News – Page 81 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA SENDS A STRONG SQUAD TO TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON, February 21, 2018 – A team of 14 athletes will represent Canada at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, on February 28th to March 4th. The team will include seven women and seven men, who will compete in both Endurance and Sprint events.

“This Track Worlds should be interesting, as we are coming in with some new coaches heading both the men’s track endurance program and the sprint program,” said Jacques Landry, Chief Technical Officer and Head Coach at Cycling Canada. “The changes that have been made to these programs in recent months should yield some good performances.”

The Canadian women’s endurance team has been consistently ranked among the best in the world over the past two Olympic cycles, and the six riders who will represent Canada in Apeldoorn promise to continue that tradition. The team is led by two Olympic bronze medalists; Allison Beveridge of Calgary and Jasmin Duehring of Vancouver. In addition to the Team Pursuit, riders will compete in a number of other events, including the Madison, Points Race and Omnium. Individual assignments will be decided closer to the event.

“Cycling Canada is continuing its strategy of investing in new talent with its women’s track endurance line up for the 2018 Track World Championships,” said Craig Griffin, Women’s Track Endurance Coach. “We have a balanced mix of youth and experience that has the potential to win a couple of medals in Apeldoorn. They’ve all been 100% committed to the training process these last few months and are tracking well, so I’m quite optimistic.”

The men’s track endurance squad, while not as accomplished as the women’s, has shown remarkable growth over the past two seasons, including a World Cup victory. All five athletes are selected for the Team Pursuit, with Derek Gee of Ottawa and Jay Lamoureux of Victoria also competing in the Individual Pursuit.

The Sprint program, despite losing athletes to retirement and injury over the past season, has qualified three riders for the world championships, all of whom have stood on the podium at international events. Amelia Walsh of Ayr, Ontario, is the lone woman to qualify for Canada and will compete in the Sprint. Hugo Barrette of Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, a World Cup silver medalist, will compete in the men’s Sprint and Keirin, while Stefan Ritter of Edmonton will compete in the Sprint and the 1000 metre Time Trial. Ritter is a former Junior world champion in the 1000m, and the current Junior world record holder for that event.

“Final preparations for the world championships are well underway, and the sprinters are in great shape and more determined than ever,” said Franck Durivaux, who joined Cycling Canada as the national sprint coach last fall. “We still have certain details to work on, but I trust that they will give their very best during this competition. This will be my first Worlds representing Canada and I couldn’t be more proud.”

“With these Worlds being more than two years out from the Tokyo Games, and not counting for qualification for the Games, we are still using this opportunity to integrate newer riders into the lineups, in order to have these athletes gain more experience at the highest level,” explained Landry. “This holds true with Michael Foley coming into the fold on the men’s Team Pursuit side, as well as Ariane Bonhomme and Kinley Gibson for the women’s Team Pursuit. All have already raced World Cups, but Worlds is another step up from previous experiences.”

Women’s Endurance (events to be confirmed)
Allison Beveridge – Calgary, Alberta
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, Quebec
Jasmin Duehring – Vancouver, BC
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, Ontario
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton, Alberta
Steph Roorda – Vancouver, BC

Men’s Endurance
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit]
Michael Foley – Milton, Ontario [Team Pursuit]
Derek Gee – Ottawa, Ontario [Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit]
Adam Jamieson – Barrie, Ontario [Team Pursuit]
Jay Lamoureux – Victoria, BC [Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit]

Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec [Sprint, Keirin]
Stefan Ritter – Edmonton, Alberta [Sprint, 1000m TT])
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, Ontario [Sprint]

February 21, 2018/by Communications

LAURIANE GENEST ADDED TO COMMONWEALTH GAMES CYCLING TEAM

Ottawa, ON, February 16, 2018 – Cycling Canada and Commonwealth Games Canada are announcing the substitution of one athlete on the team that will represent Canada for the track cycling sprint events at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, this April.

For personal reasons, Tegan Cochrane of Kelowna, BC, has declined her nomination and will be replaced by Lauriane Genest of Levis, Quebec. Genest will join Amelia Walsh of Ayr, Ontario, for the three women’s sprint events – Team Sprint, Keirin and Sprint.

