MIVA DEPARTURE BAY ROAD HILL CLIMB 110804

Departure Bay Road , Nanaimo. 11/08/04

Beautiful weather *(24deg. C., no wind)

11 starters for this year's first MIVA hill climb. The Departure Bay/Uplands Road hill is a long drag with no real gradient changes until the 11% kick about 400 meters from the finish. The riders were seeded according to perceived ability and past results on the hill.

First to depart after starter Leigh Blaney's command, was Vicki Boyd, Frontrunners, who is in the final stages of preparing for an Ironman triathlon. She was expected to do about 9'30” for the ascent, but surprised everyone except herself by doing 9'00”! Husband Shawn did catch her on the climb and posted a personal best of 7'23” which beat the old record by 5 seconds. This was a portent of things to come and eventually, five riders beat the old mark.

Seventh rider off, Rob Russell. Beat Shawn's time by 6 seconds but this was eclipsed three times in rapid succession with Last year's winner and current record holder Stefan Jacobsen of Frontrunners posting the new record time of 6'52”.

With only Don Gillmore left to finish, the rest of the riders waited at the finish to see if he would eclipse Stefans's performance but, as the seconds clicked by, it became increasingly clear that tonight was Jacobsen's. Gillmore eventually finished, a very creditable second, in 7' 02”.

In the women's event, Janna Gillick HCTC, matched her last year's time of 8'27” to win the women's event.

Thanks to Kit McCaffery for registration, to Leigh Blaney (starter), Ross Palfery (turn marshal.), and Gary Ceroome (holder),