News – Page 28 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CANADIAN ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO ALBERTA FOR FIRST TIME IN TWELVE YEARS

Ottawa, ON (June 17, 2022) – The Canadian Road Championships for Junior, Elite and Para athletes are returning to Edmonton, Alberta from June 23-27, where over 300 athletes from all over the country will be looking to secure Canadian titles in the Time Trial, Road Race and Criterium over four days of racing.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Canadian Road Championships back to Western Canada. Last held in 2010, we know that Edmonton will deliver some challenging and exciting courses for our athletes which will no doubt put the spotlight on some great performances,” said Jolène Dupuis, Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager. “The organizers are encouraging the larger cycling community to participate by including an Urban Gran Fondo during the Championship weekend that is open to riders of all ages. Creating opportunities like this for the community is a great example of what Cycling Canada is working to promote and achieve through its events.”

The Championships will begin on Thursday, June 23, with the Individual Time Trial for all categories, which will be held in Beaumont on the outskirts of Edmonton, over distances ranging from 12.86 to 48 kilometres.

Saturday and Sunday will see the Road Race titles awarded, where riders will be completing a 14.4-kilometer loop around the city of Edmonton, with the race starting and finishing in front of the Alberta Legislature Building. Eight different para-cycling categories will kick off the competitions on Saturday, completing between 28.8 and 72 kilometers, followed by Junior women (73 km) and men (116.8 km) in the afternoon. On Sunday, the U23 and Elite fields will compete together, with the women racing 116.8 kilometers, while the men will tackle 11 loops of the course for a total of 160.6 kilometers.

The event will conclude on Monday with the fast-paced Criterium races for Junior, U23 and Elite athletes, taking place in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona district with an exciting Whyte Avenue finish. Junior athletes will be competing for 30 to 45 minutes in the early afternoon, while Elite races will be held in the evening for a total of one hour each.

All age groups are expected to be highly competitive, with prominent athletes such as double 2021 national champion Alison Jackson (Liv Racing-Xstra), 2021 U23 champion Ruby West (Jukebox Cycling) and Olympians Derek Gee (Israel Cycling Academy), Michael Foley (X-Speed United) and Ariane Bonhomme set to compete. With the men’s title up for grabs, Human Powered Health’s Pier-André Côté should be a strong contender, as well as 2017 Canadian champion Matteo Dal-Cin (Toronto Hustle) and Benjamin Perry (WiV SunGod). Select U23 riders might mix up the cards as well, including 2021 Canadian champion Carson Miles (Premier Tech U23 Cycling Project) and recent Giro Giovani stage winner Riley Pickrell (Israel Cycling Academy), to name only a few.

The women’s competitions are expected to be as fierce as Jackson will be looking to defend her titles against athletes such as Marie-Soleil Blais (Team Farto – BTC), Pan American Games medallist Maggie Coles-Lyster (DNA Pro Cycling) and former Junior national champion Simone Boilard (St Michel – Auber93 WE). On the para-cycling side, Paralympians Marie-Ève Croteau, Charles Moreau, Joey Desjardins, Marie-Claude Molnar, Keely Shaw and Shelley Gautier will be onsite and looking to add 2022 Canadian champion to their long list of accomplishments.

Full event information can be found here, while results will be uploaded here during the week.

June 17, 2022/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA AND GRUPPO ANNOUNCE THEIR PARTNERSHIP

Ottawa, ON (May 26, 2022) – Gruppo Nutrition – formerly Infinit Nutrition Canada – and Cycling Canada – one of Canada’s oldest National Sport Organizations – have announced a 12-month strategic and sponsorship agreement to provide premium cycling-specific sports nutrition to Cycling Canada and its national membership via the association’s provincial and territorial partners across the country. Over the past 15 years the Gruppo Nutrition team has fueled cyclists at the highest level of the sport; the new partnership offers an opportunity to reach a broader array of athletes as the newly re-branded company recommits to Canada’s cycling community while expanding their global footprint.

