Time Off – Pay’s Dividends

Taking a couple of years off quite often pays dividends and such was the case for Joelle Numainville of the Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team as she made a quick sprint to the finish capturing the 2016 MK Delta Lands Criterium to kick off the Tour de Delta.

The race (broadcast live on Delta TV) uses a timed format that has all riders complete as many laps of the 1.2 kilometre race loop as they could in 50 minutes plus five laps.

Most or some riders used a different form of attack with some playing “coy” until the final five remaining laps when attacks and moves became more of a strategy.

Numainville, who calls Laval, Quebec home she finished narrowly in front of Vancouver’s Stephanie Roorda (Team Canada) and Tina Pic of Bountiful, Utah of the Happy Tooth Pro Cycling team.

Numainville represented Canada at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and finished 12th in the road race, and is hoping riding in the Tour de Delta and BC Superweek will help her remain sharp in the racing world.

Roorda (29) is the Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit Record holder as she captured Bronze for Canada at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

When interviewed on Delta TV she mentioned “track cycling is her preferred event” but Friday’s MK Delta Lands Criterium seemed to agree with her as we all saw.

Following the race she stated “It seems like it’s pretty simple and straightforward, but it’s really gruelling tactically with the hill there who was very aware on the last few laps of which riders were around her.”

She continued “I was just trying to watch everyone, looking around a lot to see how everyone wanted to race and go from there.”

At the young age of 50 she still races and Tina Pic is pure proof of that as she finished third, which shows you’re never to old to race.

Her reputation precedes her as she is a six time U.S. National Criterium Champion and a four time USA Cycling National Racing Calendar Points Champion.

She also had four top ten finishes at BC Superweek in 2015, including fourth place at both the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix and the Giro di Burnaby, mind you she was only 49 at the time.