News – Page 23 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

 PEMBLE WINS RAINBOW JERSEY AT PARA CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France (October 21, 2022) – Mel Pemble is turning heads on day two of the 2022 Para Cycling Track World Championships claiming the rainbow jersey and Canada’s first gold medal of the week. Using the momentum of her World Record from day one in the 200-metre Sprint, she would ride to the top of the podium at her first World Championships of her career.

“This is so surreal,” commented Pemble after received her rainbow jersey. “This is a goal I had maybe in two years time, maybe next year. For it to happen at my first World Championships, made it quite the day. I was really nervous today, so I’m glad it paid off.”

With one lap to go, Pemble was standing in third place before she attacked to position herself at the front of the race, ultimately crossing the finish line in first place in front of Aniek Van den Aarssen from the Netherlands and Clara Brown from the United States.

Alexandre Hayward from Quispamsis, New Brunswick was also in action today at his first World Championships, where he raced a personal best in the Men’s C3 Individual Pursuit with a time of 1:14.908. He did not advance to next round but finished with a 5th position.

With only two days of racing, Canadian athletes are getting ready for the next races, with Pemble hoping to grab more points in the Omnium, where she currently stands in first position. All results can be found here and a livestream is available here.

THE CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM GETS READY FOR THE CYCLOCROSS SEASON

Ottawa, ON (October 21, 2022) ­– As the leaves begin to fall and the temperature begins to drop, the National Team has turned its attention to the 2022-2023 Cyclo-cross season. The program will continue to provide Canadian Junior and U23 athletes with opportunities for development and experience on the international stage.

The National Team will kick off the season with two World Cups in Tabor, Czech Republic and Maasmechelen, Belgium before taking on the Koppenberg Cross on November 1st.

Following their great performances at the 2021 World Championships in Arkansas and coming off strong showings at the first World Cups of the season, Juniors Ava and Isabella Holmgren, as well as Ian Ackert will be representing Canada this coming week in Europe. They will be joined by Filipe Duarte, Jayden McMullen, Christiane Bilodeau and Alexander Woodford to round out the team.

“As always, the National Team’s focus is on development and providing young upcoming athletes with opportunities to race internationally,” said National Team Coach- Cyclo Cross Lead Rob Holmgren. “We’re excited to race hard, to learn and to continue to progress. The season will culminate in January in Hoogerheide, Netherlands for the World Championships where our juniors are all capable of improving upon from last year’s performances and all have a great shot at standing on the podium”

Elite athletes who will representing the Maple Leaf on the world stage include World Cup medallist Maghalie Rochette, Michael van den Ham and Sidney McGill, who is fresh off a top-15 at the second World Cup round in Fayetteville.

The team heads back to Belgium in late December to take part in the annual Christmas Cross period, which will see the team contest multiple international races as well as World Cups. Following this, the Canadians will converge on Hoogerheide, Netherlands for the 2023 Cyclo-Cross World Championships, which take place from February 3 to the 5th.

SILVER MEDAL & WORLD RECORD AT THE FIRST DAY OF THE PARA CYCLING TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France (October 20, 2022) – Canada opened the 2022 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships on Thursday with a silver medal by former World Champion and Paralympic medallist, Kate O’Brien, in the women’s C4 500-metre Time Trial. Meanwhile, British Columbia’s Mel Pemble opened up her World Championship debut with a World Record in the women’s C3 200-metre Sprint.

” Coming in as World Champion, I obviously wanted to defend the title,” said O’Brien. ” I had my first crash since 2017 on the track last week and I also had to recover from COVID. Up until yesterday, it was not even certain if I would race, so I am super grateful to be here today and to have the support from everyone”

After qualifying in second position, O’Brien would race the 500-metre final with a time of 37.344, only 1.683 seconds behind Kadeena Cox from Great Britain. Holding the World Record in the event, O’Brien had previously won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics Games. This will be the only individual race for O’Brien over the week.

