U Kon Echelon continued its busy schedule with the Tour de Haines Junction, a multi-stage road cycling event held in and around Haines Junction on Aug. 1 and 2.
The tour consisted of a time trial and hill climb on Aug. 1, and a road race on Aug. 2. U Kon Echelon also held a small training camp prior to the race weekend.
A total of 12 people took part in the event, with eight riders racing in all three stages.
Elijah Jenner won the U11 boys novice general classification (GC) with a combined time of two hours, eight minutes and 24 seconds.
In the U13 boys GC, Alex LeBarge was first with a time of three hours and 48 minutes.
Just like at the Yukon Championships, the U15 boys GC was the closest category of the weekend.
Mack Jenner finished first with a time of four hours, 17 minutes and 26 seconds, with Taiga Buurman close behind with a time of four hours, 20 minutes and 55 seconds.
Buurman ended the weekend on a high note with a sprint finish on an uphill to win the road race, while Mack took the win in both the time trial and the hill climb.
Mack’s time trial was the fastest of any male rider.
Tori Vollmer finished first in the U15 girls GC with a combined time of four hours, 23 minutes and 35 seconds.
In the U17 girls GC, Ava Irving-Staley finished first with a time of four hours, 17 minutes and six seconds. Irving-Staley’s time trial was the fastest of all female racers.
Veronica Porter finished first in the U19 girls GC with a time of four hours, 17 minutes and 52 seconds. Porter was the fastest overall in both the hill climb and road race.
Trena Irving won the masters women GC with a time of four hours, 43 minutes and 43 seconds.
Rod Savoie and Sandy Birrell each rode the hill climb and road race.
Irving told the News that Birrell and Vollmer enjoyed an “exciting sprint finish” in the hill climb and that Birrell helped LeBarge during the road race. By the same token, Irving noted Savoie rode with the main group during the road race and helped keep the race pace high throughout.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com