OBB TT SERIES RACE #3 : RESULTS AND RECAP
A *new world record* number of racers came out tonight to make themselves hurt against the clock. 33 riders, including 11 women, took part in another perfect evening of time trialling on Nanaimo River Road. Most importantly we had SIX people who had never raced this TT course come out tonight, keep spreading the word and getting people out to this great event. There was good feedback on the 'pre reg' to provide a start time for everyone within a few minutes at least, so we'll try that again next week. Also seeding it by your estimated time created a fast race with tight battles as people tried to bridge the gap on their nearest competitor. Webscorer results link here, for those who like to skim.
A great group of 11 women came out to race, with Janna Gillick posting a 23:30, just 5 seconds shy of the course record! Lorrie Baildham came in 2nd with a sub 25, and Cheryl Morch (on a whim last minute) rode a 26:15. Kiyomi suffered a mechanical off the start but shook it off to ride a strong 26:19 to knock almost a minute off her time from 2 weeks ago...her TT lifetime debut. Lulu McCallum made her TT debut tonight and averaged a fast 34km/hr on her first time on the course. Lesley Anderson continued her comeback from her accident with an awesome 33km/hr ride. Deb, Sandy, Carole, and Colleen all improved over previous weeks, imagine the times by mid/late July? Special mention to Tamara Zavarise who also did her TT debut and shocked the timekeeper by coming in at 30:21, before the final riders had begun the course!
Unfortunately the Gillmore kids couldn't make it tonight, they rarely miss, but the Hare duo put in outstanding rides in the youth categories. Aiden Hare slammed home a PB in just 31:05 as he chased down Ross to the finish line, also narrowly beating his sister Abigail by just 22 seconds.
In the Mens Category, a super tight race developed, as we had former TT champ Paul Auton return to Nanaimo River Road for the first time since 2012, never having ridden this course. Paul noticeably put the hammer down in the final stretch to finish in 21:31, a scant FIVE SECONDS ahead of Nick Kupiak. It should be noted that this is the 3rd straight week Nick has PB'd as well. These two averaged almost 42km/hr on a hilly course. Justin Mark rounded out the top 3 with a 22:51, which is already fast but this is a full minute faster than his time 2 weeks ago. Justin and Patrick have a heated rivalry going this year, with Patrick holding the edge 2-1 so far. Patrick came in 4th with a 23:08, 25 seconds quicker than 2 weeks ago as well. Orphee Bernard made his return to the TTs after hammering at most of them last year, although with little training in his legs this year, but still managed a 23:20, pretty close to where he closed out last year. Another new face/blast from the past was Joel Lutz coming out to race again, last seen at the TT's in 2009, he rode a solid 24:11 on a course he had never faced as he prepares for Escape from Alcatraz. Sean DePol dropped 40 seconds off his time, while Jason Hare one upped him by shaving a huge 1 minute 45 seconds off his time from 2 weeks prior. Alex Daether's Ironman training is paying off, and he also made his debut on the TT course putting in a 25:10. Another debut rider came across from Gabriola, Timothy Maika, and rode a 34.3km/hr average with a promise to be back for more. Lee Zavarise also showed big gains by knocking well over a minute off his time going 26:36. Ian, Fred, Derek, Ross, Murray, and Simon all knocked time off as well. Mike Gill put a minute into his season best, on his way to a 25 minute 15k by the end of this season without a doubt.
Many thanks to Mike McCarney for doing the turnaround marshall, and to Peter McCaffery for acting as holder and spotter for incoming finishers. Great to see the Zavarise family out cheering again as well as a big Gabriola cheering section. Its great to see so many people riding out to the TT as well!
Next week is a 20k TT, race start again 7pm (for the rest of the season). Pre register now!