“This year will be a ‘breaking away’ moment for Gruppo,” said Gruppo Nutrition President and CEO, Darcy Haggith. “In the past, much of our work has been concentrated on research projects and working with elite, competition-level athletes. We’re now in a position to make that same knowledge set, pro-grade nutrition, and their benefits accessible to the cycling community at large. Cycling Canada – with their focus on inclusion across all competitive disciplines and recreational cycling – is the perfect partner at this moment for our company.”

The partnership will allow Cycling Canada members the opportunity to engage Gruppo for personalized nutrition guidance, attend virtual Gruppo-sponsored nutrition classes, and purchase core Gruppo nutrition products at member-only pricing. Additionally, Gruppo will be on site at many Cycling Canada camps and events throughout the year in an effort to connect with athletes and community members on a one-on-one level.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Matthew Jeffries, CEO of Cycling Canada. “Darcy and the Gruppo team have truly earned their place as a trusted resource for so many of our national athletes through their work with the Canadian Sport Institute. With Gruppo as an ‘Official Nutrition Supplier’ we know we’ll be providing yet another benefit to our community that can directly influence their performance and enjoyment of this sport.”

Both organizations will celebrate the new partnership with outreach to their respective audiences via social channels, newsletters, and in-person at the Canadian XCO Mountain Bike Championships in Oro Station, ON and Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships in Langford, BC

May 26, 2022/by Communications

MY FIRST BICYCLE FOUNDATION AND B.I.CYCLE PARTNER WITH CYCLING CANADA’S HOPON PROGRAM

Ottawa, ON (May 25, 2022) – Cycling Canada is thrilled to be partnering with the My First Bicycle Foundation and B.I.CYCLE through its HopOn national grassroots program to provide Canadians of all backgrounds with access to cycling. These new community partners will support the delivery of the HopOn program and reduce barriers to entry for children across the country, making the sport more accessible to young Canadians.

The My First Bicycle Foundation, which helps financially disadvantaged kids obtain their first bicycle, helmet and lock, will be providing bicycles to those who qualify through the My First Bicycle online application process. This year, the Foundation is planning on giving away 700 bikes to children from coast-to-coast.

“My First Bicycle is very excited to partner with Cycling Canada and its HopOn program”, said Todd McCallum, Director of My First Bicycle. “This is a natural fit as the national grassroots program is aiming to make cycling more accessible to all kids across Canada. Together we have an incredible opportunity to get more kids on bikes and that’s our ultimate goal.”

Cycling Canada will also aim to provide greater opportunities for historically disadvantaged Black and Indigenous individuals and communities through its work with B.I.CYCLE by assisting with fundraising initiatives, providing financial support for instructors and offering sponsored activities at no cost to eligible Black and Indigenous organizations and communities.

Modeled after Cycling BC’s existing iRide program, the HopOn national grassroots program provides access to cycling at the community level, as well as through in-school programming. Through a games-based cycling education, the program teaches school-aged kids across Canada the joy of cycling safely. For more information about the program, visit http://hoponcanada.ca/.

May 25, 2022/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA TO HOST ADVANCEMENT CAMPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Ottawa, ON (May 24, 2022) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that it will be hosting 13 Advancement Camps across Canada from June to November 2022. The camps will cater to athletes competing in Mountain Bike, Downhill, Track, Road, Para-cycling, Cyclo-cross and BMX and will target mainly U17 and U19 provincial and club-level riders, talent transfers and other athletes with the desire to reach the National Team in the short to medium term.

With camps being held in conjunction with existing events on the National calendar, the main purpose will be to foster an environment where athletes, coaches and the cycling community share and exchange knowledge of the sport. On top of skill development workshops and discussions, Advancement Camps will incorporate a short presentation and Wheel Side Chat with a Gracious Champion about their own experience with success, failure and resilience.

“Advancement Camps will be a great way to raise athletes’ awareness through standards and expectations of what is possible for their next level of development,” said Tanya Dubnicoff, Advancement Camp Coach at Cycling Canada. “Together, National Team coaches, provincial coaches and club coaches can help foster an environment of next-level education where athletes are exposed to tools and skills outside their normal environment. Our goal is ultimately to introduce the values, skills, behaviours and tools needed to integrate the National Team in the near future.”

