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Cyclists storm Maple Ridge streets

More than 150 cyclists from across the province descended on Maple Ridge last weekend for the 10th annual Race the Ridge timed stage race.
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Cyclists in the Category 1/2 elite men’s division take to the streets of downtown Maple Ridge on Sunday for the Town Core Criterium stage of the 10th annual running of Race the Ridge.

More than 150 cyclists from across the province descended on Maple Ridge last weekend for the 10th annual Race the Ridge timed stage race.

The weekend of racing wrapped up Sunday with the Town Core Criterium, a high-speed, multi-lap contest in downtown Maple Ridge that featured a closed course with speeds of up to 50 km/h.

“We really appreciate the District of Maple Ridge allowing us to use the downtown core for this great event, and also for allowing us to share the beautiful rural roads with cyclists from across the province,”  said event organizer and Local Ride Bike Shop owner Barry Lyster. “The three courses we use for Race the Ridge are extremely popular with the racers.”

Trek Red Truck Racing’s Cody Canning took home the top prize in the elite men’s race after pulling ahead of a four-man breakaway group on the 98 km-long road race through Thorn Hill. Canning went on to score a respectable fifth place in the Golden Ears Time Trial, but put it all together in the final stage criterium to top the cumulative standings.

Canning seemingly appeared from nowhere to fling his bike across the line ahead of second place finisher Greg Christian of Garneau Evolution in a photo finish. Christian’s team mate, Tim Abercrombie,  took second overall in the overall standings, while Christian had to settle for third.

Vancouver’s Dave Stephens of Garneau Evolution made Race the Ridge history on Saturday when he won the Golden Ears Time Trial with a new record time of 28 minutes, 25 seconds.

Jordan Duncan took first place in the Category 3 men’s race, while Rich Machhein was the top local competitor in eighth place.

In the men’s Category 4 race, Geoffrey Parslow finished first overall after taking the top spot in the Golden Ears Time Trial, while Maple Ridge’s Brett Wakefield of Local Ride Racing finished second.

In the elite women’s race, cycling phenom Morgan Cabot of Vancouver’s Glotman Simpson Cycling Team clinched the overall win after finishing fourth in the 70 km Thorn Hill Road Race, first in the 22 km Golden Ears Time Trial, and fifth in the Town Core Criterium with a total cumulative time of 3:48:52.  Kristine Brynjolfson of Kamloops finished second, with Claire Cameron of Vancouver in third overall.

Sandra Walter of the Maple Ridge-based Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods+ racing team finished fifth in the event.

Megan Wolfe took the top spot in the Category 3/4 women’s race, while 13-year-old Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge was the top local competitor, in ninth place.