California cycling fans were let in on a little Bow Valley secret at the Redlands Bicycle Classic: Sara Poidevin is queen of the mountain.
In a field full of top North American cyclists, Poidevin, 19, was the first woman to top the California climb on Wednesday, and took the overall weekend QOM crown on Sunday (April 11) as the field’s top climber. Overall, she finished eighth on the weekend – the second-ranked Canadian in the field.
“It definitely felt pretty good. It was a goal of ours to get a jersey, and I was happy to get that for the team,” Poidevin said. “I was definitely going into that race with an eye on that jersey.”
Her gut busting climbing skills did not go unnoticed by the field, which paid more attention to the young Canadian as the races wore on. Only five points separated Poidevin from second place QOM competitor Kathryn Donovan.
“I think there were definitely a few of us watching each other going for points,” Poidevin said.
Banff’s Liah Harvie also entered Stage 1 of Redlands, and finished 90th while battling illness.
Born and raised in Canmore, Poidevin joined Team Rally Cycling this season after a successful junior career. The Redlands Bicycle Classic is an early season “must do” race for top North American athletes and Poidevin proved she belongs against a tough field.
“I don’t think I ever doubted myself. I was a bit nervous for the first race, but the whole team was very supportive. That gave me more confidence and as soon as I started racing, I felt good,” Poidevin said.
She began the weekend by taking the QOM crown in the Stage 1 circuit race, and finished in 13th while working to get her teammates Kirsti Lay and Olympic bronze medallist Jasmin Glaesser close to the podium.
Poidevin was then the top Rally racer on Thursday in the road race, where she finished the 100-kilometre race in sixth. She finished 13th in the women’s time trial on Friday, but dropped back into 33rd in the crit as part of the lead pack. She closed out the weekend with a ninth-place finish in the 150-km road race, to end the weekend in eighth overall.
“Going into the races, I hadn’t set a goal for myself, but as a team we definitely wanted riders in top positions. I’m really happy with the end result,” Poidevin said. “So far, I’ve been loving being part of a team. When we race together, it’s great to have teammates you trust in the group. We all work well together to achieve the goals we want.”
The results sent ripples through the Bow Valley Mountain Bike Community, and plenty of well wishes came her way. Always humble, she was sure to thank her fans, downplay the accomplishment, and focus on the next weekend.
“It’s still so early in the season. I’m excited to keep racing, as this gives me a confidence boost for the season,” Poidevin said. “I think overall I’m happy with my fitness and I’ll keep building on it. As a team we had a few successes. It’s really exciting.”
She’s back in Canmore for another week, and will then join her team again in New Mexico for the next week. She still has two more years left for her kinesiology degree at the University of Calgary, and she wants to see where the sport takes her.
“Rio is definitely a big stretch, but down the line the Olympics are on my radar,” Poidevin said.
Even with a busy race schedule ahead, Poidevin still plans to jump into a local bike race or two, and spend some time with her family. Along with Harvie, she’s happy to have blazed a path for many more young riders emerging from the Bow Valley who are now receiving more opportunities around the globe.