For a complete list of upcoming Advancement Camps, please click here. Individuals interested in registering for a camp can do so here for a $20 fee, which does not include travel, accommodation and meal costs.

May 24, 2022/by Communications

CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM SETS BIG TARGETS FOR THE 2022 BMX SEASON

Ottawa, ON (May 19, 2022) – Following a successful 2021 BMX Racing season that saw Drew Mechielsen qualify for the final at the Olympic Games, Molly Simpson win her first Elite World Cup medal and Teigen Pascual finish second at the UCI BMX World Championships, the National Team is setting bigger and bolder objectives for the coming year.

For the first time ever, athletes will be able to compete in the new UCI Under-23 category which will be pivotal for the development of Canada’s young National Team. Both Simpson and Pascual will be strong contenders on the women’s side, while Elite Canadian champion Ryan Tougas and former Junior national champion Curtis Krey will be on the athlete watch list in the men’s competitions. Tokyo 2020 Olympian James Palmer will also be representing the maple leaf in the Elite field, where he is targeting his best results yet.

“We’ve had lots of great training at the track in Abbotsford over the winter,” said National Team Coach Adam Muys. “We have a great group of athletes who are highly motivated and improving every day and we’re excited to have integrated seven new Junior and U23 athletes into our daily training environment. Our biggest goal this year is for our National Team athletes to be competitive at the World Cup level and to win medals, while also giving our development athletes invaluable international racing experience.”

The season will encompass a total of eight World Cups, with each country hosting between two and four rounds. Racing kicks off in Glasgow, Great Britain, in late May before moving on to Papendal, The Netherlands, and concluding in Bogota, Colombia in the fall. The team will also be competing at the UCI BMX World Championships in Nantes, France, in July, as well as various domestic competitions throughout the summer. The full calendar of events can be found here.

May 19, 2022/by Communications

OLYMPIC CHAMPION KELSEY MITCHELL WINS CAREER-FIRST KEIRIN RACE

Milton, ON (May 15, 2022) – Kelsey Mitchell continued to shine on the fourth and final day of the Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, this time claiming gold in the Keirin for the first time in her career while teammate and Olympic Keirin bronze medallist Lauriane Genest had a minor crash that prevented her from finishing the race.

The two sprinters, who won bronze in the Team Sprint earlier this week, finished in the top-3 in rounds 1 and 2 to qualify for the gold medal final. Mitchell took off with two laps to go, taking a solid advance on the stacked field of riders. In the final lap, Lauriane Genest got caught in a crash with Steffie van der Peet of the Netherlands and Yuka Kobashi of Japan, all three riders losing their shot at the podium. Mitchell went on to win the sprint and took home the gold medal ahead of Mina Sato of Japan, while World Champion Lea Sophie Friedrich of Germany was relegated.

“I’m really happy with what I did – I like going to the front because it’s safer up there and usually my legs will hold on,” said Mitchell. “I wanted to go in there and do my best, and that’s what I did. I was happy to make it through qualifying and not have to do a repechage. It was a close one in the semis, I barely got through but qualified for the final and left it all out there. It’s so nice to be on your home track, I train here almost every single day and then looking up and seeing my friends and family was very special.”

In the Sprint event, Olympian Nick Wammes and Ryan Dodyk both clocked fast times in the qualifying race, finishing with the 6^th and 7^th best times respectively and Dodyk setting a personal best clocking in at 9.717 seconds. The two Canadians went on to win their 1/16 final heats before being stopped in the 1/8 finals.

After four days of racing, Canada concludes the event with a total of three medals – bronze in the Team Sprint (Kelsey Mitchell, Lauriane Genest, Sarah Orban, Jackie Boyle), silver in the Sprint (Kelsey Mitchell) and gold in the Keirin (Kelsey Mitchell).

