Hodges was third. Photo: Scott Robarts
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19-year-old Australian Liam Magennis (Subaru NSWIS and MS) looked set to win the 60 lap, 60-km men’s Choices Market Criterium at the Tour de Whiterock when he managed to lap the field halfway through the race. However a break of seven riders were determined to contest the race and brought Magennis back also lapping the field. With four laps to go the main field sprinted for positions leaving the break of eight to contest the win in the final four laps.
“We knew it was going to be a tough race, so we wanted to make it hard from the gun and get rid of as many riders as we could from the start,” said Magennis. The chase group contained one of Magennis’ teammates, Ayden Toovey as well as Will Routley (Rally Cycling) who needed to make a big effort to join the move and Kris Dahl (Silber Pro Cycling).
Magennis came around the final corner of the race with Kris Dahl on his wheel and was able to hold on for the win. Dahl came in second with Routley rounding out the podium.
In the women’s race, Vancouver’s Saga Bergen of Trek Red Truck powered by Mosaic Homes seeled her first win at BC Superweek after two-second place results. A failed move by Bergen and Canadian national champion Annie Formane-Mackey was brought back in the final 10 km of the 30-km race but a strong lead out and sprint placed Bergen on the top step of the podium ahead of Alison Jackson and Aussralian Kendelle Hodges.
“I felt really strong coming into today, I knew Gillian (Ellsay) and Denise (Ramsden) had my back going out there, so did Kinley (Gibson), Suzanne (Hamilton), Leah (Guloien) and everyone else who was riding,” said Bergen of the strong team effort. “Once I got off the front, I thought, ‘Alright, it’s a bit early, but you committed to this, so let’s make it happen.’ Denise gave me a fantastic lead out up and over the corner in the sprint and then it was pretty much all me to let loose the guns, so I just put my head down and went for it.”
Jackson has podium results in four of the five last races at BC Superweek butcontinuedd to look for her first win with the Canadian national team sprinting to second place. Independent Aussie rider Kendelle Hodges has also been strong at BC Superweek with top three results in three of her last four races.
BC Superweek concludes on July 17 with Steve Nash Fitness World presents Tour de White Rock Peace Arch News Road Race. The Men’s Race starts at 9 am Pacifc time and the Women’s Race begins at 9:05 am.
