Ryan Anderson competes in some of the biggest races in Europe with the Spider Tech professional cycling team run by Canadian legend Steve Bauer.
The Vancouver native is coming off a strong showing at the Tour de Suisse. Despite all that experience, he was still nervous about racing BC Superweek.
It just didn’t show on Saturday night.
Anderson won a sprint at the Brenco Criterium, claiming both the second stage and the overall leader’s jersey at the Tour de Delta with his late surge.
“This crowd feels like a race of Europe,” Anderson said. “I still get a bit nervous because I’m back home and racing in front of family and I want to do well.”
Australian Tommy Nankervis, riding for the Competitive Cyclist team run by three-time Canadian Olympian Gord Fraser, tried the same strategy won him last year’s race, attacking early, and leading through the final two corners.
But Anderson was right behind, using him as a lead out coming out of the final corner, and jumping past for the win, completing 60 laps of the 0.9-kilometer circuit through the streets of the Ladner in one hour, 13 minutes and 27 seconds.
“I knew he was fast because of last year so I figured I could go from the final corner and as soon as I could get a gap I went as fast as I could,” Anderson said.
The biggest winner may have been the guy that finished 50th.
James Williamson of Pure Black Racing won a massive $3,350 crowd preem – a bonus lap of prizes collected from the crowd – with four laps to go, exhausting himself so much he had to drop out.
“That’s definitely the most money I’ve ever made in one sprint,” Williamson said, adding it helped take the sting out of losing two teammates to a nasty crash earlier. “It doesn’t get much better for a crowd preem – anywhere.”
Anderson thought about the cash, but Nankervis, who dropped to third behind Steve Fisher of Hagen Berman Cycling, was focused only on a repeat win.
“We came here to win races.” Nankervis said. “The money is an incentive but that’s why they call it the gambler’s preem.
Last year the [Team] Exergy guys did a full lead out for it and I won the race so I get to look back and say I had a nice win on my resume. It would have been nice to hang on for second tonight but I’ve still got a shot at the overall – it will be the first of me of Anderson to cross.”
Anderson was also focused on the overall, especially since it was a win at both the Brenco Criterium and Tour de Delta GC that helped set him up for his current role racing in Europe.
Anderson won both in 2009 while racing for US-based Kelly Benefits, and said Saturday that was an important step in his career.
“That was big because then Kelly Benefits started believing in me and then I got opportunities, so this race has been a big stepping stone for me,” he said.
Now it helps him prepare for the upcoming return to the European pro peleton.
“This is a great way for me to come home, take a little break and get ready to go back over to Europe,” Anderson said.
The final day for the Tour de Delta is Sunday and concludes in the South end in front of Windskill Park, which by all accounts is “jam packed” with spectators.
Year 12 wraps up, with everyone looking toward number 13 to see what the future holds.