The National Team will now head to Cali, Colombia from July 7-10 for the third and final Track Nations Cup of the season, before tackling the Commonwealth Games later this summer and the UCI Track World Championships in late October.

May 15, 2022/by Communications

PERSONAL BESTS FOR CANADA ON DAY 3 OF MILTON TRACK NATIONS CUP

Milton, ON (May 14, 2022) – Canada had a strong showing on the third day of the Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, with athletes setting several personal best times and achieving career-best results. Ngaire Barraclough was Canada’s top finisher of the day, placing 5^th in the Omnium against a stacked field of international riders.

Barraclough, who finished 4^th in the Team Pursuit earlier this week, kicked off the event by winning the Scratch Race after gaining a lap on the field. She remained competitive throughout the Tempo and Elimination races and headed into the Points Race ranked 5^th. The 19-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta, battled it out in the final race and managed to secure 5^th place, earning her best international result.

“It was a good night overall,” said Barraclough. “It’s my second Omnium at a Nations Cup; I crashed out of the first one I did, so this was a massive improvement. The Scratch Race was a surprise for me, it’s not something I’m generally strong in but I saw the opportunity and I just went for it. The crowd was awesome so that was pretty exciting. The rest of the night was okay – I was pretty consistent, I just kept going and had a really good time.”

In the Individual Pursuit, Chris Ernst and Mathias Guillemette both crushed their previous personal bests by several seconds, placing 8^th and 10^th respectively in the 4000-meter race. On the sprint side, newcomer Ryan Dodyk, qualified first in Round 1 of the Keirin and finished the day in 9^th place.

Tomorrow will mark the final day of racing, where Team Canada will be competing in the women’s Keirin and Madison, as well as the men’s Sprint and Omnium events. Fans across Canada can follow the evening competitions via CBC Sports.

May 15, 2022/by Communications

BACK-TO-BACK PODIUMS FOR KELSEY MITCHELL AT THE MILTON TRACK NATIONS CUP

Milton, ON (May 14, 2022) – After claiming bronze in the Team Sprint on the first day of the Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, Olympic medallists, Kelsey Mitchell and Lauriane Genest, continued to impress on Friday by placing second and fourth in the Sprint final. Mathias Guillemette also surprised the field during the Elimination Race, narrowly missing a spot on the podium in the final sprint to finish in 4^th.

Mitchell and Genest both kicked off the day by qualifying with the first and third fastest times respectively before breezing through the 1/8 finals and putting in three solid rides to make it past the quarterfinals. Mitchell went on to qualify for the gold medal final, where she faced her fiercest opponent, Emma Hinze of Germany. Mitchell was strong but Hinze proved to be stronger, with the German winning gold and Canada claiming a silver medal, while Genest finished 4^th in the bronze medal final against Martha Bayona Pineda of Colombia.

“I had some confidence going into the final round, but Hinze is a great rider, her tactics are quite strong, she can carry that speed to the line, and I just came up short,” said Mitchell. “I learn more from losing than I do from winning and dominating each round, so it’s great that I raced against her. It just motivates you that much more when it’s that close, knowing that you can beat that person so I think the races will continue to be close and hopefully I’ll take some wins.”

Canadians also competed in the Scratch and Elimination Races, where Mathias Guillemette finished with a career-best 4^th, while Sarah Van Dam placed 6^th. In the Individual Pursuit, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Ariane Bonhomme and Adèle Desgagnés placed 6^th and 7^th respectively.

“The plan was to get at the front, ride at the front for as long as I could and not save any energy for the rest,” said Guillemette. “I think it worked perfectly; unfortunately, I ran out of legs at the end but we know what to work on for next time.”

Tomorrow, Team Canada will be competing in the women’s 500m Time Trial and Omnium, as well as the men’s Individual Pursuit, Keirin and Madison. Tickets are still available to experience the event live at Milton’s Mattamy National Cycling Centre and fans across Canada can follow the evening competitions via CBC Sports.

