PCC Athletes competed in the Pacific GP at the Greater Victoria Velodrome last weekend. Tristan Drews won the scratch race and was third overall in the elite men’s omnium. Tristan’s sister Abigail won the elite women’s sprint omnium.
Congratulations to both.
Photos: Courtesy PCC
Pacific Cycling Centre is excited to collaborate with Cycling BC on a road bike skills course for coaches on Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 in Sidney, BC. Led by PCC head coach Houshang Amiri and Ben Chaddock, head of coach development with Cycling BC, the two-day course will instruct coaches on basic and intermediate road cycling skills.
The course runs from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday and 8:30 am – 3 pm on Sunday. Participants attending on Saturday receive credit for NCCP Basic Skills, and participants attending on Sunday also receive credit for NCCP Club Skills (ROAD).
On Sunday afternoon, there will be a discounted LTR Road54 skills session so coaches can practice teaching in a closed or open environment, respectively, with Cycling BC members new to road cycling.
A Cycling BC Single-Event License or Annual Membership is required.
For availability and more details go to Cycling BC
Photo: Red Truck Cycling
Tristan Drews won the elite race of the Southie Circuit in Langley on March 15, the first of the Spring Series. The riders did 12 laps of a 6 km course with Tristan finishing in 1:53.
This is Tristan’s first year in U23 and after cycling with Glotman Simpson Cycling team in his Junior years, he is now with Red Truck Racing.
He will race the remaining races of the spring series in March and then head with his team to the Redland Bicycle Classic, from April 9-13 in Redlands, CA.
Tristan on a training ride. Photo: PCC
Pacific Cycling Centre is delighted to announce it has renewed its partnership with Gruppo Nutrition for 2025. Gruppo Nutrition is one of Canada’s leading sports nutrition suppliers. Their products fuel athletes from all disciplines.
PCC athletes have been using Gruppo successfully for a number of years. “Gruppo supplementation has been essential to my training, fueling my recovery and strength, by providing the necessary nutrients I need to meet those goals,” says Tristan Drews, who won the U23 B.C. Road Provincial Championship last year.
PCC look forward to another year of fueling from Gruppo.
PCC riders have had a busy spring and summer series of races and into September will continue training with their respective teams.
Tristan on the podium at the Wix Brown Circuit Race in March. Photo: L. Drews
Parker Swanstrom, Caleb Bender and Tristan Drews have been racing in Belgium. Parker has returned home while Caleb and Tristan will remain in Belgium for the rest of September. They are taking on some late season racing there, after which Tristan will be joining the National team pre-World Championships training camp as final preparation for the championships in Zurich.
Holly Simonson is in Ireland and has just completed the five-day stage race (Rás na mBan) with her team. Brenna Pauly is training at home after racing the SBT Gravel Race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Brenna and Holly’s final race will be the Gatineau GP in Ottawa later in September.
Holly riding in the Victoria Criterium in August. PCC photo.
David Jackson, originally from Yukon, is training at home in Victoria. He had a great race in the Juneau Stage Race in Alaska last month, winning the overall GS in the expert race.
Approaching the finish line. PCC photo.
PCC’s Holly Simonson came second in the Canadian Masters Criterium Championship yesterday in Victoria. The 2023 champion had a good race but was involved in a crash that forced several riders to sit out a lap. Undeterred, she finished the race in style and came over the finish line first. However, Red Truck rider Larissa Black was the only one of the seven finishers who wasn’t affected by the crash and so became the 2024 champion.
In the Masters C race Iain Hay placed 4th. And in Friday’s Time Trial Holly’s mother Heather finished first in the Masters G category. Congratulations all!
Holly in a breakaway. PCC photo.
The 2023 Criterium elite women start line. PCC Photo
The 2024 Canadian Masters Road Cycling Championships hits the Victoria, B.C. this weekend with three days of exciting competition. The time trial kicks off the weekend on Friday, July 19 followed by the road race in Metchosin on Saturday, July 20 culminating with the exciting Criterium on Sunday, July 21 around the B.C. Legislature.
Four PCC cyclists will be competing in the criterium, an event that can produce thrills and spills with tight corners and sprint finishes.
Holly Simonson at the 2023 Criterium. PCC photo.
Holly Simonson and Brenna Pauly will be back racing in the elite women’s race. Holly won the criterium in 2023, and both are coming off great performances with their teams at the Gas Town UCI criterium.
Brenna Pauly leading the peloton in 2023. PCC photo
Iain Hay is the 2024 Master’s C Men’s Provincial Road Champion, and he will be racing in the same category on Sunday.
Iain Hay on the podium at the B.C. Road Championships. PCC Photo.
Tristan Drews, who is having a phenomenal year, will be racing in the elite men’s 1 – 2 category. In just his second year as a Junior he is the U23 Provincial Road Champion, and a bronze medalist in the Canadian Road Nationals, Junior category.
Tristan Drews – U23 Provincial Road Champion. PCC photo.
See https://www.victoriabikerace.com/ for more information.
Photo credit: N. Lutz
PCC’s Tristan Drews achieved a third place podium finish last weekend at the road nationals in the Junior race.
He rode well for the whole of the 86-kilomtere race despite the rain and wind which made it challenging for the riders. Because of the conditions the distance was shortened, and there were few flat sections, but steep climbs and many 90-degree turns on the descents.
Tristan also rode in the criterium in the Junior/U17 category finishing sixth. The race featured the same uphill finish as the road race the day before.
“Tristan’s training focus shifted in the few weeks leading to the nationals to meet the demands of the road race. He successfully achieved all his training targets in preparation for this race,” said PCC Head Coach Houshang Amiri.
“While this was his first national road championship, we knew Tristan had a good shot of achieving a podium place given his focus and knowing he needed to race in the front and stay out of trouble.”
Pacific Cycling Centre (PCC) is excited to announce that new applications are now being accepted for all of PCC coaching programs. The programs will identify a group of athletes who are committed to hard work, and who are willing to develop their potential to progress to the next level and eventually to elite status through PCC’s training system.
“Over the past 15 years PCC programs and coaching services have assisted many riders to move to an elevated level, achieving many personal bests resulting in podium performances,” said PCC Head Coach Houshang Amiri.
“We are committed to excellence and to seeing athletes develop and progress in our programs which aids longevity and healthy performances.”
The athletes training will be based on Cycling Canada’s Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) model at the Train-to-Train, Train-to-Compete, Learn-To-Win and Train-To-Win levels.
Athletes from road, track, gravel, and mountain bike from U17 to Masters’ levels will be accepted into the programs. All will have access to the highest quality professional coaching and training in a peer group setting, training camps, regular physiological testing, and mentorship opportunities with PCC ex-Olympians.
Interested athletes can send a race CV and cover letter to info@pacificcyclingcentre.ca
Photo: Billie Design Co.
Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria is on Saturday, August 17 and early bird pricing is in effect until June 15. With seven distances to choose from and a kids ride there is a distance for everyone.