It was a wet and muddy inaugural Canadian gravel championships at Paris to Ancaster on Sunday. Due to the weather conditions, some changes had to be made to the course. The final route was 108.8 km, with 874m of climbing.
Devon Clarke, from Collingwood Ont. is the first ever women’s Canadian gravel champion, taking first place in the women’s race.
“It feels unbelievable.” Clarke said in an interview after the race. “I’m super excited.”
This is Clarke’s second year racing Paris to Ancaster. She said that her plan going into the race was to stay up front with her main competition, Ruby West and Maghalie Rochette.
West placed second, while Rochette, the winner of last year’s women’s race got a puncture around 50 km in and pulled out of the race.
“It was just a mudfest out there, a lot more slippery, a lot harder conditions compared to last year.” Clarke said of the conditions on the course, “I changed my tire choice at the last minute, which I’m happy I did, because it made a huge difference down the mud chutes.”
Evan Russell, from Mill Bay, BC. is the first men’s Canadian gravel champion, coming in five seconds behind the winner of the Paris to Ancaster Cento race, Curtis White.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in quite yet.” Russell said in an interview after the race. “I would have obviously liked to beat Curtis and be the overall winner but I’m pretty hyped about it.”
“Curtis and I were neck and neck.” Russell said of the final battle of the race, “And then 100 m to go Curtis just had that extra little kick.”
This was Russell’s first year racing Paris to Ancaster and his third ever gravel race.
Current cyclo-cross elite Canadian champion Tyler Clarke placed fifth, and last year’s winner, Michael van den Ham placed ninth.
Full results for all categories are available at RaceTiming.ca
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