Will Routley and Ryan Anderson reunited and motivated

Will Routley and Ryan Anderson , both of Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies, have a long history in the sport together. When pressed, they can both remember the first time they met: competing against one another at a local B.C. Spring Series race. Anderson had just moved south from northern Alberta in hopes of pursuing his cycling dreams, while Routley had been a mainstay on the Canadian mountain bike circuit before switching his focus to the road as an espoir. Routley clearly remembers beating his younger competitor that year. The next year, the positions where reversed and a playful rivalry and friendship was born.

Since those early days of racing and training in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, both have gone on to bigger cycling careers. Throughout, their paths have been intricately woven. They were teammates on the Symmetrics Pro Cycling team, where they received guidance from such notable Canadian cycling pros as Eric Whohlberg and Svein Tuft. As that program ended, both moved to different U.S.-based teams. During this time, Routley started to amass an impressive list of victories, including a national championship and a stage of the Redlands Cycling Classic. Anderson continued to developed as a support rider.

Next, they re-united under Steve Bauer’s SpiderTech present by C10 outfit.  Here their relationship really developed. Long trips to Europe, which required them to leave family and friends and the familiarity of home,  and a demanding racing schedule were hard. They relied on each other’s support  to stay motivated. Anderson said, “It is when things go wrong that you want to have a familiar face around.” On a racer’s first trip to Europe, a lot of things do go wrong. Both Routley and Anderson’s physical ability matured during this time. Routley had a podium performance at one of France’s most iconic one-day races, Tro-Bro Léon.  Anderson came fifth at the Belgian one-day semi-classic Grand Prix Pino Cerami.

As the SpiderTech program folded, both riders struggled. Routley gambled on Europe and stayed in Belgium. He raced a long season that featured some of the biggest one day races in the world. Poor equipment left Routley crippled in pain after races. His old-fashion and stubborn management team was unwilling to allow him to explore other equipment options.  Anderson cited major differences with the Champion Systems in 2013. He chose to break his contract with the Hong Kong-registered team and didn’t race for half of the year.

In a sense, both of have come home with the Optum Pro Cycling setup. In the management team, they find ex-Symmetrics teammates  Eric Wohlberg, who is now the performance director, and Jacob Erker, who is the general manager. Jonas Carney, a longtime supporter of Canadian riders, was more than happy to secure the two Canadians for the 2014 season. He’s willing to work with his athletes to ensure their happiness and performance.  This philosophy is evidently paying off as Routley just secured his first victory of the 2014 season at the Chico Stage Race, winning both the road stage and the overall classification.

Routley and Anderson’s outspoken personalities have led to disagreements over the years. In fact, both cite a certain laundry incident, which involved drips from hanging clothes, that caused strife within the friendship. Both are natural winners who are always looking  for the next victory. Clashes due to ambition are inevitable. Yet, both are honest and know when a race suits the other better. Mature professional cyclists know each rider will get his chance at the win. The true litmus test of this friendship might come later this summer as both will line up as favourites for the Canadian championships. Anderson and Routley have the class and characteristics to carry out the victory, yet only one can do so. While it takes teammates, friends and, in some cases, alliances to win the race, only one will wear that red-and-white jersey for the next 12 months. It takes a pretty big friend to let the opportunity to win the national championships slip up the road. After all these two have been through, only time will tell if they can watch their chance at the jersey slip away, even if it is a good friend.