Coming off two Canadian records earlier in the season, Pemble started off her race schedule with a World Record in the 200-metre Sprint as part of the Omnium event in the time of 6.179 seconds. She would then race in the 500-metre Time Trial where she was shy of a podium finish to come in fourth place.

“It was so unexpected,” commented Pemble after her race, “It was my main event coming in, so to be able to perform today and have such an amazing debut makes me really proud. I still can’t believe that I am a World Record holder.”

Canadian athletes still have three days of racing at the Para Track World Championships, at the Vélodrome National de St-Quentin-en-Yvelines which will play host to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. A livestream is available here and all resultats can be found on the UCI’s website.

DYLAN BIBIC BECOMES CANADA’S FIRST SCRATCH WORLD CHAMPION

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France (October 13, 2022) – Dylan Bibic claimed the rainbow jersey in the men’s Scratch race on the second day of racing at the Track World Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France. At just nineteen, the endurance rider would claim Canada’s first medal of the Championship week, while being the first Canadian in history to win gold in the event.

“It’s very exciting, I still can’t believe it I’m so proud of myself,” Bibic told the UCI in an interview after his race. “My sprint (is my strenght), I know it is comparable to sprinters, so I relied on that during the race […] My goal is to place well in the Omnium and in the Madison, which are both Olympics events, to secure a place in the upcoming Olympics.”

Bibic was part of the lead in the bunch with 10 laps to go race where he gained control on the last lap, sprinting to the line and edging out Japan’s Kazushige Kuboki and Roy Eefting from the Netherlands to secure the top of the podium. The 2022 Championship marks the first Elite Championships for the Mississauga, Ontario native making a remarkable debut which showcased his depth as an athlete. Bibic first turned heads after winning the Junior World Championship title in 2021 where he won the Points Race in Cairo, Egypt. The endurance athlete will take on Madison, Elimination and Omnium next.

Canadians still have three more days of racing at the Vélodrome National de St-Quentin-en-Yvelines which will play host to the Paris 2024 Games. Live streaming of races can be found FloBikes and live results and start lists can be found on the UCI website.

FOUR ATHLETES TO REPRESENT CANADA AT THE PARA TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (October 11, 2022) – Following a successful summer on the road with numerous breakout performances, the National Team will now shift its focus to the UCI Para Track World Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France on October 20 – 23.

The team will include two Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medallists, as well as two newcomers who will be making their debut on the Para Track world stage. Former World Champion and Paralympic silver medallist, Kate O’Brien will be leading the team in the C4 category, along with Paralympic bronze medallist Keely Shaw, who just ended a stellar road season, landing on the podium at every race she entered.

Making her World Championships debut is Mel Pemble, who recently set two new national records at this years’ Track National Championships. She will be joined by newcomer Alexandre Hayward who will be competing for the first time on the track, after he proved his strength in WC3 and at the Para Road World Championships.

“I am so incredibly excited to be selected to compete at Track Worlds,” said Mel Pemble. “It has been my main goal of this season, I am especially eager to see what I can do since this is the first time I’ll be part of the World Championships”

Racing will begin on Thursday, October 20 with the 200m sprint and will go on until October 23. Full results will be available here. A livestream will be available through the Canadian Paralympic Committee, more details coming soon.

Team Canada
Alexandre Hayward – C3 – Quispamsis, NB
Mel Pemble – C3 – Victoria, BC
Keely Shaw – C4 – Midale, SK
Kate O’Brien – C4 – Calgary, AB

CANADA TO CONTEND IN ALL EVENTS AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FRANCE

Ottawa, ON (October 7, 2022) – Coming off strong performances at the Commonwealth Games and at the Track Pan Am Championship, 18 Sprint and Endurance athletes are heading to Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France for the 2022 UCI Track World Championships on October 12 – 16. Canada was one of only two nations who qualified to compete in every event this year’s Worlds. The team is comprised of both veterans and rookies to World Championship racing and are ready to take on the best athletes on the track.

