Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

PLEASANT START – Hundreds of riders from the 315 teams registered for the Kluane Chilkat race left the start at Haines Junction Saturday morning, in three separate groups.

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

STEAMING DOWNHILL – Cyclists in the lead group steam down the hill at Million Dollar Falls.

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Photo by Photo Submitted

WINNING POSE – Solo cyclist Matthias Purdon of Whitehorse gives the victory sign as he crosses the finish in Haines, Alaska with the fastest time in this year’s race. Photo by TOM GANNER

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

Cyclists on the Kluane Chilkat relay battled wind for most of the race

The wind took its toll Saturday during the 25th running of the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay.

By Chuck Tobin on June 18, 2018

The wind took its toll Saturday during the 25th running of the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay.

It was not so bad when the solo cyclists and two-rider teams headed out from Haines Junction at 8:20 a.m., followed by the four-rider teams at 8:45 and the eight-rider teams at 9 a.m.

As the race developed, the head wind grew stronger. The light drizzle here and there was not so bad but the wind over the 240 kilometres to Haines, Alaska was relentless, punishing.

“The conditions were so brutal,” race co-ordinator Mike Kramer said in an interview this morning. “I’m guessing the wind speed at check point four was between 50 and 70 kilometres an hour. It was hard to walk into so I can’t imagine what it was like on a bike.

“My hats off to anybody who rode any portion of the race.”

So strong was the head wind that 48 of the 315 solo riders and teams registered did not officially finish because they didn’t make the 7 p.m. cut-off time to reach the beginning of leg 8.

But they did keep leg seven open beyond the required time, and for one Whitehorse woman who put together a eight-rider team, which included her husband and son, it was much appreciated.

The check point volunteers weren’t shutting anything down, not until she finished.

“It was important to her to finish her leg,” Kramer said. “She wasn’t going to finish first, or second or third, she just wanted to finish her leg. It was important to her.”

The wind slowed down the pace of even the top cyclists.

This winning time of eight hours, 17 minutes and nine seconds by solo cyclist Matthias Purdon of Whitehorse was one hour and seven minutes off the winning time in 2016. Snow forced the cancellation of the 2017 race.

Purdon’s average speed was 28.8 kilometres per hour, compared to the average speed of 33.3 km/h in 2016.

The two-rider Whitehorse team of Ian Parker and Joel Macht finished second overall, just six seconds behind Purdon.

Third overall was soloist David Gonda of Whitehorse, finishing 14 seconds off the lead.

The third fastest solo rider and fourth overall was Andrew Sellars of Vernon , B.C.

John Stamp and Simon Lapointe of Whitehorse were the second fastest two-rider team and fifth overall with a time of 8:17:40, or 31 seconds of the lead.

Jonah Clark of Icycle Sports in Whitehorse and Kevin Turner of St. Catherines, Ont., were the third fastest two-rider team and sixth overall with a time of 8:32:33.

Jenn Walsh of Haines Alaska was the fastest solo woman and 25th overall in a time of 10:09:19. Chancie Knights of Guelph, Ont., was the second fastest in a time of 10:17:36 and Heather Clarke of Whitehorse was the third fastest in a time of 11:44:16.

The mixed team from Whitehorse, Get After it, posted the quickest time for three- and four-rider team, finishing 14th overall in a time of 9:46:15.

The eight-rider event was won by a Whitehorse team, finishing 23rd overall in a time of 10:04:50.

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