May 14, 2022/by Communications

CANADA CLAIMS BRONZE IN THE WOMEN’S TEAM SPRINT ON FIRST DAY OF MILTON TRACK NATIONS CUP

Milton, ON (May 12, 2022) – Canadian athletes set the stage for a great weekend of racing on the first day of the Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, with the team winning bronze in the women’s Team Sprint and placing 4^th and 5^th respectively in the women’s and men’s Team Pursuit competitions.

The Team Sprint squad comprised of Olympic Sprint gold medallist Kelsey Mitchell, Keirin Olympic bronze medallist Lauriane Genest, Sarah Orban and Jackie Boyle kicked off the evening session by setting the third fastest time, before going on to win their heat against Poland to qualify for the bronze medal final against Great Britain. The Canadian squad proved to be stronger than their opponents in the final heat of the day, taking home Canada’s first medal of the event.

“We’re happy to walk away with a bronze, especially in front of a home crowd,” said Mitchell. “We heard them cheering every time we went up there and it definitely helped give us the legs that we needed. We all gave it our best and it’s awesome to see that there’s four of us that are strong and competing for spots on the team. It’s amazing to watch the program grow and the depth that we have really is phenomenal.”

Canada Women’s Team Sprint finished third to claim the bronze medal
Photo credit: Ivan Rupes

On the endurance side, the women’s Team Pursuit squad of Ariane Bonhomme, Devaney Collier, Ngaire Barraclough and Sarah Van Dam finished 4^th in the bronze medal final against the United States after qualifying first earlier in the day with a time of 4:22.325. The men’s development squad comprised of Olympian Michael Foley, Evan Burtnik, Sean Richardson, Jackson Kinniburgh and Junior World Champion Dylan Bibic delivered a personal best ride and were only one second away from qualifying for the bronze medal final, ultimately placing 5^th.

Tomorrow, female athletes will be tackling the Sprint, Scratch Race, Individual Pursuit and Elimination Race, while the men will be competing in the Kilo, Scratch Race and Elimination Race. Tickets are still available for all sessions at Milton’s Mattamy National Cycling Centre and fans at home can follow the evening competitions via CBC Sports.

May 13, 2022/by Communications

NATIONAL TEAM LOOKING FOR NEW TALENTS FOR 2022 PARA-CYCLING RACE CALENDAR

Ottawa, ON (April 28, 2022) – Following a highly successful year that saw three Canadian para-cyclists achieve medal performances at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, National Team athletes are gearing up for an exciting road season which kicks off this weekend with the Challenge Gary Longhi in Montreal, Quebec. The team will then head to Europe for the first two UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cups of the season.

This season will mark the first complete para-cycling race schedule since 2019, with upcoming National Team projects focusing on evaluating current riders and assessing where the team stacks against other nations. Athletes competing in Belgium and Germany include Paralympic bronze medallist Keely Shaw, current World Champions Shelley Gautier and Marie-Claude Molnar, as well as Paralympians Joey Desjardins and Alex Hyndman.

Shelley Gautier won her 17th world title at the 2021 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships

The focus will then shift to development as riders return home for the third UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Quebec City in early August, followed by the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, one week later. These events will serve as important classification opportunities for new talent and will give development athletes the chance to race at the international level, all while being supported by family, friends and local fans.

“We are always looking for new talents to join the National team,” said National Team Coach, Sébastien Travers. “This year, we’re working on offering as many advancement camp opportunities as possible across Canada for individuals interested in giving the sport a try. This is an exciting time to join the squad as we are looking to build towards the Paris 2024 Games.”

Following the end of the road season, select athletes will return to the track as they prepare for the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France in late October. 2020 World Champion, Kate O’Brien, will look to defend her world title in the women’s C4 500m race, while Shaw will be aiming for another medal in the Individual Pursuit. The Championships will be held at the same velodrome that is set to play host to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, giving athletes and staff the opportunity to be familiarized with the track and test out protocols ahead of the event.

Cycling Canada is continually looking for new athletes to join the National Team program. If you or someone you know is interested in trying out the sport, please contact Advancement Camp Coach Guillaume Plourde.

April 28, 2022/by Communications