On a day when the weather turned out better than promised, 21 riders took part in VeloNorth's second road race of the season, over the popular and challenging Carcross to Whitehorse course.

Starting across from Montana Manor Sunday on the South Klondike Highway, there were lots of intense looks on the faces of the assembled riders as the clock counted down to the start of the race at 11 a.m. sharp.

Those looks were probably more the result of knowing of the hard hills that lay ahead of them than the slightly coolish temperatures. The intensity was further amplified in the faces of the men competing in the expert category.

For them, unlike everyone else, once they reached the Visitor Rest Area above Robert Service Way some 68-km from the starting line in Carcross there was no finishing line awaiting them.

For the men's expert category they were starting with the knowledge that once they reached the Visitor Rest Area they were to ride past it, proceed down the Robert Service Way, make the first turn on the right at the bottom of the hill onto Schwatka Lake Road and make their back up to the Alaska Highway going past Miles Canyon.

Once back onto the Alaska Highway and having survived three difficult hills, it was a three kilometre sprint to the finish at the Visitor Rest Area they has pasted some minutes and 10-km earlier.

Once again exerting his dominance in the expert's field young Troy Henry forced the pace at a number of points during the 78-km race. His final stamp of authority came in the hills of the Miles Canyon loop and when he emerged from them he ended up cruising to an almost three minute and 30 second victory over runner up Marcus Waterreus.

Keeping pace with Henry, Heather Enders, who is also on the Cycling Association of Yukon's Canada Summer Games team, won her third event in a row edging out Jillian Chown by one second in their 68-km expert women's race.

Sport's men winner John Berryman took his second road race of the season in the category in convincing fashion over runner-up Thomas Tetz. After the event Berryman confirmed his intentions to move up to the men's expert class for the remainder of the season.

Kerrie Paterson, riding in the sport women's category, kept pace with the expert women finishing only two seconds behind the expert women's winner and some 10 minutes up on her nearest competitor in her category.

The Davy family was out in full force, with mother and daughter riding in the Recreational Category and dad in the men's Sports class.

Randi Cave was the first to cross the line in the women's recreational 30-km event. Eleven-year-old Mackenzie Davy rode in her first ever bike event, edging out her mom to claim second spot.

Once again a special thanks to Marg White and Linda Stratis for providing their event timing expertise and to Bruce Henry for providing race support.

Other upcoming VeloNorth races include the Porter Creek ITT, which is scheduled for Wednesday. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. at corner of 12th Avenue and Centennial. The first rider starts at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, the club will hold the Skagway Hill Climb. Registration starts at 11 a.m. (Yukon Time) at the junction of the road to Dyea and the South Klondike in Skagway. The opening rider will begin at noon.

More information about the VeloNorth Cycling Club can be found at www.velonorth.ca.

Article provided by Mike McCann, president of the VeloNorth Cycling Club.

Full results:

Men's Expert 78-km

Troy Henry - 2:17:05

Marcus Waterreus - 2:20:33

Ryan Burlingame - 2:24:09

Stephan Ball - 2:28:48

Expert Women's 68-km

Heather Enders - 2:13:33

Jillian Chown - 2:13:34

Kaithlyn Macdonald - 2:27:29

Sport Men's 68-km

John Berryman - 1:57:52

Thomas Tetz - 2:01:37

Jonathan Kerr - 2:09:45

Darren Holcombe - 2:09:46

Bob Bowerman - 2:09:49

Hans Gatt - 2:13:16

Jarrid Davy - 2:19:40

Nat Rodden - DNF (mechanical)

Sport Women's 68-km

Kerrie Paterson - 2:13:35

Laura Salmon - 2:24:23

Shannon Meekins - 2:49:21

Recreational Women 30-km

Randi Cave - 1:10:48

MacKenzie Davy - 1:34:24

Suzan Davy - 1:34:25