Jetfuel-Norco takes Ontario criterium championships
Schiller sprints to win one the fastest Ontario races of the year
On Monday, riders in the CHIN Picnic criterium clocked one of the fastest Ontario races of 2013 with an average speed of 46 km/h. Jeff Schiller of Jetfuel-Norco used his team’s strength as a springboard to get a dominating hometown win.
Right from the beginning, the pace was fast. Riders were tested on the technical course, perhaps even too much. After a mid-race crash, the race had to be neutralized to allow paramedics to tend to injured riders. Once the race restarted and the final five-rider move re-established itself, Jetfuel-Norco riders Jeff Schiller, Yuri Hrycaj and Travis Sammual dominated the lead group. In the end, the current Ontario road champion Hrycaj set up Schiller who won by a few bike lengths ahead of Dave Byer of Octto-Cervelo.
“Team JetFuel-Norco had the numbers in the field,” said Ryan Aitcheson who finished third overall and first in the under-23 category. “They made the race by getting three of their riders into the five-man winning move. I jumped with three to go and just caught on as they sprinted. I managed to get third and top under-23.”
The entire Jetfuel-Norco squad were clearly motivated while they demonstrated their tactical prowess. Occupying the front end of the peloton ensured they were able to place three riders in the final move. The other major race favourites, like Aaron Schooler of H&R Block became isolated once the gap opened.
The complete results are available on the Ontario Cycling Association’s website. The next major event in Ontario is the provincial road championships in Holland Marsh on July 28.