Veterans to the team include Sprinter, Kelsey Mitchell, who has seen great success this season at the Commonwealth Games as well as Pan Ams. The Alberta native is looking to better her performances from 2021, after winning her first career World Championship medal in the women’s Sprint where she took home bronze. She will be joined by Lauriane Genest and Sarah Orban, who were part of the Team Sprint squad that won bronze at the Commonwealth Games. The trio hope to use their momentum from this year and add another international podium finish to their racing resumes. Olympian, Nick Wammes and Canadian Champion, Ryan Dodyk, will be at the helm of the men’s Sprint squad as they make their second return to World Championship racing, with James Hedgcock and Tyler Rorke making their Worlds debut.

” I’m looking forward to racing on the track that will host the 2024 Olympics and excited to see where my legs are at,” said Olympic Champion Kelsey Mitchell. “I have never been a World Champion, so that is definitely something I am looking to achieve as well as trying to lead the younger squad we have going to worlds this year. Crazy to think that at my first Worlds in 2020, we only had 3 sprinters there, this time we will have 8. It’s great, the program continues to grow and be competitive on the international stage. Should be a great competition.”

On the men’s endurance side, the team will be comprised of 6 athletes, with 5 racing at their first Elite World Championships including Carson Mattern who has had a spectacular track season so far winning two rainbow jerseys at the Junior Track World Championships in Israel.  He’ll be joined in the Team Pursuit by Evan Burtnik, Chris Ernst, Mathias Guillemette and Sean Richardson. Mattern will then go on to race in the Individual Pursuit alongside Ernst. 2021 Junior Track World Champion Dylan Bibic is slated to compete in the Elimination, Omnium and Scratch race, as well as the Madison, alongside Guillemette who will also contend in the Points race.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to gain some experience at the highest level there is in track cycling,” said Mattern. “It’s been great to learn from the Elite squad over the past month and I look forward to continuing to grow as a rider in the programme.”

Coming off her first Commonwealth Games where she won a bronze in the women’s Scratch race, Maggie Coles-Lyster is looking for another international podium finish as she makes her second appearance at Track World Championships. She will have a full schedule and is set to race in the Team Pursuit, Omnium, Points Race and Scratch race. Joining her are Erin Atwell and Sarah van Dam who will be part of the quartet in the women’s Team Pursuit alongside Ruby West, who will make her inaugural World Championships team. Coles-Lyster and van Dam will team up in the Madison, with van Dam also competing in the Elimination. West and van Dam will contend in Individual pursuit.

The event will be livestreamed on Flobikes and full results will be available here throughout the five days of competition.

Women’s Endurance
Erin Atwell (Team Pursuit) – Victoria, BC
Maggie Coles-Lyster (Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium, Points Race, Scratch Race) – Maple Ridge, BC
Sarah Van Dam (Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit, Madison, Elimination) – Victoria, BC
Ruby West (Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit) – Dundas, ON

Women’s Sprint
Jackie Boyle (Keirin) – Oakville, ON
Lauriane Genest (Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin) – Levis, QC
Kelsey Mitchell (Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin, Time Trial) – Sherwood Park, AB
Sarah Orban (Team Sprint, Sprint, Time Trial)  –Calgary, AB

Men’s Endurance
Dylan Bibic (Team Pursuit, Madison, Elimination, Omnium, Scratch Race) – Mississauga, ON
Evan Burtnik (Team Pursuit) – Edmonton, AB
Chris Ernst (Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit) – Kitchener, ON
Mathias Guillemette (Team Pursuit, Madison, Points Race) – Trois-Rivières, QC
Carson Mattern (Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit) – Ancaster, ON
Sean Richardson (Team Pursuit) – Vancouver, BC

Men’s Sprint
Ryan Dodyk (Team Sprint, Sprint, Time Trial) – Sherwood Park, AB
James Hedgcock (Keirin, TimeTrial) – Ancaster, ON
Tyler Rorke (Team Sprint) – Baden, ON
Nick Wammes (Team Sprint, Sprint) – Bothwell, ON

CYCLING CANADA UNVEILS 2023 NATIONAL CALENDAR

Updated: May 25, 2023
Ottawa, ON (October 6, 2022)
– Cycling Canada is pleased to announce an extensive 2023 national calendar, highlighting the return of some exciting events across the country.

