Downtown Victoria seems made for the tight corners of criterium cycle racing. For nearly a quarter century, cyclists negotiated the infamous Crash Corner in the Bastion Square Criterium with winners that included Olympic medallists Brian Walton and Alison Sydor, world champion Roland Green and Olympians Andreas Hestler, Erinne Willock and Gina Grain.
In recent history, the annual criterium race has screeched around the Legislative Buildings as the former Crash Corner at Yates and Wharf has been replaced by the Hansard Hazard at the corner of Superior and Menzies. The Agency Grand Prix Presented by MNP Cycling, which stands as the B.C. criterium championships, goes Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the women’s elite race at 2:15 p.m. and the men’s elite race at 3:30 p.m.
“It began in 1992 so we’ve been doing the criterium in Victoria for more than three decades,” Jon Watkin, organizer and race director.
“The City has made this an important part of the sports racing landscape. So many young riders have come out of this race to have international success.”
That includes Riley Pickrell of Victoria, winner of the Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver on Wednesday, and a pro racer in Europe who won a stage of the U-23 Giro d’Italia last year and represented Canada in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games with many predicting a potential future for him in the Giro and Tour de France. Watkin said Pickrell has the potential to reach the heights of Giro champion and Tour de France top five Ryder Hesjedal of Victoria.
Among the Islanders racing Sunday and looking to follow in the pedal straps of Hesjedal, Pickrell, Walton, Sydor, Green, Hestler, Willock and Grain are Canadian women’s criterium-champion Holly Simonson, Red Truck rider Caleb Ney and Red Truck women’s captain Brenna Pauly.
“I used to watch those pros crush it in the Bastion Square Criterium and it would be super cool to join that list of winners,” said Pauly.
The five-year pro lives just a block from the race course in James Bay.
“All my neighbours will be coming out to watch,” said the UVic microbiology grad.
Simonson will also be closely watched as Canadian women’s criterium champion: “That an impressive list of past winner to join, and there’s a bit of pressure on me as national champion, but I will give it my all.”
The rising Ney, 20, of Red Truck is from Gold River and now living in Victoria.
“It’s great to look at the past racers in this event and to know what is possible, because that’s my dream, too,” said Ney.
