06.26.09 - Svein Tuft and Tara Whitten win elite time trials at Canadian road racing cycling championships

Photo credit - www.canadiancyclist.com

ST-GEORGE-DE-BEAUCE, Que – Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., coming back from a serious concussion, and Tara Whitten of Edmonton, in her cycling road nationals debut, won the men’s and women’s Canadian titles in the elite time trials on Friday.

Svein Tuft

In the 40 kilometre men’s elite time trial, Tuft took the gold medal for his fourth title in the last five years clocking 52 minutes and 08.56 seconds. Christian Meier of Langley, B.C., was second in 53:07.88 and Zach Bell of Watson Lake, Yukon third in 53:41.95.

Earlier this season at the Tour of California, Tuft suffered a serious concussion in a frightening crash. It has been a battle for Tuft to regain the magic touch that made him such a sensation in 2008 but he says his victory Friday is a first step.

“I’m on my way back,” said Tuft, a silver medallist in the time trials at the world championships last year and seventh at the Olympic Games. “A 40 kilometre time trial is never easy. It’s been a rough start to the season, I’ve never gone through anything like that. But with the success I had last year, that’s my reference for what to shoot for.”

Whitten won the women’s elite 20 kilometre race held partly in rainy conditions in 29 minutes and 29.49 seconds. Anne Samplonius of Montreal was second in 30:15.01 and Laura Brown of Maple Ridge, B.C., was third in 30:30.46.

This is the first full season on the road for Whitten. Earlier this year she won a silver medal in the criterium at the world track cycling championships to cap an exceptional season on the track. She plans to combine track and road for the foreseeable future.

Elite Women's ITT

“I came into this race with a hope to reach the podium,” said Whitten, the Tour of PEI road stage race champion earlier this month that featured teams from 12 countries. “I’m more of a power rider so my strategy was to hold my own on the climbs then really try to make up time coming back down.”

In the women’s under-23 time trial race, Julie Beveridge of Calgary successfully defended her title clocking 29:58.01. Denise Ramsden of Kingston, Ont., was second in 30:49.46 and Joelle Numainville of Laval, Que.third in 31:01.98.

Beveridge is on the comeback trail after injuring her back and neck in a crash at the Tour de l’Aude last month in France. She raced later on at the World Cup in Montreal and was unable to finish that race because she was in too much pain.

“I’ve had some very bad luck this season so it’s nice to come here and get the win,” said Beveridge. “It hasn’t been too much fun. I was feeling still a little sore today and that affected my concentration and I made some mistakes. I was probably a bit too cautious.”

David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., won the men’s under-23 race for the second straight year in 54:18.06. Ryan Anderson of Vancouver was second in 55:32.99 and Cody Campbell of Surrey, B.C., third in 55:57.41. Veilleux has made a complete recovery from a broken collarbone suffered this spring in training.

“It went really well,” said Veilleux. “My effort was consistent. I can’t complain. The course here is difficult because you constantly have to change rhythms.”

Competition continues Saturday with the women’s elite and under-23 road race.

Women Results (pdf)

Men Results (pdf)