On June 24, cyclists will ride to remember the late Kris Yip in a memorial fondo. The Prince George Cycling Club is organizing the 70 km ride to remember the national team rider in his beloved sport.
Yip, who died at the age of 47 from a heart-related issue at his Prince George residence, had been bicycle racing since he was a teen. He was junior criterium champion in 1993 and represented Canada as a member of the senior national team as well as competing in the UCI Cycling Esport Championship in 2022, achieving an impressive 11th place overall.
Race organizer Ron Gallo told the Prince George Citizen the significance of hosting an event that celebrates Kris Yip’s legacy, given his deep roots in Prince George.
Valued member of Prince George cycling community
Kris was born and raised in Prince George and found a bike at a young age and ended up going to elite status, and this simply wouldn’t have been possible if there wasn’t some cycling events in Prince George when he was at a young and impressionable age,” Gallo said. “Being able to offer something with the hopes of being able to find the next Kris Yip, this is huge opportunity to make sure the legacy continues where it started.”
Watch the beautiful tribute during a Zwift race to the late Kris Yip
Yip’s sister, Kimberly Brochu, echoed the importance of the event, celebrating her brother’s life.
The creation of Kris’s Memorial Fondo speaks to the incredible impact he has made on the local cycling community. It means so much to me that the Prince George Cycling Club is honouring my brother with an event that is open to any and all abilities as he was always so supportive of others. Personally, this is still all surreal and I struggle daily but, I am extremely proud of Kris for the person he was and the legacy he has left behind. Kris was a rare gem in his field as he had no ego because it was truly about the ride for him.
“Our family had been part of the PGCC since 1990 and this is where Kris found his tribe. With the club, he was able to train and race locally to prepare for national and international stages. The support and guidance he received from the club helped shape him into the elite athlete he became and he represented Prince George and the PGCC with pride,” Brochu said.”I would love to see Kris’s legacy inspire others through this event, especially youngsters, to try cycling. Kris made an often-intimidating sport an inclusive one through sportsmanship,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…