Kris Westwood, Team Leader for Cycling, said, “It is very exciting to see such a young athlete make it to the Games. Lauriane is only 19 and she has been part of our program for less than a year, but her progression to the international level has been remarkable. It’s a great sign for the future of track sprinting in Canada.”

February 16, 2018/by Communications

TRACK CYCLING WORLD CUP RETURNS TO MILTON IN OCTOBER

Milton, ON, February 13, 2018 – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup will be returning to Milton’s Mattamy National Cycling Centre for a second consecutive year from October 26-28, 2018. Cycling Canada was selected by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to host three rounds of the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup, culminating with the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in 2020.

The Track World Cup is the highest international level of track cycling competition and is a critical component of the qualification process for the Olympic Games and for the UCI World Championships. The Milton World Cup will be the second qualifying competition of the year and will feature 5 sessions of racing over three days.

“We are excited to work with the UCI and our multiple partners to build on last year’s success. Hosting the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup is a great opportunity for us to expose more people to the sport of cycling and we hope that the good performances of the Canadian National Team will inspire more people to get active and to get on a bike,” commented Pierre Lafontaine, CEO of Cycling Canada.

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre, built to host the track events at the 2015 Pan Am Games, is a Category 1 homologated velodrome, and one of only two velodromes in North America that meets the requirements to host World Cup-level competitions.

Mathieu Boucher, Performance Development Director at Cycling Canada, said “We had a great first edition in 2017 and we are working on making the experience even better for participants and spectators alike. We saw some great performances from the Canadian team last year and we are excited to see our athletes perform at home in this state-of-the-art facility once again.”

Event details and ticket information will be announced later this year. For more information about Cycling Canada events, visit cyclingcanada.ca.

February 13, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA TO HOST UCI PARA-CYCLING TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2020

Milton, ON, February 7, 2018 – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to host the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in 2020. Once again, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, will play host to the best athletes in the world, with over 30 countries expected to attend from January 30 to February 2, 2020.

This announcement comes after a very successful first edition of the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Milton, with two more legs returning to the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in 2018 and 2019. Despite having organized multiple international events over the years, this will be Canada’s first time hosting the UCI Para-Cycling Track Championships, which will be the last qualifying competition before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

“Milton is thrilled to host the UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in partnership with Cycling Canada,” said Milton Mayor Gord Krantz. “As the Home of Canadian Cycling, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre is proud to host high performance sport for all abilities.”

“The fact that Milton was allocated the Para-cycling Track World Championships is a testament to the trust the UCI has in our team’s ability to deliver a world-class event. Canada has been very involved in the development and promotion of para-cycling in the last years, and this event will help accomplish this. Canadian athletes have had incredible international performances in recent years and we are excited to be able to see them compete on home soil,” said Mathieu Boucher, Performance Development Director at Cycling Canada.

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre, built to host the track events at the 2015 Pan Am Games, is a Category 1 homologated velodrome, and one of only two velodromes in North America that meets the requirements to host high-level competitions.

Sébastien Travers, Head Coach for the Para-cycling program, said “Hosting the world championships is an incredible opportunity for our para-cycling program, because it means that more Canadian athletes will be able experience this level of international racing. Having a full squad will be a great asset for our team, as we strive to make as many points as possible to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympic Games later in the year. We are also hoping that this event will give our sport more exposure and help us recruit new athletes for the 2024 Games.”

For more information about Cycling Canada events, visit cyclingcanada.ca.

WHAT:            UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships
WHERE:         Mattamy National Cycling Centre Velodrome – Milton, ON
WHEN:            2020 Season – January 30^th to February 2^nd
MORE INFO: cyclingcanada.ca
http://www.uci.ch/para-cycling/

February 7, 2018/by Communications

VAN DEN HAM TOP CANADIAN AT CROSS WORLDS

Valkenburg, Netherlands, February 5, 2018 – The 2018 Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands, concluded on Sunday with the Under-23 and Elite Men competitions. Cyclo-cross powerhouse Belgium won both world titles, while the top Canadian result for the day was national Elite champion Michael van den Ham of Abbottsford, BC, in 34th place.

