GranFondo Whistler Award Ceremony 2024

can you raise your hand we have a very special event here at Whistler uh in 2025 and it gives me great honor to introduce you to the CEO of the Invictus Vancouver Whistler games 2025 Scott Moore thanks Neil what a day congratulations to all the Riders give yourselves a round of applause for finishing [Applause] I want to point out 44 wounded ill sick service members who rode today with Team Invictus from five different countries give them a round of applause those five countries Australia Canada us we had one wounded ill and sick service member from Nigeria and four from Team Ukraine next February February 8th to 16th the Invictus games take over Vancouver Whistler please come out and support our Canadian military and Military wounded ill and sick soldiers from all over the world Opening Ceremonies BC Place Saturday February 8th and many Opening Ceremonies here in Whistler on February 10 10 we'll see you then congratulations on a great ride all right up next we got a special presentation i' like to welcome Vanessa Wellington headgear up at YWCA onto the stage and before we do that sorry I want to invite Carson low the RBC regional vice president Northshore Tri Cities to the stage for a special presentation well hello Whistler let's make some noise my name is Carson low I'm so pleased and proud to be here with all of you today and I got lots of colleagues they're all in team RBC sure there and blue so let's just make a fake shout out to all the rbcs in the stage it is actually an exciting today to celebrate the 15th anniversary RBC grandf with Whistler and congratulations to all the writers you did an amazing job today I'm standing up in this Podium because this will be the only chance I will ever get to be on the podium so congratulations to you all RBC is so proud to be at the title sponsored for this amazing event since year 2020 year 2010 the community of cyclist is about not only the writers but every support you get from all the family to get up to the writers so congratulations to to you all thank you so much and we are so pleased and proud to be able to sponsor the YWCA go Rider program so congratulations thank you very much and we are here to present you a $65,000 check this is a new check and we're going to do that for ye transfer in [Music] Ain can you pop the check down a little bit I can't see your face and now look at me great thank you pass it over to you okay thank you everybody we want to say so much we appreciate RBC support congratulations to all the riters our Gear Up program is a youth focused program on learning how to be a bike mechanic ages 15 to 30 open to anyone we have a booth over to the right and our incredible team here come and see us we'd love to talk to you about it we're so grateful for this donation you're making a big difference thank [Music] you let's make some noise for RBC and the YWCA team I think it is now time to meet our winners for the RBC Grand Final W are you guys ready to meet the athletes we're going to get things going with the St reges cup women's team to present the prize to our reges cups team of five to eight winners please welcome Neil McKinnon and Leah gulin the first female winner of the grand Fondo in 2010 thanks everyone gosh I got to stand on the podium bringing it back here what an awesome race I can't believe it was 15 years ago that I won this race I remember hearing about the Fondo it was in my hometown I was so excited to be riding and getting family and friends to come see and then hearing that there was this big prize purse of I think it was $7,000 was like The Best Day Ever I knew I had to win that race so I came in into that finish line I knew where to attack and I took it there from a Sprint two other really strong sprinters and it was an awesome day and better yet I got to see family friends come across the Finish Line after which made it just such an amazing special experience and I can tell you right now I got some serious fomo today and I guarantee I will be back next year I don't know if I'll win but I'm going to try it's so awesome job to all the racers and Riders out there great work thank you all right it's time to meet your winners the top three team for the St reges women's gender category in third place let's make some noise at the time of 4 hours diversion blue w [Applause] [Music] in second place at time of 3 hours and 49 minutes let's make some noise for the psycho Collective and philosophy [Applause] [Music] [Music] and take come the win of the women's division let's make no a time of 3 hours and 40 34 minutes the red truck [Applause] [Music] women this is the test can they still do the big step on [Music] let's make some noise for your woman's Podium out here the St reges cup [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] see all right here one more top for the women's division we're now going to move into the sers cup mixed gender category SC [Music] [Music] [Music] all right moving in now to the men's or the mixed gender category in third place the overall combined time of 3 hours and 40 minutes let's make some noise for tag mixed [Applause] [Music] in second place the time of 3 hours 38 minutes and 17 seconds is bring noise for glamin Simpson a [Music] [Applause] [Music] and taking home the win of the time of 3 hours 31 minutes and 50 seconds the fastest team in the mixed gender category let's here for red kilo [Applause] on every coming all right they're all let's make some noise for the St reges cup mixed teams Podium you guys got some seator ran champagne coming your way we want to see you guys spray it shake that thing up see if he can hit that front row all right shake that thing let see if you get the there you go right now moving into the men's category here [Applause] [Music] all right now it's time to meet your St reges cup all male category podium in third place over time with three hours 15 minutes and 36 seconds let's here for tag [Applause] men's moving into second place with 3 hours 15 minutes and 7 Seconds team BC team [Music] [Music] beu and Tak it over the win with a a lead of 510 of a second in first place it makes noise for diversion red [Applause] [Music] [Music] our let makes noise your sa just C all male category winners on stage right now we got the seator ranch champagne coming to you let's give that one a good Shake [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] there's your men's Podium thanks so much [Music] [Music] [Music] St [Music] all right now to move into the women's Forte Riders 152 km done for the start from Stanley Park