It was one of the most exciting finishes ever, says RBC GranFondo spokesperson Neil McKinnon.
"Three of them came around the corner at the same time. It was a sprint to the finish," he said of the sixth annual GranFondo road cycling event from Vancouver to Whistler on Saturday.
For the race, 4,220 cyclists ascended the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. Will Routley, who grew up in Whistler, battled it out for first place with German pro cyclist Florenz Knauer.
The two were travelling at approximately 70 kilometres per hour as they headed into the final straightway, McKinnon said. Although their official times were the same because the clock doesn't mark down milliseconds, Knauer crossed the line centimetres ahead of Routley. Knauer took home the winner's $15,000 purse, with Routley handed the $5,000 second-place award.
"It was just amazing," McKinnon said, noting they clocked 3:15:59 for the 120-kilometre Giro event.
Routley is the son of Tony Routley, who has long been a fixture in the Sea to Sky's riding scene. The two started biking as a father and son thing to do, Tony noted on his Team Whistler cycling webpage. Their love for the sport progressed from participating in the local Toonies to races around the world.
"We were hooked," Tony stated.
Will, 32, has been a member of the Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies team since 2014 and has a slew of trophies on his shelves, including a National Road Race Championships first place in 2010 and a Giro event gold at the GranFondo last year.
Only four seconds behind the battling duo, Vancouver Island's Nigel Ellsay came in third place. The 20-year-old pro-rider has spent four years on the national team.
The first woman to cross the line was Joelle Numainville with a time of 3:50:03. Numainville competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women's road cycling and finished 12th. She was followed by a previous GranFondo winner, Port Moody's Leah Guloien, whose time was 3:50:08.
Vancouver's Sara Bergen, who won the GrandFondo last year, tailed Guloien. Bergen currently rides for the Trek Red Truck racing team.
"They really had a good showing," McKinnon said.
Martin Caron was the first racer from 麻豆社国产through in the individual GranFondo. Caron, who is training for the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, in October, placed 25th overall with a time of 3:31:23.
The sunshine and warmth helped riders hit their peak potential, McKinnon said. This GranFondo's headcount marks an increase of 500 riders from last year, McKinnon said, noting there is still space for more riders next year.
Unfortunately, he said, the lead pack of racers encountered tacks on the road just north of Squamish. The sharp objects looked to have been intentionally placed in the pathway of the riders, McKinnon said. Five frontrunners were forced to pull out of the lead due to flat tires.
The tack problem 鈥渉appens every year,鈥� McKinnon said.
Whoever is placing the tacks needs to understand that for some of the race's athletes, the winner's purse is their livelihood, McKinnon noted. People pour their heart and soul into race day, he said.
"The tacks were the only downfall of the day."
