September 13/13 21:05 pm - U23 Prospect Challenge: Stage 1 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 09/13/13
 

A brief but intense road race kicked off the inaugural Centurion U23 Prospect Challenge, taking place at Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood ON.  The 3.2km mass-start hill climb up Scenic Caves Road saw Benjamin Perry (Team CHCH) take the win ahead of his teammate William Elliott, who just managed to hold off third-place finisher Ryan Aitcheson (Team Ontario).
 
A total of 36 riders took on Scenic Caves Road, which averages a 10.5% gradient, but features sections that reach 15%.  The pace was fast right from the start with everyone wanting to be near the front.  Once the climbing began in earnest numerous attacks were launched, but nothing managed to stick until Elliot and Perry countered a move begun by their teammate Adam Jamieson.  Aitcheson was able to follow, but when Perry surged again neither could respond.
 
“I came in expecting that I’d have a great chance of winning,” explained Perry.  “I was cautious with a few people and I was thinking ‘If they go – I go’.  The guys I was expecting just didn’t have the legs so I thought ‘I’ll just go for it.’  So I went for it and I managed to take it by a few seconds.  I was really happy about that.”
 
Elliot suffered somewhat early on, but managed to ride through the pain:  “At the beginning I was feeling pretty ripped up because I’ve had a good training week, but as it went on I got into a groove and I was able to stay with Ben.”
 
“These mass-start uphill time trials are definitely one of a kind,” commented Aitcheson.  “It’s tough to go over all the scenarios but it worked out pretty well for us.  At the beginning a few guys went up the road pretty quick and my teammates went to the front to help pull it back, or at least eat the wind for me. That definitely helped.”
 
Having recently completed the Tour of Alberta, Aitcheson hopes to make use of his fitness to overcome Perry and take the overall win.  “He’s a little bit younger than me so hopefully I can use that to my advantage.  I’ve got a few more miles in my legs, I’d like to think.  Hopefully by Sunday when it comes down to the final kilometres in the road race I’ll be able to use my extra fitness to my advantage.  I’m really happy with my team.  We’ve got some really strong guys so I’m pretty confident going into the weekend.”
 
With no less than nine teammates to call upon, Perry is equally optimistic in his chances for the final victory.  “They’re all good time triallists.  They’re all great racers.  We have quite a strong team.  There’s no reason we can’t win the overall.”
 
Stage two takes place late Saturday afternoon with a short but technical 31.4km criterium that will see racers travel through and around the Blue Mountain Village.  The 1.57km course, which is still awaiting review by race officials, features a two-metre wide ramp that riders will have to negotiate in order to transition from a road into the village square.
 
Report by Emil van Dijk

Results from the first stage of the Centurion U23 Prospect Challenge in Collingwood ON