all the way up to Cypress and up to Whistler what an epic race was we're going to meet the top three women but in order to present the awards we want to introduce maso Stefani president of the PCO Grand Fondo gouret ride who's come all the way from Aly to be here with us this Mak a noise for mimo [Applause] [Music] Stephanie well uh sadly we can't find masimo you know those Italians they're a little bit sometimes behind schedule so on his behalf I'm just going to say a few words uh masimo uh runs an event called the proo Grand Fondo and it's lovely and wonderful and he hosted this last year you ever had the chance to go to Pro go ride the grand Fondo it's in early October highly recommend it all right huge shout out to cyress Mountain for giting the top fourte riders today with seasons passes for the winter and in due time it's time to meet our Podium ladies in third place with the time of 5 hours 21 minutes and 13 seconds this makes noise for ESA bille [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in second place the time of 5 hours and 11 minutes let's make some noise for Melanie [Applause] catcher and taking home the win and that Cypress ticket for the winter let's make a noise 4 hours 50 7 minutes for Samantha [Music] [Applause] [Music] Dory let's make a noise for your top three women's sport take make sure that stay on the podium we're going to bring the men up with you all right now it's time to meet the men in third place at time of 4 hours 32 minutes Benjamin [Applause] [Music] Anderson in second place the time of 4 hours 32 minutes and 7 Seconds let's make some noise for Casey Bloomer all the away from Mexico welcome to looks like this next athlete coming all the way from Mexico with a time of 4 hours 32 minutes and 6 seconds a oneth of a second off of second place Jorge esam [Applause] [Applause] wo there is your Podium men ladies and gentlemen the 152 km Forte Riders they're done let's make some noise champagne up there for the men and women their top Riders are taking on a Cypress pass for the [Music] winter all right Samantha and shake those things up we want to see how far in the crack we can [Music] get yeah best [Applause] one there you go this is the show we've been waiting for wh Mak some noise for your podium [Music] [Applause] all right now we're going to move on into the men's and women's Grand Fondo top three category 122 km done before we get into the awards we've got some men and women to celebrate Neil is going to introduce another special guest to present the awards to the Grand Fondo category uh as many of you might know we are hosting a grand Fondo in Riviera n Mexico on April the 5th and we have had a ton of support from one particular gentleman that came all the way from Rivier n the secretary Juan Enrique Suarez from Mexico please give a warm welcome to one Suarez thank you Neil but I think that you already see that we know how to party in Mexico what the guy make made right now is what you will do in Mexico when you are on April so I just want to tell you that we want you in narit Mexico so you can visit us it's going to be an honor for us but Al also you can see the Landscapes the icelands and all the richness that we have in in N so we will wait you in Nar Mexico on April and believe me that you will know how to drink tequila m b and have a really good moment so we wait you in Mexico Canada V [Applause] Mexico yes ju you Legend we cannot wait to see you in Mexico thanks for the warm invite it is time to Mo into the grand Bondo female category in third place the time of 3 hours and 48 minutes let's make some noise for McKenzie [Applause] [Music] Fleming yeah into second place it's Mio a time of 3 hours 4 7 minutes and 55 seconds it's here for Drew [Applause] melon and taking home the win a time of 3 hours 46 minutes and 22 seconds let's make some noise for Shing [Applause] strong looks like she's not here this your Podium right now for the wom's grand Fondo 1022 km done loveely Embrace we're going to bring the men up there so you guys stay put for a second we're going to bring the the male winners on stage you are awesome I love you Mr H moving on with one of the tightest races categories of the tightest times we've seen all day in third place the men's category let's bring Bring the Noise 3 hours 31 minutes and 40 seconds for Eric [Applause] [Music] [Applause] H into second place one1 of a second off bronze let's make some noise of 3 hours 31 minutes and 46 seconds for Steven leash [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and your winner this is down to a photo finish looks like a tie but we went down to the photo finish with a time of 3 hours 31 minutes and 46 seconds let's make some noise for David [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Collin let's make your top three men and wom of the grand of [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] category yeah a huge congratulations to all the Riders out here came from all over the world to make this whole event possible thank you so much let's make some noise one more time for all the athletes all the volunteers 700 volunteers made this whole event possible a quick reminder before we close the ceremonies that we love to welcome kids to join our new indigenous crafts activities at the Squamish L Cultural Center here in celebration Plaza please head to their tent to get involved and get them a fun activity but again thank you guys so much for coming out we still got lots of riders still coming across the finish line so make sure you come out there and support them cheer them on the beer gardens are going off and that is a beautiful way to wrap up this event again thank you guys so much for being here Neil is going to close that with a few fin remarks the stick around is going to give us a few things to say and do not forget to wrap it up we've got the event taking place next year September 6 2025 you can sign up now to get the best prices so stick around again send your kids over to this bers little Cultural Center Zone here in the celebration Plaza get them involved in the Indigenous craft activities until then Neil I believe you got a few more words here to close us out uh well I just going to close out and say this is a very complicated event a very expensive event we know that you have good hard ear money that you pay for this so we hope you had a wonderful experience we can't thank our sponsors enough and this wouldn't happen without our volunteers and a wonderful staff so let's give a big shout out to them it's hot it's sunny let's drink some beer [Applause] [Music] you