Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

JUMPS TO AN EARLY LEAD – David Gonda, left, leads a group of cyclists at the start of the Yukon mountain bike championships held Sunday on the Mount McIntyre trails in Whitehorse. Gonda finished the 50-kilometre course in a blistering 2:37:18 and was crowned King of the Canyon.

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

STRONG RIDE – Queen of the Canyon victor Meagan Wilson was the first female to finish the long course event.

Gonda, Wilson named King, Queen of the Canyon

After being denied victories in the Yukon’s two major road cycling events this summer, David Gonda earned a championship in another discipline Sunday.

By Marcel Vander Wier on August 25, 2015

After being denied victories in the Yukon’s two major road cycling events this summer, David Gonda earned a championship in another discipline Sunday.

The 27-year-old Whitehorse cyclist topped the field at the King of the Canyon race held on the Mount McIntyre trail system, winning the 50-kilometre long course event in 2:37:18.

Rob McConnell (2:44:54) and Ian Parker (2:49:08) finished second and third, respectively.

Gonda recently finished second in the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay and third in the Southern Lakes Yukon Gran Fondo.

Meagan Wilson, 31, was the first female rider to finish the 50-km course and was subsequently named Queen of the Canyon.

Wilson was coming off a solo victory at the 24 Hours of Light mountain bike festival in June.

Finishing behind Wilson was Sammy Salter (3:32:00) and Kirsten Hogan (4:00:00).

Filling out the rest of the royal court were Craig Machtans and Trish Steele – named Prince and Princess of the Canyon, respectively, after topping their fields in the 25-km short course race.

Finishing second and third in prince competition were Evan Wise (1:32:50) and Phil Hoffman (1:40:00).

Thaidra Sloane (2:06:26) and Jill Buxton (2:43:10) finished behind Steele.

Machtans was last year’s King of the Canyon winner. Reigning queen Kristenn Magnusson did not defend her title, nor did the 2014 prince and princess, Fabien Florentin and Miriam Lukszova.

Despite finishing first in the 2014 event, Gonda was disqualified for taking a wrong turn along the trail.

For the same reasons, 2012 champion Jonah Clark was also eliminated, propelling third-place finisher Machtans into the royal court.

Neither 2015 long course victor could be reached by the Star this morning.

Gonda last won the Yukon mountain bike championship in 2013, while Wilson was previously in the winner’s circle in 2012.

In total, 40 cyclists took part.

Sunday’s aid station was fuelled by the Whitehorse Hash House Harriers running/drinking club.

Event co-organizer Kris Gardner said she was expecting a much smaller crowd, given the weather forecast.

The rain held off, making for dry trails and good, clean racing. One racer, Josh DeCloet, did leave the competition after a wipeout.

“It was four times bigger than I expected,” Gardner said of the turnout for the race.

“Last year, we had a good turnout but we also had good weather. So it would seem that interest in the King of the Canyon is growing in the community. That’s probably because interest in mountain biking is growing in the community, which is awesome.”

Alongside the King of the Canyon cross-country race, which doubles as the territorial mountain bike championships, the Contagious Mountain Bike Club is also hosting enduro races.

The Carcranked Enduro race was held in Carcross Aug. 16, while the Icycle Enduro scheduled for Aug. 22 on Grey Mountain was postponed until September.

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