Leah Kirchmann and Luke Keough win Gastown GP

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Luke Keough (UnitedHealthcare) and Leah Kirchmann (Optum Pro Cycling) cashed in during the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver, taking home part of one the largest prize purses on the criterium circuit.

Keough edged out North Vancouver’s Ryan Anderson (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), with his own teammate Ken Hanson taking third.

"It was awesome, to race in front of such a great crowd out here in BC was absolutely amazing. You could just hear the crowd, it was electric,” Keough exclaimed just before receiving a giant novelty cheque in his name for $13,000. “I can't thank my team enough, the way they ride is amazing, so strong, so dedicated, so selfless, and for me to be able to deliver that (win) was all I needed to do."

The final lap looked like it would come down to a sprint and indeed it did, but Anderson went for it just a bit too late.

"I'd say I was just picking my way through traffic coming up the final stretch there, so a little too far back on my part, but still a good night," Anderson said. "It was definitely pretty aggressive, but (overall) it was a good bike race."

With Keough being atop the podium for the second straight night, one has to wonder if it’s his team’s strategy to set him up or teammate Ken Hanson, who was going for a record-tying third straight win at the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix.

"Ken's won this two times, he knew the sprint. Today his legs were a little heavy coming out of that last turn in this long uphill drag (to the finish). I hit it early, hoping maybe he could hold on to it,” Keough said. “I knew Hilton Clarke was on my wheel and it was a long sprint and I'm glad I held it off."

Kirchmann continues winning streak

Leah Kirchmann has been on a winning streak since claiming her national title, and added another in Vancouver, beating Joann Kiesanowski (Tibco tothe Top) and the Kiwi's teammate Sam Schneider in the sprint.

Kirchmann barely got through a crash on the first corner on the final lap of the technical course over the cobblestones in Gastown. Her Optum teammates maintained a high pace and kept her out of trouble.

“It was a really hectic last lap, I had faith in my team that they were going to set me up with a really fast lead out. I guess there was a crash - or a near crash - around the first corner, I actually felt someone run into my foot and my wheel, but I held it up and was able to stay ahead of the field,” she said.

Schneider also missed the crash.

"Coming off the first corner, there was unfortunately a crash from the inside, it went out and luckily my teammate, Jo and I got saved,” explained Schneider. “Leah made it through and (it was) single file all through the last lap and I couldn't come around today, but it's awesome racing here in Gastown, (BC Superweek) is really fun racing. We're super happy we were able to come out and race here."

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