“Following a thrilling 2022 season, we are incredibly pleased to announce another full calendar of national and international events for 2023,” said Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager, Jolène Dupuis. “With the continued support and enthusiasm from devoted organizers and our provincial partners, we are able to provide ample opportunities to showcase the talent from our Canadian athletes on home-soil throughout our calendar of events. We look forward to seeing the cycling community come together for more great racing in the upcoming season.”

The 2023 season will officially begin on the track with the Elite & Masters Canadian Championships in Milton, ON on January 6-8. The U17, Junior and Para Canadian Championships will be the first national competition held in the newly opened Vélodrome Sylvan Adams – Centre Multisports Desjardins in Bromont, QC on March 31-April 2. Meanwhile, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, ON will be gearing up to host the final round of the UCI TISSOT Track Nations Cup series on April 20-23.

The Canada Cup XCO mountain bike calendar will start on May 26-28 in Baie-St-Paul, QC. The series will continue with stops across the country from Ontario to Alberta and British Columbia, back to Quebec before making its way to the East coast. Riders will return to Dieppe, NB the weekend leading into the 2023 Canadian Championships in Kentville, NS before the Canada Cup XCO final in St. Félicien, QC. Following the increase in XCC racing on our 2022 calendar, UCI Short Track stops have been added to four rounds of the Canada Cup series in addition to the Canadian Championships. All Junior events within the XCO series will be sanctioned at a minimum level of UCI C2 including four stops on the UCI Junior Series.

Meanwhile, the Canada Cup DHI series will start and end in July, starting with SilverStar, BC on July 8-9. The 2023 Canadian Downhill MTB Championships will kick off the Dunbar Summer Series in Fernie, BC on July 15-16 before its Canada Cup stops in Panorama and Golden. The final round will once again award our overall series winner in Whistler, BC during the Crankworx Festival.

Back on the calendar after a 3-season hiatus is the 2023 Canadian Marathon MTB Championships which will take place in Whitehorse, YK for the first time ever on September 1-3. Last but not least, Mont Sainte-Anne, QC will host the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series on October 6-8 to finish off the mountain bike calendar.

Road racing for elite men starts June 14-18 with the return of the Tour de Beauce for its first time since 2019 before the calendar heads West. For a second time in Edmonton, AB, the 2023 Canadian Road Championships for Elites, Juniors and Para-athletes will take place June 23-26 before the BC Superweek takes over July 9.

Meanwhile, the UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifying event, Classique des Appalaches, held in conjunction with the Canadian Masters Road Championships in Victoriaville, QC will take place June 30-July 2. The remainder of the domestic road calendar will be held in Quebec, with the return of the Tour de l’Abitibi July 11-16 and the Tour de l’avenir MaKadence August 2-6. The road season will end on a high with the UCI WorldTour in Quebec and Montreal for the pro men on September 8 and 10, while the pro women gear up for the Chrono Féminin and Tour de Gatineau September 16-17.

The BMX Racing calendar will start with back-to-back weekends featuring the Canadian Championships and first round of the Canada Cup series returning to Drummondville, QC on July 1-2, followed by St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC July 8-9. The series then makes its way back for a second time to Warman, SK on August 19-20 before the domestic BMX Racing season ends in Calgary, AB for the final round of the Canada Cup series on August 26-27. Another exciting return to the calendar in 2023 will be the Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships held at Joyride150 in Markham, ON on November 10.

The para-cycling calendar will begin in Bromont, QC March 31-Apr 2 for the Canadian Track Championships and will conclude with the Canadian Championships in Edmonton, AB on June 23-26.

Noticeably absent from the current calendar are the remaining events in the cyclo-cross discipline. Cycling Canada is currently working with organizers towards an event application. Following review of all relevant applications, Cycling Canada will publish a release with complete event details in late 2022. The full events calendar will be available on the Cycling Canada website at the end of the season in late November.

