Niagara Classic this weekend!

(Please see note regarding Juniors racing with the Elites at Niagara Classic.)

 
This past Sunday saw the second round of selections take place for Team Ontario and the first for the cross country event.  The fields were quite large as the juniors and elites took to the trails together.  Points are being awarded to all U23 riders for the first three fastest lap times for the women and the first four laps for the men.

Emily Batty (Trek Store Race Team) outdistanced her competitors literally by miles (overtaking many of the Elite men along the way).  Mikaela Kofman (3Rox Racing) had a solid ride for second with her young teammate Laura Bietola(3 Rox Racing) rounding out the top three for CSG selection.  Next to follow were Natasha Oldcorn (Jetpower) and KK Michener (Independent).

It looked as if the very young and very strong Mitch Bailey (Jetpower) was going to take the top selection points for the men but faded slightly to third on his last lap and was overtaken by the  charging Jon Kinsie (Two Wheel Express) and Ryan Atkins (EMD Serona – Specialized).  Another couple of juniors completed the top five with Steven Noble (Jetpower) in fourth and Jarred Stafford (Bikesports Racing Team) in fifth.

Two Sundays ago the first road selection took place at Springbank Park in London.  Speeds were high in both the men's and women's races and any attacks were quickly neutralized.

KK Michener (Independent) took top honours for CSG selection after riding an aggressive race, finishing fourth in the field sprint.  Krista Ruby (La Biccicletta/J. Lindeberg), Mikaela Kofman (3Rox Racing), Katie Spittlehouse (Thunder Bay Cycling Club) and Laura Bietola (3 Rox Racing) followed her in for second through fifth on the points standings.

The men's race was marred by a second lap crash which saw the young Gabe Charlton being taken away in an ambulance.  (He has fully recovered and raced at Albion this past weekend).  There were many riders attempting to get away but nothing would stick as riders vied for CSG points.  In the end, it was first year Espoir Devon Novakowski (Garneau−Club Chaussures−Ogilvy Renault) topping the CSG standings with a third place overall in the race.  Ryan Aitcheson (Jet Fuel), James Larmer (Sudbury Cycling Club), Zach Hughes (Norco-Evolution) and Michael Mitchnik (Trek Store Racing Team) were the top finishers amongst CSG contenders.

This coming weekend will see exciting racing at the Niagara Classic when the CSG selection makes it's third stop.  The results of this race, combined with Springbank, will determine the automatic spot for the road.

Please note that there will be separate races for Juniors and Elites.  If you are a Junior who has not upgraded and wish to race with the Elites, you need to apply to the OCA for permission.