Quinten Kirby checks in with a recap of the Tour de Delta at BC Superweek.
The BC Superweek Race is always one of the highlights for us every year. Located in and around Vancouver, the 9 races over 10 days offer a high domestic level of racing. One of my favorite race days of the season is the 155 kilometer UCI 1.2 ranked circuit race that concludes the first weekend of the BC Superweek series. The figure-8 lapped circuit is thirteen kilometers of an undulating, technical course with 40mph corners, punchy climbs, traffic furniture, and speedbumps. Fast from the gun, we completed the race in the 95 miles in 3.5 hours. A break of close to ten riders eventually rode off the front and we unfortunately missed out on that. With fast speeds and field splits we were a bit behind the 8 ball in the first half of the day. We however rode very cohesively into the second half of the race following the attacks and accelerations into the last 20kms. After letting the breakaway reach almost 2 minutes the field began to turn the afterburners on and reeled all but two riders back, Adam Devos(Rally) and Kaler Marshal. (Ex-Pro racing on a Canadian Composite squad) Going into the final lap RJ, Gavin, and Boardman all did great to keep me up towards the front for a field sprint. With 2kms to go I got separated from them and had to fight to keep position in the long wide-open finish straight. With about 800 meters to go in the fast 60 kph finish it wasn’t looking good for me, I was maybe 15th trying to move up the outside and that’s when Boardman came barreling past me yelling at me to follow him. In the last 20 seconds of the race he moved me right onto the Rally train riding for Eric Young who would win the sprint and claim the third position. I was able to roll the long sprint to seal a 7th place for us with Gavin right on my heels in 9th! With the help of the team I was able to finish as the best amateur and won the best Under 23 White Jersey! Two top 10s and a Jersey to go home with in the largest 1 day UCI race of our season meant that our time in Canada would be well spent.
Thumbs up for this guy! Quinten sprinted to 5th place last night at the @gastowngp, the biggest money crit in North America!