FIVE NEW MEMBERS TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE CANADIAN CYCLING HALL OF FAME

Ottawa, Ontario (October 5, 2022) – Five new members will be inducted into the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame on October 29th in Ottawa, ON, as part of Cycling Canada’s Annual Conference. Tara Whitten, Patrice Bonneau, Ron Hayman, and Archie McEachern will be inducted as athletes, while Tour de l’Abitibi will be recognized for their tremendous achievements as builders.

The Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame was created in 2015 to recognize outstanding achievement and contribution to the sport of cycling by both athletes and builders. With this induction, the Hall of Fame will count Thirty-two members, including twenty-six athletes and six builders.

No stranger to high performance competition, Tara Whitten is a dual Olympian and Olympic medallist, having competed for 13 years in cross-country skiing before switching over to track and road cycling. By 2009, Whitten had already become an elite rider and won silver at the Track World Championships. She quickly made a name for herself, becoming World Champion in both the Omnium (2010 & 2011) and Points Race (2010). She won four medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games (one gold & three bronze) in both track and road, and was named Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer. Whitten made her Olympic debut at London 2012, where she won bronze as a member of the Team Pursuit squad.

At an early age, Patrice Bonneau was involved in para-sport, after having his right foot amputated at the age of three. In 1987, he bought his first racing bike, with sights set on the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. Bonneau won his first international race qualifying him for the Barcelona Games where he went on to win a gold medal. In 1994, he won gold in the road race at the World Championships on Belgium and distinguished himself on the track, setting a world record in the 1000m time trial. Bonneau ended his cycling career in 1997 after the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, where he won his second Paralympic medal, a bronze in the road race.

As one of the first Canadian cyclists to turn professional in the late 1970’s, Ron Hayman inspired future Canadian cyclists that followed. Hayman made his Olympic debut in Munich at the 1972 Olympics in the Individual Pursuit, followed by participating at the 1976 Olympics in the Team Pursuit. He raced as a professional from 1979 through to 1988, best known for his time with the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. Hayman has many career highlights, winning three straight Gastown Grand Prix races, four stage wins in the Coors Classic, and winning the 1979 Tour of Ireland.

Archie McEachern (1873-1902) was a Canadian track cyclist and in 1900 became world champion in the 25-mile Championship race in Boston. He won many races in Toronto before seeking greater glory in Philadelphia in 1899. In 1902, he broke the world indoor bicycle record for 5 miles behind a motor-paced vehicle. While training at the Atlantic City, NJ, velodrome, prior to its official opening, McEachern was injured when the bike’s drive chain broke and he died shortly thereafter.

The Tour de l’Abitibi was created in 1969 and is now an international cycling race, welcoming 150 riders annually for an intense stage race competition. This is the sole UCI Junior Nations Cup in the Americas, and attracts riders and teams from around the world. Many renowned cyclists, including Hall of Fame member Steve Bauer, participated in the Tour de ‘Abitibi before they launched their professional careers.

Tickets for the 2022 Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame Event can be purchased here. Proceeds from all ticket sales will go towards supporting the National Capital Region Cycling Bursary.

LINK MY RIDE BECOMES OFFICIAL CYCLING APP FOR CYCLING CANADA

4 October 2022, London, UK – Link My Ride, the pre-ride organisational platform which allows cyclists to explore, plan and create group rides, has launched an official partnership with Cycling Canada as the governing body’s Official Cycling App. Link My Ride is free for cyclists to use and has a subscription platform tailored for clubs. Having launched just this month, the simple and easy to use smartphone app allows riders to connect and cycle with others.

Link My Ride also features a tailored Club Portal which facilitates the management of members and club rides whilst removing the administrative burden of running a club.

Jacques Sauvagnargues and Tom Pidcock, former teammates and professional riders, were at the heart of the business to create an app for cyclists, by cyclists. The two developed the idea as a way to increase cycling participation globally and to simplify the way that group rides are organised.

