Canadian
National Team Member
12 time National Champion
Multiple World Cup Winner
World Championships Silver Medalist
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Tuesday, June 15, 2004World silver medalist Poitras aims for BC SuperWeek
Courtesy of NWRaceReport.com
By ERIC DWYER
(DELTA, BC; June 15, 2004) -- Still basking in the glow of a silver medal at the Worlds, her Olympic dreams fading, BC’s first world championship medalist has returned home from Australia with her sights and hopes set on getting her first victory in a BC Superweek race.
"Winning a silver at the worlds was the highlight of my career, but BC Superweek has developed into something special for local cyclists and it would be really thrilling to win one here at home," said Mandy Poitras.
The 32-year-old High School Teacher from Ft. Langley finished 3rd in the Lehigh Cement criterium in the Tour de Delta last year. This season for the first time she’s a confirmed entrant in all 7 races in BC Superweek, beginning with the Tour de Delta, July 16,17, 18, Gastown, July 21 and ending with the Save On Foods 25th Annual Tour De White Rock, July 23, 24,
25.
"Delta is dear to my heart," she said. "I just love the course and the atmosphere. It was so much fun in Ladner last year and of course Gastown is great with the huge crowds. Those are my two favorite races of the year but it would also be special to win in White Rock with all its history. It’s just great to see high profile races like this come back to BC. Having three races of that caliber in your hometown is just tremendous for the racers and for promoting the sport of cycling."
Poitras also brought at lot of new publicity and interest to cycling when she made history in Melbourne, Australia in May by becoming the first BC rider to win a medal at the World Championships in track. She did it under trying circumstances, battling a heavy chest cold, nausea and the heartbreak of missing a chance to qualify for the Olympics in Athens.
"I went from my worst race of the year to my best in only 16 hours," said the veteran Canadian National Team Member. She was exhausted and disappointed after a 19th place finish in the final Olympics qualifier and didn’t think she’d have enough energy left to race again the following day in the 10-kilometer Scratch Race, a 40 lap criterium on a 250-meter oval track. "I left everything I had on the track the day before and when I woke up the next morning I was so congested and nauseous that I considered not starting the Scratch race. But the minute I got on the track I knew I’d be okay and focused on staying near the front and being in position for the final sprint. The silver definitely took the sting off missing out on the Olympics"
She held off the hard charging World Champion to finish second behind a rider from Cuba. The silver medal, along with her two World Cup victories, give her an outside chance of being a wild card pick for the Olympics this summer.
"It’s a long shot," explained her coach Jeremy Storie. "We may not find out until the last minute. Cycling is not like other sports where every country gets to send an athlete. There’s a maximum field of 17 in the Olympic track events so Mandy’s only hope is that they have to replace someone who gets hurt or has to drop out. Either way it’s already been a very successful year. For the first time in her career she’s not a full time teacher and part time cyclist. She hasn’t worked since Christmas and it’s given her extra time to work out and it’s made a major difference in her ability to recover and the quality of her training."
Her focus for the next two months is on road racing. A two-time national champion on the track, she’s one of the fastest sprinters in women’s racing. The extra work has also turned her into a threat on the hills.
"She’s not a great climber," said Storie, "but her overall road fitness is so good now that she won a Queen of the Mountain title in a big race in the States this spring."
Before she returns to teaching Grades eight-nine science next fall, she’s acing a busy summer on the roads, competing almost every week in BC and Washington and at the National Road and Track Championships.
"After working so hard on the track it’s nice to get back out on the road again, " she said. "I love the team aspect of road racing. Track is such an individual sport. The tactics and speed of track are great but the teamwork on the roads is a lot of fun too. There’s nothing better than sacrificing for a teammate, burying yourself so someone else can be in position to win a race. In BC Superweek for example it would be equally thrilling to have me or my Symmetrics teammate, Marni (Prazsky) win an event. You feel just as good whether you or your teammate wins. That’s what makes it so great and for Marni or me to win at home would be awesome. "
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