Tour de Gastown: Pinfold wins, Beijing Bound Tuft Impresses

Videos

Tour de Gastown: Pinfold wins, Beijing Bound Tuft Impresses

see larger video

uploaded by agdobson

Photos

Tour de Gastown: Pinfold wins, Tuft Impresses

see larger image

uploaded by optic

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

• 

  Created by optic | add comment

Andrew Pinfold of Symmetrics won a bunch sprint in the most exciting Tours de Gastown in recent history. Unlike last year the roads were dry and the weather perfect for a fast and aggressive race.

The main story of the race though was Canadian Olympian Svein Tuft's multiple solo breaks off the front and American cycling legend Chris Horner of the Astana team continuously pulling the entire peleton back to Tuft. With one lap to go it looked like Tuft might stay away as the crowd cheered him around the course. In the end Horner got some help from the Jittery Joe's team and Tuft was brought back before the last corner, setting up a bunch sprint. Symmetrics, who had been in nearly every break all night then put what must have been plan B in to place and set up Pinfold to sprint for the victory in front of thousands of cheering fans.

The Tour de Gastown is now part of the 11-race USA Crits Series which helped draw some big names to the race. In addition to Chris Horner, who finished 15th overall in last year's Tour de France, it also featured another Canadian headed to the Olympics: Zach Bell. Last year's winner Hilton Clarke and US criterium champion Kirk O'Bee were also in the mix.

Earlier in the evening two other Olympians impressed as well, with Gina Grain winning the women's event and Erinne Willock being prominent in the race.

Full results .