James Grant of Merville recently competed in the B.C. Provincial Cyclocross Championships held in Nanaimo, and won the U17 men’s title.
The gold medal did not come easy, commented James. “My chain broke on the first lap. I had to run around half of the course with the bike on my shoulder to the finish line and then wait for someone to come forward with a bike for me to ride. On the next lap I had to stop again to adjust my seat height. I probably lost close to two minutes.”
In the end, Grant, representing Vancouver Island Performance Youth Racing Squad (VIPYRS), passed the entire field and out-sprinted rival cyclist John Willcox of Victoria at the finish line.
Later this month James and other VIPYRS riders will be attending the Canadian National Cyclocross Championships in Surrey, B.C.