Two-time American Elite national champion cyclist Zak Kovalcik won the pro-elite omnium at the Burnaby 4 Day bike race at the Burnaby Velodrome over the Christmas holidays.
Kovalcik won the Omni with a total of 141 points over 19-year-old provincial time trial champion Kyle Buckosky of Surrey. Buckosky garnered 105 points over the four-day event, while local rider Jake Schwingboth was third overall with 96 points.
Kovakcik opened with wins in the 40-lap scratch race and the Madison with teammate Patrick Jacks. He followed that up with a win in the 70-lap scratch on Dec. 28, and wins in the elimination and win-and-out race on the Sunday. On the final Monday, Kovalcik placed first in both the 60-lap scratch and Madison, with Jacks.
Buckosky had wins in Friday’s elimination, Saturday’s points and Saturday and Sunday’s Madisons with partner Emile De Rosnay.
Canadian team rider Laura Brown, who posted her first World Cup victory in a points race in Manchester, won the elite women’s omnium, sweeping all three elite races.
Steph Roorda, who won a gold medal in team pursuit with the Canadian national team in Mexico, was second overall.
Jasmine Glaesser, who won a bronze medal in team pursuit with Canada at the London Olympics, placed in third spot.
U.S. Grand Prix sprint champion Bernard Esterhuiven, a 21-year-old South African cyclist, won the sprint omnium with wins on each day of racing over runner-up Evan Carey.
In the B omnium, Evan Burtnik edged out Jackson Pickell and Michael Wegner for top spot.
Cordel Dickie narrowly defeated runners-up Zayne Heyes and Christopher MacLeod with a pair of wins in Sunday’s final scratch and points races to take first place in the C omnium.
In the youth omniums, Ciara MacKenzie and Stefan Ritter were both clear winners in the women’s and men’s divisions.
