Maine crowned Canadian Road Champion in Saguenay

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Katherine Maine (Rally Cycling) won the road race title at the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships on Saturday in Saguenay, Quebec. Maine was part of a two-woman breakaway that narrowly held off the peloton, and she sprinted to victory ahead of rival Kinley Gibson. Her Rally Cycling teammate Sara Bergen took the reduced chase group sprint for third place.

The riders faced a tough 15-kilometre circuit in and around the town of La Baie, totalling. Each lap included a steep one-kilometre climb that proved to be the deciding factor in many of the races.

Each race became one of attrition, with the fields gradually being whittled down every lap on the long climb. In the women's race, Maine was part of an early breakaway that was caught by the remnants of the field, and she again went off the front with a lap and a half to go when Kinley Gibson (The Cyclery) attacked. With both major teams in the break, there was no incentive to chase, and the pair quickly opened a 30-second gap. Coming into the final 200 metres, Maine jumped and easily took the title by a few bike lengths. Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling) won the sprint for third. With her win, Maine became both the Elite and Under-23 Canadian champion.

"Our plan was to race our bikes super hard and take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves," said Maine. "Kinley [Gibson] attacked and I sat on her wheel. She rode the most incredible lap and I could feel my legs start to cramp. When she started to go, I knew that I had to go for it. I can't believe this happened."

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