“Our partnership with Cycling Canada will help us to quickly continue populating the app with riders globally, adding to the user experience as the more cyclists there are using Link My Ride, the better the experience is for all,” explained Link My Ride co-founder Jacques Sauvagnargues. “Following our official launch this month we’re excited to be extending our reach globally and working with Cycling Canada to provide a new and exciting way to meet and interact with other cyclists across the country.”

“Community is at the center of Cycling Canada’s strategic plan, and we are confident that our partnership with Link My Ride will help us to grow and diversify our community while supporting the amazing work done by our clubs and provincial partners,” explained Mathieu Boucher, Chief Development Officer at Cycling Canada. “This partnership aligns with our efforts to support and service members beyond the racing community. Along with our provincial partners, one of our goals is to promote cycling to the broader cycling community by offering enhanced member benefits, opportunities, and supports.”

The Link My Ride app works by highlighting other riders on the local map and showing rides and clubs nearby or in the defined area. When using the app you can follow other cyclists to see their activity and rides, discover and join local clubs, see activity in your area via an interactive map, engage with others and also upload your own routes to create group rides. Additionally, the smartphone app provides a number of security features including privacy controls and location masking. Amongst many unique features, it also provides the user with a calendar to keep a log of all upcoming planned rides.

Currently, only the English language version of the app is supported. French language capabilities will be available by the end of October.

As part of this partnership, affiliated Canadian cycling clubs will receive access to an exclusive discount code for their first year of subscription. Please contact linkmyride@cyclingcanada.ca for more details on how to access this opportunity.

The Link My Ride App can be downloaded from the Apple Store here or from Google Play on Android. Find out more about Link My Ride here.

About Link My Ride
Link My Ride is a pre-ride organisational platform for all cyclists, launched in 2022 by current and former professional cyclists Tom Pidcock and Jacques Sauvagnargues, that allows users to explore, plan and create group rides. Utilising an App as well as a website interface, Link My Ride serves to act as the only tool cyclists need to connect with riders, clubs and cycling hubs, at the touch of a button. Link My Ride features a bespoke club portal for managing memberships as well as rides – transferring club logistics from the usual WhatsApp and Facebook groups to a tailored model design by club riders, for club riders. 

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE FOR SIMONE BOILARD AS CANADA WRAPS UP COMPETITION AT ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wollongong, Australia (September 26, 2022) – It was a breakthrough performance for Simone Boilard who had the best finish by a Canadian during the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia. The U23 rider was just shy of a podium finish to ride into fourth spot in her category, while finishing 22nd overall with the Elite women after 164.2-kilometres of racing.

“It was a hard race,” said Boilard. “I wanted more; I would’ve loved a podium for U23 but I think I gave everything. The girls were amazing, we worked together really well. I’m proud of the ride; I’m proud of how we raced at the end. I was a little short for a better result, but I really did give everything I had, so I’m happy with the ride.”

Looking to better her stellar performance during the 2021 World Championships where she came in sixth in the women’s Road Race, Alison Jackson sought to move up the ranks in Australia, but would come in 18th in the women’s Elite category. Jackson would then watch her Olympic teammate, Leah Kirchmann cross the line in the Canadian jersey one last time after announcing her retirement earlier in the season to finish 46th in the event.

“I’m really happy with how the race went for the team today,” explains Kirchmann reflecting on her final race with Team Canada. “I think we came in with a great plan and think we really rode well together and supported each other well until the end. Overall, my goal was to enjoy my last race with the team here, and I definitely wanted to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy that there were so many people out there cheering us on. There was even a rainbow after the rain storm which felt appropriate to wrap up the Championships with a nice final race.”

Earlier in the week, athletes took on the Individual Time Trial where Canada saw four top-25 finishes of the 20-athlete contingent including Kirchmann, Derek Gee (Elite), Penelope Primeau (Junior) and Tristan Jussaume (U23).

After a full week of racing down under, athletes will now head back to their respective teams. Results from both the Individual Time Trial and Road Races can be found on the UCI website.