A pair of Olympians and former Test of Metal (TOM) champions returned to reclaim their crowns at the 2014 TOM race on Saturday (June 14).
Victoria鈥檚 Max Plaxton and Kamloops resident Catharine Pendrel recaptured the elite men and women鈥檚 divisions respectively, each with plenty of time to spare.
Plaxton posted a time of 2:30:54, beating out second place rider Evan Guthrie from Peachland by almost two and a half minutes. Sechelt鈥檚 Kris Sneddon placed third, with Craig Richey from Smithers finishing fourth.
Plaxton, who won the event in 2008 and 2009, was part of a group of riders six deep turning onto The Boulevard at Perth but he broke away during the dreaded Nine Mile Hill climb.
鈥淎fter that dash [The Boulevard] I kind of waited up for Evan and Quinn [Moberg] because the whole next bit by the feed zone is good to work with people,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he main climb is where we separated and I pulled away at that point. I wanted to save a bit in the tank for Crumpit Woods 鈥� I know this course pretty well.鈥�
He said one of his goals was to break the course record held by Geoff Kabush of 2:29:45 back in 2010 but he fell a little short. Plaxton did manage to beat his time in 2008 by 52 seconds.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little disappointed because I went really hard and was trying to get the course record,鈥� he said, noting the conditions were ideal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to have that goal but there鈥檚 been a few changes to the course since 2010 so I鈥檓 really happy 鈥� it was a good day on the bike.鈥�
Plaxton, who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men鈥檚 cross country event, hasn鈥檛 been able to take on the TOM since 2009 and said it was nice to return.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always great to race close to home with buddies and it鈥檚 a killer workout,鈥� he said.
Later this summer Plaxton will compete in several US Cups, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. He also managed to take home eight of the ten primes, with Sneddon and Squamish鈥檚 Greg Day winning the other two.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not really a goal of mine to win all the primes, especially the first ones,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 lucky that I get to make a good living at biking so it鈥檚 nice to see the other guys get some.鈥�
Day finished fifth with a time of 2:38:36 and was the top local rider for 2014. He beat out sixth place finisher and Squamish鈥檚 own Quinn Moberg by 85 seconds to take home the local honours.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had that [top local rider at TOM] so it鈥檚 pretty cool,鈥� he said, noting that he moved from Whistler to 麻豆社国产four years ago. 鈥淢y goal was top five so I came through and got a prime 鈥� it鈥檚 a bonus to be top 麻豆社国产rider too.鈥�
Day was a part of the group of six riders bunched up at The Boulevard and echoed Plaxton鈥檚 take on the breakdown of the race.
鈥淭here was a bit of a split and Plaxton, Guthrie and Moberg went ahead and Sneddon, Richey and I were dangling behind them,鈥� he said. 鈥淥n Nine Mile things split even more and I couldn鈥檛 quite do it and had to ride at my own pace. Then I caught Quinn at the Plunge and rode it home.鈥�
He said there鈥檚 a bit of a friendly rivalry with Moberg and said the young talent in 麻豆社国产is incredible.
鈥淨uinn is really strong this year,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really focused and has put a lot into his riding. He and I duke it out in the Toonie races all the time and I think I鈥檝e only been able to sneak by him a couple of times 鈥� usually he overpowers me in shorter stuff. It鈥檚 good to have strong local competition.鈥�
Some of that strong local competition is Team 麻豆社国产member Rhys Verner, who became just the second U19 rider in TOM history to place in the top ten. The only other rider to do so was Ryder Hesjedal in 1996.
Verner finished 10th overall with a time of 2:44:32, shaving seven minutes off his time in 2013. He also won the 14 to 19 age group for the third straight year.
鈥淭op ten was my goal but once I was really getting into it I would have liked to finish seventh or eighth,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 really happy with 10th.鈥�
He might have finished even higher had he not suffered a flat tire at a crucial point in the race.
鈥淚 was riding in eighth and trying hard to maintain that position when I got a flat in the Plunge,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 changed it and tried to stay calm and dropped to 12th after that. Then I had a good section in Crumpit Woods and made up some ground.鈥�
His happiness at crossing the finish line quickly turned to concern after he learned that his younger brother Hunter Verner, also competing in the TOM, had suffered an injury that sent him to the hospital.
鈥淗e slammed his femur on a tree and was taken to the hospital but I think he鈥檚 going to be ok,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 having a really good year and it鈥檚 too bad he got hurt.鈥�
Next up for Verner will be the Nationals in Ontario coming up in July.
Other 麻豆社国产men in the top 100 included: Dwayne Kress (11th), Sean Fincham (21st), Joel Harwood (22nd), Jeff Riemer (23rd), Ryan Edwards (27th), J.D. Disney (29th), Luke Di Marzo (33rd), Eric Goodwin (48th), Chris Christie (49th), Matteo Abel (55th), John Irvine (65th), Brennan Covey (76th), Grant Greg (93rd), Chris Lawrence (96th) and James Shaw (98th).
For the women, Pendrel returned to the TOM course for the first time since 2011 and won her record fifth overall TOM women鈥檚 title.
She dominated the women鈥檚 division with a time of 2:55:15, beating out Valemount鈥檚 Jean Ann Berkenpas by over 10 minutes. Pendrel still holds the women鈥檚 record set back in 2011 at 2:45:45. Like Verner, a flat tire might have cost her a chance at a personal best.
鈥淚t was pretty good out there today and I was feeling really good riding with a good group of guys but I had a flat tire before the Plunge and lost a decent chunk of time,鈥� she said.
Pendrel finished ninth in the world in the cross-country mountain biking event at the 2012 Olympics and said she loves to return to the TOM.
鈥淭his event is always so much fun,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, a lot of my racing is so far away from home so to come here and get connected with the community out here and it鈥檚 so fun and social. It makes you realize why you love mountain biking 鈥� it鈥檚 such a good group of people.鈥�
Former TOM winner Wendy Simms from Nanaimo placed third, with Squamish鈥檚 Brandi Heisterman finishing fourth. Heisterman was the top local rider and posted a time of 3:06:57. Unlike last year, Heisterman was unable to win any of the 10 primes, which were all won by Pendrel.
Other local females in the top 50 women included: Meghan Kindree (eighth), Zoe Dawson (10th), Julie Miller (15th), Sarah Greenwood (17th), Petra Hauke (22nd), Brittany Shalagan (26th), Karen Mann (32nd), Veronique Rochon (33rd), Barb Cooke (34th), Heather Macintosh (36th), Holly Schulte (39th) and Renee Brickner (49th).
For complete results from the event, visit www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=24000.
