This year’s B.C. Superweek may not have been the most successful that Whistler’s Will Routley has had in his career, but it was at least his most profitable.

As the series of cycling races in the Lower Mainland wrapped up Sunday (July 15), the Team SpiderTech rider left with a fatter wallet thanks to some good finishes between himself and Ryan Anderson, his lone teammate on hand during Superweek.

“It’s kind of funny looking back, I think this is the first time in quite a few years that I’ve done Superweek and haven’t won a race,” said Routley. “It was hard to swallow that, but at the same time it was just Ryan and I… and I think this is the most prize money I’ve ever won at Superweek.

“So, there must have been some success there,” he laughed.

Routley was looking for another victory in Friday’s (July 13) Home Life Hill Climb, which he’d won the previous two years and three times total in his career, and put himself in good position to repeat by posting the second-fastest qualifying time. But with one of the last qualifying heats, Routley didn’t have much left in the tank for the five-man final and had to settle for fifth.

“I think I could have won it again, but sometimes it just comes down to something like that,” he said. “I think all the other (finalists) had 25 to 45 minutes recovery before the final, whereas I was the last guy to go in the heats and had about eight minutes before the final.

“In years past, I’ve always replicated my effort the second time up… but this time I just wasn’t able to repeat the same effort.”

Routley did help Anderson to some podium finishes as Superweek wound down, including second-place showings in the revived Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix last Wednesday (July 11) and in Saturday’s Choices Market Criterium.

“It was great to be able to help Ryan out – I think he’s an underrated Canadian rider,” said Routley. “We made some good prize money, had a good time, got to race in front of our friends and family – and it’s great to see these events growing – so I feel pretty positive about the whole week. It’s just always nice to get a win in there and that was the only thing that was missing.”

You may spot Routley out on the road training in Whistler over the next couple weeks before he heads back to the U.S. to rejoin the rest of Team SpiderTech for the Tour of Elk Grove in Chicago and the Tour of Utah, both going in early August.

“It’ll be nice to get back at it with the normal routine and a full squad to do some stage racing,” he said. “We’ll have a full roster of eight guys at those races.”

Chaddock finishes Superweek strong

Whistler’s Ben Chaddock didn’t stick around for the entire Superweek schedule but scored a tremendous fourth-place finish in the Gastown Grand Prix, which came on the heels of placing seventh in the UBC Grand Prix.

“It was really close to being much better,” said Chaddock, who had a fellow Team Exergy rider up near the front flat with two laps to go in the Gastown race. “But I was really happy with my sprint and my teammates were extremely dedicated through the whole race.

“To get fourth was obviously very close, but it was a world-class field. I did really want to get on the podium, but if you look back on where I was two years ago, to be fourth in this type of event is a great accomplishment.”

The Team Exergy-hosted Boise Twilight Criterium took place Saturday in Idaho and Chaddock wound up 22nd in a race that was marred by multiple crashes, though teammate Carlos Alzate did manage to place second in the event.

“Things happened out of our control and we didn’t win… and that was a tough pill to swallow, but I’d also consider a second place a victory for the team,” said Chaddock, the reigning Canadian crit champ. “Just the manner in which we raced, it was a successful evening.”

Chaddock will also be headed to the Tour of Elk Grove next month but said he may first head to Seattle for track races this weekend.

Consistent finishes for Laxson

Whistler’s Shoshauna Laxson had a solid fourth-place showing in Friday’s Hill Climb and was among the top eight of the Tour de White Rock’s next two stages, putting her sixth in the Superweek-closing event’s omnium standings. She also notched a ninth-place finish in the Giro di Burnaby held last Thursday (July 12).

Team Whistler’s Tony Routley, Will’s father, raced the Category 3/4 division of Saturday’s criterium and finished fourth.