By Mary Clayton
Revelstoke’s own Kellen Viznaugh placed extremely well in the BC Junior Provincial Road Cycling Championships held in Penticton this past weekend. Racing against some of the best young riders in the province, Kellen came in seventh overall and fifth among B.C. riders in the road ride on Sunday, a grueling 105 kilometres
“It was a tough race,” said Kellen. “It was steep and fast, with really sketchy descents where we were hitting 80 km/hr with traffic hazards. I felt great though, and was able to attack a couple of times throughout the race.”
There were some dramatic moments when Kellen dropped his chain on the last climb of the last lap, putting him in a tough position. But he pushed hard and made it back up to the chase group to cross the finish line with the race leaders.
The championship weekend also included a criterium, a race held on a short course where the riders do multiple laps. Kellen held his own in that contest as well, finishing strongly in the main field of competitors. He also raced for the first time in a time trial, a race where cyclists ride on specialized bikes alone against the clock, rather than in a group.