Facing some of the muddiest conditions ever seen, riders slipped and slid their way around a technical and physically demanding course. The course made it virtually impossible to avoid crashing, and riders struggled to limit their mistakes.

In the Under-23 men’s race, Canada’s lone entry, Nicholas Diniz of Oakville, Ontario, finished 45th with a time of one hour, one minute and 29 seconds, ten minutes and 18 seconds behind winner Eli Iserbyt of Belgium. In the marque Elite men’s race Canada had two entries, with van den Ham 34th and Mark (Hot Sauce) McConnell of Calgary, Alberta, in 51st.

Canadian Elite national champion van den Ham commented, “Of the five Worlds I’ve raced, this is by far the hardest course I’ve seen. More than racing the people out there, we were racing the course. Laps stretched to over ten minutes and massive segments of the course turned to running. I don’t think there was a single person out there who had a clean race. Rather, success was more about moving forward from mistakes and trying to minimize them as the race wore on. All in all, I’m happy with my race, the goal was a top-30 and I managed to be there for a while before falling back a few spots to 34th. A huge thank you the the cyclo-cross program and all the volunteers that made it happen. With the conditions being what they were, their roles were even more crucial to our success.”

February 5, 2018/by Communications

CANADIANS FINISH TOP-25 AT CYCLO-CROSS WORLDS

Valkenburg, Netherlands, February 4, 2018 – Canada had top-25 finishes in all three races on the first day of competition at the 2018 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships on Saturday, in Valkenburg, Netherlands. Canadian Junior Men’s champion Tyler Clark of King City, Ontario, had the top Canadian result of the day in 19th place.

Days of rain turned the circuit into a muddy mess, with almost every rider crashing at least once. Clark had a strong start in the Junior men’s race, the first one of the Championships. For the first half of the race he held onto a top-10 position, before fading slightly in the third of four laps. A crash in the final lap dropped him further back to finish 19th, two minutes and 24 seconds behind winner Ben Tulett of Great Britain. Connor Martin of Kelowna, BC, was 29th, Dylan Kerr of Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, was 43rd and Paul Mysko of Barrie, Ontario, was 62nd.

In the New Under-23 Women’s category, Canadian champion Ruby West of Dundas, Ontario, finished just outside the top-20, in 21st place, five minutes and 31 seconds behind winner Evie Richards of Great Britain. Right behind her was Magdeleine Vallieres of Sherbrooke, Quebec, with Siobhan Kelly of London, Ontario, finishing 40th.

The day concluded with the Elite Women’s competition. Maghalie Rochette of St-Jerome, Quebec, fifth at the world championships last year, had a strong top-10 start and maintained her position through the first lap and a half before falling back to eventually finish 22nd, four minutes and 27 seconds behind repeat winner Sanne Cant of Belgium. Canadian champion Christel Ferrier Bruneau of Granby, Quebec, was 29th and Mical Dyck of Cumberland, BC, was 31st.

“What a race it was,” said Rochette. “I had a great start and things were looking good. I knew I was ready, fit and excited. I did a mistake early on and lost a few spots and after that, I think I was maybe trying too much. I was riding poorly and making many many mistakes. On days like today, you are almost racing the course more than other people, and you really need to be smooth and limit the mistakes and I didn’t do that very well today.”

“I am a little bit disappointed with my ride and my result, but at the same time, I’m proud of the preparation I did and the effort I put out there today. I know there will be many more World Championships in my future and I already look forward to the next one. It is always a privilege to race those big events and I always make sure I prepare the best way I can. I know I did that. The only thing to do now is to learn from my mistakes and celebrate a great year with the people that support me through the thick and thin; my family and my team!”

February 4, 2018/by Communications

BEVERIDGE & DUEHRING TOP 5 AT SIX DAY BERLIN

Berlin, GER, January 31, 2018 – Canadian riders Allison Beveridge and Jasmin Duehring finished fourth and fifth overall, respectively, at the conclusion of the Six Day Berlin competition last weekend. The two Olympic bronze medalists are competing at the Berlin and Copenhagen Six Day races between January 25th and February 4th, as part of their preparation for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the end of February.

