After making a splash in a couple U.S. tour events in March, Whistler's Will Routley headed to the Tour of Malaysia with Team Jelly Belly this week.
While the Tour of Malaysia is hit or miss in terms of its pro field, the event has been a stepping stone for athletes and teams to European races and the Tour de France. Canada's Ryder Hesjedal is one example, winning a stage in Malaysia two years before earning a spot in the Tour de France.
The eight stage, 1,247 km race won't wrap up until Sunday, but Routley was solid in the first three stages.
In the first stage Routley was ranked 66 th out of 122 riders, but he essentially crossed the line in a massive pack just 34 seconds back of the leaders. On the second stage he got into a break with the leaders and finished seventh, within a bike's length of the stage winner. That helped boost Jelly Belly to fifth overall in the team rankings.
Routley then challenged for the overall win on the third stage, but was outpaced in the final sprint to place fourth on that stage. He also held onto 10 th in the general classification, just 25 seconds back of the leader, and 10 seconds out of second place.
Callaghan Country XC trails still open
The Lost Lake Trails and Whistler Olympic Park may be closed for the season but there are still opportunities to ski at Callaghan Country until the last day of operations on May 2. To celebrate the last day there will be a group ski at 9 a.m., starting at the Callaghan Country base. There will be free skiing and a free picnic at the lodge for anyone who comes out, but organizers ask that you call 604-938-0616 or e-mail reservations@callaghancountry.com if you want to take part so they have an idea how many skiers to expect.
B.C. Snowboard Association recruiting for provincial team
The B.C. Snowboard Association is holding a tryout for its freestyle team in Whistler from May 2 to 3, opening their selection camp to any young riders that want to come out. Previously the camp would be by invite only, but organizers want to encourage all young riders to come out for the team.
This is the eighth year for the program, where athletes compete in halfpipe and slopestyle events at the provincial and national level, and benefit from coaching and other support while travelling to events across the province. The ideal candidate will be athletic and competitive while looking to improve and fine tune snowboard skills; interested in competing at the national level; experienced in competing in regional and provincial competitions and dedicated to training both on the snow and off. Participants must be 13 years old at minimum.
Participants in the selection camp are also invited to a provincial team training camp from Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 8 at no cost other than a lift pass.
Pre-registration is required at www.bcsnowboard.com.
Deadline nearing for WE PASS program
A new program from the Resort Municipality of Whistler will give club-level athletes the same access to municipal training facilities as national level high performance athletes. Local sports groups can contact Sheila Mozes at smozes@whistler.ca to receive the application forms to nominate the candidates within their organization who they feel meet the criteria of the Whistler Elite (WE) PASS program. Each group gets a set number of applications based on their membership, with a limit of seven passes.
The current round of applications for the period from May to December, and will be opened up once again in the New year.
Touch rugby kicks off June 3
Rugby is still rugby, even without the hits, rucks, mauls, scrums and other forms of contact that make it one of the toughest sports on the planet.
On June 3, Mark Baldwin and Joanne Brighouse are bringing social touch rugby to Whistler, taking the contact out to make the sport more accessible. You can be a beginner with no experience, or a veteran who has taken too many knocks to continue playing contact rugby.
Each team should have roughly 10 players, with six players on the field at any given time. It's also a co-ed league, and each team will have to have female players on the field at all times.
The basics are the same as rugby where players can run and kick forward, but must pass the ball backwards as they move up field. A two-handed touch stops the play, as do out-of-bounds balls, knock-ons, and other infractions. It's easy to play, and there are only a few rules to keep in mind.
Equipment is also minimal. Players should bring one light and one dark shirt to games, and some kind of turf cleat will also be helpful. All the skills can be taught.
Games take place weekly at Myrtle Philip Community School, starting on Wednesday, June 3. The fields are booked from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you can't field a team, you can contact the organizers that will either place you on a team or create a team from new players. Contact whistlertouchrugby@gmail.com to register as a team or as an individual.
Sliding Centre still seeking volunteers, track crew
The Whistler Sliding Centre is continuing to recruit volunteers to help maintain and marshal the track through 2010 and beyond, and is hosting training sessions at Whistler Sliding Centre next week.
There is an Athlete Services Information Session on Friday, May 1 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Track Lodge, with registration at http://trackclubatthewhistlerslidingcentre.camp9.org.
There will be Volunteer Track Crew training (Level I and Level III) on Saturday, May 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Level II courses will also be provided and all track crew will be required to take that course in fall of 2009 to join the group. Registration is at the same web address, or you can contact Jane Pattillo at jane_pattillo@vancouver2010.com for more information.
