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Cyclists chasing national title 10th edition of the Tour de Delta will be highlighted by crowning of Canadian champion in Saturday’s criterium A Canadian title will be on the line for the first time as top cyclists roll into town for this weekend’s Tour de Delta. The 10th edition of the annual cycling showcase will see Saturday evening’s Brenco Criterium in Ladner Village double as the Canadian championship for both men and women.
Special Section Pages B1 - B20 “We look for strong events and a strong organization where there’s going to be a good field represented,” Canadian Cycling Association president John Tolkamp said of the decision to award the national title in the Delta race. Will Routley, who captured the Canadian road race crown last month in Edmonton, expects the competition to be tough. “There’s going to be a good field here now that the criterium
Ryan Anderson (second from left) will look to defend his Tour de Delta overall title when racing resturns this weekend. is crit nationals. Quite a few guys are pretty keen for that,” he said. The race weekend gets under-
way Friday evening with the MK Delta Prologue in North Delta. Saturday’s Brenco Criterium will
be followed on Sunday morning by the White Spot Road Race. It’s not all competitive cycling,
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however, as the weekend will also feature a Community Ride, Kids Crit and wheelbarrow races.
Swimmer endures cold and wind to conquer strait JESSICA KERR
Tsawwassen’s James Monk successfully swam across the Strait of Georgia Saturday. Monk, who was swimming with North Vancouver’s Rod Craig as he trains to attempt to swim across the English Channel, made the 30-kilometre swim in nine hours and 35 minutes. When the pair set out from Mission Point in Sechelt early Saturday morning, the conditions were not ideal.
“It was really bumpy and really windy,” Monk said, adding that boats in the area were heading for shelter. The swimmers, accompanied by a support team in a boat, were not deterred and soldiered on. They were rewarded later with calmer waters and sunshine. “After maybe 12 to 15 kilometres it really started to calm down,” Monk said. The task, however, was still a challenge. The water was cold and the swimmers could not stop for more
than 20 or 30 seconds at a time for food and water. Any longer, Monk said, and the cold would set in and the risk of hypothermia increased.
As time wore on, pain and fatigue set in. “I was going through a lot of physical pain,” Monk said. They pushed through the pain
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and cold, motivated by the thought of reaching the beach on the other side. “I’ve never been so happy to see sand in all my life,” Monk said on the moment he set foot on solid ground at Piper Beach in Nanaimo, nine-and-a-half hours after diving in. “After my swim, I couldn’t walk, my muscles had completely given up and I was shaking violently because of the cold.” On Monday, Monk said he was “still pretty tired” but feeling better as his body recovered with lots
of sleep. “I just slept and slept and slept.” Craig is planning on attempting to swim across the English Channel later this month. The distance is about the same as the route he and Monk swam on the weekend. Monk said he will continue to swim with Craig as he finishes training, however, he added he isn’t sure he will make his own attempt. “I don’t know if I want to put myself through that again.”
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jkerr@delta-optimist.com