Banff’s golden girl Liah Harvie once again conquered the Canadian Junior Road Cycling Championships, winning two gold medals and one silver this past weekend in Quebec.
Harvie was second in the time trial, and dominant in the criterium and road race for the win, where she used her strength and smarts to secure the victory.
Leading into the weekend, Harvie wasn’t sure how she would fair against the field, as she balanced schoolwork and training.
“I wasn’t in great form last week. I didn’t know what was wrong, so my coach readjusted the fitness plan. I felt great after that. I have to credit my coach for helping me,” Harvie said.
For the first time at nationals, she secured a proper bike for the time trial and went to work. Gillian Ellsay of Cycling B.C. blew away the field, but Harvie was patient and finished a strong second.
“The road was rough and the course was quite hilly. It didn’t suit me too well. I finally had a TT bike and my plan was to go as hard as I can, but I was beaten and finished second,” Harvie said. “Everyone expected the results, because (Ellsay) is so strong on time trials. There were no surprises or magical performances.”
Moving into the road race, Harvie was confident in her abilities. She assumed a team captain role and put her teammates to work, chasing down attacks.
“The course was awesome for me. It was fairly rolling and not quite flat. The inclination was two to three per cent and one kilometre to the finish, there was a short steep climb,” Harvie said. “I had a bunch of teammates I put to work. I had them chasing down attacks. They did awesome work for me.”
She pushed on the final climb, which was enough to break the field and set up a sprint finish. Harvie played the endgame masterfully, as her opponents played into her trap. The courses didn’t have many big climbs to separate the field, so Harvie had to use tactical skills to weed out and wear down her opponents.
“I went up fast, and fatigue was enough to break the field. A few stuck with me, and for some reason they moved in front of me, which was perfect because I had someone to draft. Two of us (Ellsay and Harvie) pulled away and turned the corner at the 200 metre mark, and I was able to slingshot around her and cross the line first.”
The win provided yet another confidence boost, and gave her the chance to have some fun in the crit.
“After the road race, I knew I was strong compared to the field. I launched a series of attacks and tried to get away, but that didn’t work. I was happy I was able to respond to attacks and launch attacks of my own,” Harvie said.
She credited Rundle Mountain Cycling Club and her coach for helping her reach the top of her sport, but said she missed former teammate Sara Poidevin, who moved up to the U23 group, at the event.
Poidevin wasn’t outdone in her own series of races at the Canadian Road Championships. She brought home a gold and silver medal in the U23 category at Canadian Road Nationals, and could have had more were it not for a flat tire in the road race.
“Overall, I was happy with my racing. I kind of went into it not really knowing where I would fit in,” Poidevin said. “It was really encouraging to be on the U23 podium and really good to get some results.”
She was 13th overall and second in the U23 category in the time trial to begin her weekend racing extremely fast. Knowing she could compete with the top women, she focused on adjusting to the higher level of racing, and helping her team Bicisport Calgary Cycling Club.
“There is a higher pace and longer distances. Having teams there was also different. In junior, everyone does their own thing,” Poidevin said.
She flatted early on in the road race and had to push hard to catch the main pack, but still finished fifth in the U23 category. She exacted her revenge in the criterium, where she was the fastest U23 rider on the day and sixth overall.
“In the crit, I was just trying to hang onto the front group. It was a really aggressive race.”
The results solidified her standing as one of Canada’s most promising road riders, as she was able to attack and respond to attacks in fields as big as 100 riders versus the best in Canada.
Both Poidevin and Harvie will now travel to B.C. Superweek, where they will attempt to impress teams and sponsors from across North America. Superweek is one of the biggest talent searches, and both Bow Valley women should garner some attention.
