Tour De White Rock: News Releases

The fastest week in Vancouver cycling kicks off Friday as BC Superweek gets underway with a Canadian Criterium Championship on the line and top riders from elite American and European teams gunning for $40,000 in prize money.

Atop an impressive field are two of just five Canadians racing on the Pro Tour in Europe: Langley's Svein Tuft and Christian Meier, whose Garmin-Transitions teammate Ryder Hesjdal is fourth over at the Tour de France. The rest of an elite peleton loaded with top teams from the US, a couple of Canadian Olympians, and recently crowned Canadian Road Race champion Will Routley.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Backgrounds on the top riders are list below, and all the cyclists are available to media through the start of BC Superweek at the Tour de Delta, July 9, with most also staying for the Tour de White Rock, July 16-18.

RIDERS TO WATCH AT THE 2010 BC SUPERWEEK

Garmin-Transitions (ProTour)

One of only five Canadians making a living on Europe's ProTour peleton, Tuft is home after winning the National Time Trial Championship a third straight time (and six of the last seven) in Edmonton in late June. His impressive resume includes being one of a handful of Canadians to race two Grand Tours – the Vuelta a Espana last fall and Giro d'Italia in May – as well as winning the 2007 UCI Americas championship and 2007 US Open in front of eight million viewers on NBC. In 2008, he won four gold at Pan Am Road and Track Championships, silver at the World Championships (despite a late flat) and set a new Canadian all-time best by finishing seventh at the Beijing Olympic Time Trial.

North Vancouver, B.C.

United Healthcare Pro Cycling presented by Maxxis

One of Canada's top sprinters, Pinfold has been a fixture atop the BC Superweek podium for years, including a third straight victory in the Tour de Delta road race last summer and criterium and overall titles at the Tour de White Rock. Even more impressive was his performance in 2009, when Pinfold also won criteriums at the Yaletown Grand Prix, Tour de Gastown, Giro di Burnaby, and Tour de White Rock. With a chance to reclaim a Canadian Criterium Championship jersey he was worn before at the Tour de Delta this Saturday night, and plenty of help from United Health Care teammates, Pinfold will be a favorite again.

Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling

Originally from the Yukon, Bell became a fixture on the local and national scene after moving to the lower mainland and buying his first bike in 2002. Two years later he was on Canada's National Team, and in 2008, after winning the Tour de Delta overall title with Symmetrics, he represented Canada on the track at the Beijing Olympics. After finishing second in a World Cup points race back in Beijing last year, Bell returns to BC Superweek with teammate Ryan Anderson, who won the 2009 Delta Criterium, spent some early time in the King of the Mountain jersey at Tour of California, and deserves his own place on this list.

Jelly Belly Pro Cycling

Recently crowned Canada's Road Race king at the national championships in Edmonton in late June, Routley continues to build on an impressive first season with the US-based Jelly Belly Pro team. After finishing top-10 in every stage race he entered early in 2009, Routley comes into the Tour de Delta sitting 24th in the NRC (National Racing Calendar) individual standings, and was also recently named to the long list for the Team Canada entry at two UCI Pro Tour events scheduled for the fall in Montreal and Quebec City.

Sussex, New Brunswick

Garmin-Transitions (ProTour)

A teammate of Tuft's and fellow workhorse on the Garmin-Transitions squad in Europe, the 25-year-old Meier made a name for himself as the 2008 Canadian Road Race champion. He also claimed a handful of top young rider awards while riding with Tuft on the now-defunct local Symmetrics squad the season before at prestigious pro events on this side of the Altantic, including the Tour of El Salvador and Tour de Beauce, a second place spot at the Tour of Georgia and third overall on the UCI Americas Tour. Capable of winning on his own or setting up Tuft, Meier is worth watching closely.

Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Cycling

Still only 22 years, David Veilleux moved up to the Elite level at the recent Canadian Championships after winning the under-23 National time Trial championship for four straight years, finishing seventh in the time trial and fourth in the road race. Ranked eighth in the NRC individual standings, he was long considered one of the world's top young riders, was named to the long list for the Team Canada entry at two UCI Pro Tour events this fall, and will benefit from a strong Kelly Benefit squad at BC Superweek.

After spending last year with – and combining with Jamie Sparling to help lead a results breakthrough for – the locally based Trek Red Truck Racing Team, Britton continues to have a breakthrough of his own after moving to the US-based Bissell Pro Cycling. After some top-5 and top-10 finishes early this year, and a stage win and fifth place finish at Mt. Hood, Britton rode his first Tour of California, and made the long list for Canada's entry into a pair of UCI Pro-Tour races to take place in Quebec later this year.

Trek Red Truck Racing Team

In just his fourth year of competitive cycling and second season with a Vancouver-based Trek Red Truck team that has produced a handful of riders now on US-based pro teams, Hamilton made the Team Canada contingent that raced at the prestigious Tour de Beauce this season, and was part of Red Truck claiming a third straight Tour of Walla Walla.

For more BC Superweek information visit our website at www.bcsuperweek.ca, or arrange for photos or interviews with cyclists, please contact Kevin Woodley, Media Relations Coordinator, at 604-828-5842 or woodyz@telus.net

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[2010-07-15]- Good causes continue at Tour de White Rock
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[2010-07-14]- BC Superweek welcome back Giro di Burnaby for 2011
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[2010-07-14]- Tuft, Numainville stay atop podium at Tour de White Rock
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[2010-07-14]- Routley, Hannah survive atop Tour de White Rock Hillclimb
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[2010-07-13]- Team Canada links continue at Tour de White Rock
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[2010-07-11]- Olympian Bell leads sweep at Tour de Delta Road Race
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[2010-07-10]- Tour de White Rock and Shore2Shore join forces!
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[2010-07-09]- Brown defends, Chaddock surprises at the Tour de Delta Prologue
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[2010-07-07]- BC Superweek features European pros, Olympians, Canadian champs
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[2010-07-05]- Top US team directors keep sending riders to BC Superweek
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[2010-07-02]- Tuft, Meier back from Europe to race BC Superweek
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[2010-06-28]- New Road Race Champion to unveil national jersey for Tour de Delta Tuesday
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[2009-07-17]- New Zealand's Jazz Apple, Costa Rica's Villalobos top podium at Tour de White Rock Hillclimb
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[2009-07-16]- Tour de White Rock celebrates 30 years of developing Olympians
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[2009-07-15]- New Zealand cycling legend Susy Pryde back at BC Superweek
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[2008-07-14]- BC Superweek Riders to Watch
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[2008-07-10]- THE CITY OF WHITE ROCK
NOTICE OF STREET CLOSURES
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[2008-07-08]- Olympians past, present and future coming to BC Superweek
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[2008-07-04]- New Zealand cycling legend returns to BC Superweek
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[2008-06-30]- Tour de France rider Chris Horner coming to BC Superweek
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[2008-06-26]- Veteran Pro Sayers includes BC Superweek on farewell tour
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[2008-06-24]- ENTERTAINMENT ALL WEEKEND LONG
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[2008-06-12]- Less than a month to BC Superweek
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