BC’s Gillian Ellsay Grabs Second Title

The lower mainland recently in July wrapped up the week long BC Superweek for Cycling and those that attended know and understand what’s involved all aspects of it.

With the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg coming to a close in Winnipeg Saturday evening saw the Criterium competitions for both the Women and Men’s cycling events.  

In this event riders accumulated points in intermediate sprints throughout the race (every five laps), with the top four riders in each sprint getting points.

Ellsay, the winner of the Time Trial earlier in the week, attacked on the sixth lap of the 25 lap women’s race, riding away solo for the rest of the race to win four of the five sprints and take the gold medal with 30 points.  

Gillian Ellsay of British Columbia took her second title of the Games, as did Pier-Andre Cote of Quebec for the men.

Simone Boilard of Quebec, the winner of the road race, finished second with 22 points and Katherine Maine of Ontario won the bronze medal with 13 points.

“This medal is probably more special than the first one,” admitted Ellsay, “since it involved the whole team.  They were covering everything in the pack and it was an awesome race from them.  It was our plan to attack as much as we could, since we knew Quebec and Ontario probably had a better chance in the sprints.  But I didn’t expect to get a gap that fast.  At nine laps to go I started to believe that I could win.”

The 35 lap men’s race was dominated by Team Quebec, who won all seven of the sprints capitalizing in the medal department.  

Cote who won the men’s road race, won four sprints, for 38 points, while teammates Marc-Antoine Soucy and Raphael Auclair took Silver and Bronze respectively with 27 and 24 points.

Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada, summed up the Criteriums, “the events went as expected; super fast with lots of action at the front and of course each team had different strategies throughout the race.  

Quebec was very strong in the men’s race and executed perfectly.  In the women’s race, there was a plan to go out ahead and they pulled it off.”

“The Games have been amazing.  Winnipeg has been an incredible host city; everything from the venues to the staff, the volunteers and the festival.  It has been awesome, not only for spectators, but for athletes, officials and staff.  I think everyone had a really positive experience.”