Canadian gravel champs canceled after it finished
Mike Woods crossed the line first at the Canadian gravel championships on Sunday and still has no title to show for it. Race officials canceled the event mid-race at the Burnt Bridge Classic on Vancouver Island, citing on-course temperatures above 34°C and medical resources stretched to capacity.
Woods had attacked on the major climb of the second lap, dropping Andrew L'Esperance and Ben Perry, but mixed messages from officials on the road meant he never let up. He rode himself into the ground, and said afterward it was one of the deepest efforts he'd ever made, only to learn the result might not count. L'Esperance and Perry received word from a marshal around 30km from the finish, paused briefly, then kept riding.
The women's race was less resolved when the call came. Haley Smith led through the first lap before Kaitlyn Rauwerda and Lucy Hempstead moved to the front on the second, with Smith chasing. The field trickled back to the finish already knowing there was nothing to race for. With 30km still to go when racing stopped, Smith said the outcome was unknown amongst the confusion.
In a statement, race director Jon Watkin said organizers had briefed riders before the start on heat protocols, adding bottle drops, extra water and ice, and a mandatory 1:30pm cutoff at aid station two. As temperatures climbed and medical resources reached capacity, continuing wasn't an option. Panache Cycling Sports is working with Cycling Canada on results, with an update expected by end of week.
