First Ever BC Road Championships Centered on Youth
With 65 entrants across all youth categories Under 19 years of age, the BC Youth Cycling Championships was a success last weekend. Held in the Comox Valley, the event hosted independent races in every category for both male and female racers. This is a special weekend as the youth categories racing at a provincial championship across Canada are typically held simultaneously with the senior categories. Often, juniors, cadets and U23s are amalgamated into a senior or masters peloton, drastically changing the dynamic of their race. This also impacts the senior categories. The concept of a dedicated Youth Championships in BC is to provide a real objective and opportunity for youth cyclists to compete entirely against their cohort. “It provides the Province’s young road riders with their own championship – a tangible goal to work hard and ride hard for. They deserve it,” said race organizer and co-founder of VIPYRS Racing, Larry Reynolds who is based in Vancouver Island.
Notable performances came from Tessa Pinckston (U19 Girls) and Jess Reynolds (U15 Girls) who were riding the host VIPYRS. They swept their respective divisions, taking the BC Provincial Road Race, Hill Climb and Criterium Championships in the same year. On the male side of events a strong performance by U19 rider Jordan Duncan (Russ Hay’s) earned him the Criterium Championship as well as the bronze in the road race Championship.
The Championships’ draw is far reaching as it attracted a team well beyond the borders of British Columbia, where cycling is less prominent as a youth sport. Whitehorse based squad, U Kon Echelon made the trip south to compete. Perhaps in the future more teams will make the journey.
The Comox Vally communities provided apt support for the event, through sponsorship and many tireless efforts by volunteers. Granted the clear support for the event, in time this may spark a movement across the country for dedicated youth championships. The BC Youth Championships this past weekend could potentially serve as a template for other provinces.
