Kendall Ryan sure likes racing in Delta, judging by her recent results.
The Ventura, California-based cyclist won all three of the Tour de Delta races last summer, and will look to repeat the feat when the event returns on the first weekend in July.
In the summer of 2018, Ryan’s success in Delta kicked off a run that saw her win five times and reach the podium six times during BC Superweek.
Held at sites around Metro Vancouver, the annual six-race series kicks off with Tour de Delta (from July 5 to 7) and ends with Tour de White Rock (July 13-14).
Now in its 19th year, the Tour de Delta event opens with the North Delta Community Festival and criterium on Friday, July 5. That evening, on a rectangle-shaped route, cyclists will ride a 1.2-kilometre loop around the “social heart” of North Delta, with the start/finish line at 84th Avenue, west of 114th Street.
“Spectators will see the athletes pass by 70 times as they negotiate a course with a fast downhill section going into an open left-hand turn that will see the riders hit speeds of more than 70km/hr,” says a post at tourdedelta.ca.
“The finish of the race will also be exciting to watch as the athletes will only have less than 100 (metres) out of the final corner of the race to sprint to the line.”
Last year, Ryan said she showed up to BC Superweek with “a pretty ruthless mindset.
“I knew I felt good, having Pro Nationals the week before,” the three-time U.S. national champ said in a release. “I was extremely frustrated with my performance there and how the races played out in both the crit and road race. I think I just had something to prove to myself and I was going to try to win as many races as I could.”
Coming down to Tour de Delta events on July 5, 6, & 7? Be sure to enjoy the community festivals taking place in #NorthDelta and #Tsawwassen as well the #KidsZone in #Ladner! Learn more at https://t.co/4qEbM6J9TW. #TdD2019 pic.twitter.com/zjtWPmkkDj
— Tour de Delta (@tourdedelta) June 23, 2019
On July 5, events in North Delta include family-friendly entertainment, games and more at Richardson Elementary and North Delta Social Heart Plaza.
Ryan, 26, is a back-to-back winner of the White Spot / Delta Road Race, held Sunday, July 7 in Tsawwassen. Tour de Delta also includes the Ladner Criterium race on Saturday, July 6.
CLICK HERE for the complete Tour de Delta schedule for 2019.
BC Superweek, billed as “Canada’s biggest professional road cycling series,” features more than $140,000 in prize money with nine races over 10 days. Complete details are posted at bcsuperweek.ca.
