RMCC bronzed at Bikefest
date, the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club’s Gord Jewett won the final mountain stage of Banff Bikefest to grab third place overall in the Cat 1/2 ranking on Sunday (June 17).
The win capped off a brilliant week for RMCC, which put riders in the mix for every race.
“People don’t realize how much of a team sport this is,” Jewett said. “The entire team was strong this weekend and deserve a lot of credit.”
The local RMCC club placed riders in the top 10 all weekend, as racers such as Sean Crooks (11th) Darren Anderson (18th), Scott Manktelow (27th), Matthew Jeffries (36th) and Keith Batstone (40th) all worked together to help the team finish strong.
Partnered with longtime friend and former cross-country ski teammate Crooks, Jewett picked apart the field and picked the right move to break away in the Tunnel Mountain race, which featured 12 laps up and down the mountain course.
“I was lucky to get into the right move. The group worked magic together and at the end I felt good in the sprint,” Jewett said.
Coming off a massive race in the United States, Jewett started slowly in Banff. He was 14th in the prologue and the Lake Louise road race, and fell back to 27th in the time trial. He picked up a 10 second bonus, which was enough to push him into the medals.
“My legs were feeling better today. If I didn’t win the mountain stage, I would have said my races were only so-so, but this makes it a great weekend,” Jewett said.
The Tunnel Mountain race provided high drama, as Kris Dahl had the overall lead going in. However he fell back in the peleton early on, and his H&R teammate Aaron Schooler broke away with Jewett and three other racers midway through the race, earning a four-minute lead on the rest of the field. By the time the dust settled, Schooler led them overall by 26 seconds, ahead of Nathan Underwood and Jewett.
While Jewett was finding his legs, Crooks was lurking in the top five, finishing fifth in the prologue, ninth in the time trial, sixth in the crit and first in the Lake Louise Road race.
The Lake Louise circuit victory was particularly sweet for Crooks, although the race had to be stopped twice to allow bears to cross Highway 1A.
Crooks knew he could have had a better result in the crit, but he wasn’t disappointed with his finish.
“It was a fun day. My legs were feeling good but I didn’t position myself well,” Crooks said.
The new crit course suited many riders, allowing for more action.
“I liked the course better. There were more chances to pass, so it suited us well,” Crooks said.
In the open women’s division, Pepper Harlton was the class of the field. She won every race except for the time trial, where she finished second to Kristine Brynjolfson. The win was the first for Harlton at Banff Bikefest.
“I was able to put the hammer down on the last pop, then quickly descend to win the race. I was pleased I could put the hammer down on the hills and put the hurt to the group. It is just as satisfying as winning the race,” commented Harlton.
For full results, visit www.zone4.ca
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