2012 BC Superweek Riders to Watch

The fastest week in Canadian cycling kicks off Friday, July 6, as BC Superweek gets underway with the Tour de Delta ­– the first of nine races over 10 days.

With $105,000 on the line, the return of the historic Gastown Grand Prix on July 11, and some of the top Canadian cyclists and professional American teams, the racing figures to be fast-paced and exciting from start to finish line.

BC Superweek runs from July 6 through 15, and is made up of the Tour de Delta (races on July 6, 7, 8), Original 16 UBC Grand Prix (July 10), Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix (July 11), Giro di Burnaby (July 12) and the Tour de White Rock (races on July 13, 14, 15)

Below is a list of the top riders coming into BC Superweek, though if history has taught us anything it’s never to count out top locals. Many of them now on this list now as returning pros after catching the eye of team directors at past races:

Svein Tuft and Christian Meier

Orica-GreenEDGE

Two of just five Canadians competing at the highest level on the World Tour in Europe, Tuft, 35, returns to BC Superweek for the second time since 2008 having just won his eighth Canadian Time Trial Championship in Quebec, and coming off an impressive showing at the Giro d’Italia. In addition to Tuft finishing ninth on a final-day time trial that saw former teammate Ryder Hesjedal become Canada’s first Grand Tour winner, he and Meier, 27, helped their new Australian-based team post it’s first Grand Tour stage win, helping lead sprinter Matt Goss to the finish line to victory on the third day in Italy.

Will Routley and Ryan Anderson

Spidertech powered by C10

Routley and Anderson are back from a second season competing in Europe for Team Spidertech, a squad put together by Canadian cycling legend Steve Bauer with the goal of one day soon competing in the Tour de France. Both are fresh off being part of the first Canadian team to ever start the prestigious Tour de Suisse. Routley won the Canadian Road Race title in 2010 and was second in 2011, and Anderson is a familiar face atop BC Superweek podiums.

Sebastian Salas and Marsh Cooper

Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies

A Vancouver native, Cooper finished second in the inaugural UBC Grand Prix last summer, and returns to move up the BC Superweek podium with some help from Salas, who is in his first year with the Minnesota-based Team after earing a contract with an impressive showing at BC Superweek last season. In his first pro season, Salas has already won the King of the Mountain Jersey as the top climber at the Tour of California, one of the biggest races in North America. He is one of 3 Canadians to win a stage or jersey, joining BC Superweek alum Dominique Rollin and recent Giro d”Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal.

Ben Chaddock

Team Exergy Pro Cycling

Chaddock, a Whistler native with a downhill skiing background, burst onto the scene by knocking off Tuft in the Tour de Delta Prologue in 2010, raising the eyebrows and of interest of Team Exergy and earning a spot with them the following season. He returns for 2012 wearing the Maple Leaf jersey after winning the Canadian Criterium Championship in Quebec last month. With three strong teammates joining him last year after Columbian Olympian Carlos Alzate won the inaugural UBC Grand Prix for them last summer, the entire Exergy Pro Cycling team will be worth keeping an eye on.

Nic Hamilton

Jelly Belly Pro Cycling

Another in a long list of recent graduates from the Vancouver-based Trek Red Truck competitive amateur cycling team to move onto the pro circuit, Hamilton has enjoyed past success at BC Superweek and is looking to avenge a third-place finish at the National Criterium Championship last month.

Tommy Nankervis

Competitive Cyclists Racing Team

The Australian first came to BC Superweek in 2005 to jumpstart his professional road cycling career, and returned last season to win the second-stage of the Tour de Delta, beating multiple-time BC Superweek winner Andrew Pinfold in a late sprint. Nankervis returns to defend that title with two teammates from the Competitive Cyclists Racing Team run by three-time Canadian Olympian Gord Fraser, whose 200-plus victories as a pro includes the Tour de Delta.

WOMEN’S FIELD

Jenny Lehmann and Shoshauna Laxon

Trek Red Truck Racing Team

This should probably include most of the local-based squad – and on the guy’s side, Cody Canning is one of several who also deserve mention after finishing second at the Canadian Crit Championship – But Lehmann gets top billing here after winning the 2011 GranFondo Whistler, and Laxon is up there with her after winning the inaugural UBC Grand Prix last year, beating out Laura Brown, a regular on BC Superweek podiums who will miss this year’s race because she’s in Los Angeles preparing for the upcoming London Olympics as part of Canada’s track team, along with fellow BC Superweek alum Jasmine Glaesser.

Loren Rowney

Specialized-Lululemon

A teammate of Canadian legend Clara Hughes on the Specialized pro team, this Australian’s remarkable rookie season has already included a UCI win in New Zealand, beating Canadian Olympian (and another past BC Superweek competitor) Joelle Numaineville to win the road race at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, and recently finishing second behind teammate Emilia Fahlin on the road at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Nicky Wangsgard and Jessica Cutler

Primal/MapMyRide Professional Women’s Cycling Team

The Seattle-based Cutler was so dominant racing locally early this year that she earned a mid-season contract from the Colorado-based women’s team, and will join 39-year-old Utah native Wangsgard, who is having a strong season of her own. Among the highlights, Wangsgard surprised a field of top riders and out-sprinted a U.S. Criterium champion to win a NCC race in Charlotte.

Moriah Jo MacGregor and Joanie Caron

Colavita-espnW Pro Team

Two Canadians on a top US team that also includes Canadian Olympian and BC Superweek alum Jasmine Glaesser, the 37-year-old MacGregror calls Vancouver home and has a career that includes riding in Europe and for the National Team, including top-5 finishes at the Pan-Am Games and podiums at Canadian championships. Caron, 27, is from Quebec and is coming back from breaking her collarbone at a UCI race in Holland last season, working to regain the form that saw her finish top-5 in several NRC races over the past three seasons.

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BC Superweek is Canada’s biggest cycling series, with $105,000 in prize money available during nine races over 10 days.

BC Superweek runs from July 6 through 15, and is made up of the Tour de Delta (races on July 6, 7, 8), Original 16 UBC Grand Prix (July 10), Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix (July 11), Giro di Burnaby (July 12) and the Tour de White Rock (races on July 13, 14, 15)

Contacts

Kevin Woodley
Media Relations, BC Superweek
woodyz@telus.net
604-828-5842

Greg Descantes

Media Relations

Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix

604-646-3564

www.globalrelayggp.org

www.facebook.com/GastownGrandPrix

@GastownGP