Beveridge won the overall Omnium on day 2 of competition, as well as finishing second with Duehring in the Madison on day 3. Duehring had wins in the Points Race (day 1) and Tempo Race (day 2).

“Just like London [Six Day], it was a really strong field. It’s really encouraging to get some good results, but there were some big names missing, like the British team, so we still have a lot of work to do leading into the world championships,” said Duehring.

Beveridge agreed with her teammate, saying “We definitely had some ups and downs over the days, but it was good to take some wins and we’re looking forward to Copenhagen next week and the world championships in a month.”

January 31, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO 2018 EVENTS CALENDAR

Ottawa, ON, January 31, 2018 – Due to a multitude of factors, Cycling Canada has made important changes to its events calendar for the 2018 season. The changes to the domestic race calendar are as follows:

Mountain Bike

Bear Mountain Canada Cup (Langford, BC)
- Sanction reduced from UCI C1 XCO to UCI C2 XCO for XCO Canada Cup
- UCI C3 XCO event scheduled for Sunday April 1^st has been reduced to a Provincially sanctioned XC Short Track
- The Saturday March 31^st event will continue with a UCI C2 sanction, including the first North American stop of the UCI Junior Series
Baie-Saint-Paul Canada Cup (Baie-St-Paul, QC)
- Moved from June 1-2, 2018 to May 20-21, 2018
- Sunday May 20^th will be a C1 sanctioned XCO Canada Cup, including C1 UCI XCO Junior Series. Sunday will be a C3 event in the Cross Country Short Track format
Vélomotion Canada Cup (Mont Tremblant, QC)
- Has been added to the calendar on May 26-27, 2018
- Saturday May 26^th will be a UCI C2 sanctioned XCO Canada Cup, including C2 UCI XCO Junior Series. Sunday will be a UCI C2 sanctioned DH Canada Cup

Cycling Canada is also excited to announce the addition of U17 Expert Men & U17 Expert Women as Official Canada Cup XC categories beginning in 2018. These categories will compete for their own Canada Cup overall ranking, including leader’s jerseys. The first event to include these new categories will be the Bear Mountain Canada Cup, scheduled for March 31^st in Victoria, BC.

BMX

Toronto BMX Canada Cup (Toronto, ON)
- Moved from July 7-8, 2018 to July 14-15, 2018
- Will remain UCI C1 sanction Canada Cup #2 on Saturday July 14, and National Calendar sanctioned Canada Cup #3 on Sunday July 15
BMX Canadian Championships & Canada Cup (Drummondville, QC)
- Moved from July 14-15, 2018 to July 7-8, 2018.
- Canadian BMX Championships will occur July 7^th, and National Calendar sanctioned Canada Cup #1 on Sunday July 8^th
Abbotsford BMX Canada Cup (Abbotsford, BC)
- Will now host a single UCI C1 event instead of a double C1 weekend. The event will follow the format of a UCI C1 Canada Cup #4 on Saturday August 18^th, and a National Calendar sanctioned Canada #5 Cup on Sunday August 19^th

Cyclo-cross

Toronto CX (Toronto, ON)
- At the request of the UCI, the Toronto CX event scheduled for Saturday September 1^st has been reduced to a UCI C2 sanction, as opposed to the originally posted C1 sanction. This is due to UCI regulations surrounding first year events. The event will remain a double-header weekend, with a second C2 occurring on Sunday September 2

Road

2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus – Elite/Junior/Para (Saguenay, QC)
- Relocation of the 2018 Canadian Elite/Junior/Para Road Championships from Kamloops, BC to Saguenay, Quebec from June 21-24

“As with any other race season, our 2018 events calendar has continued to develop since our original posting in the fall,” said Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “The changes outlined above represent both challenges and opportunities we face while building a Canadian race calendar in an ever-changing cycling events landscape. We would like to thank our organizers and racing community for providing their continued feedback and support as we place our final touches on what will promise to be an exciting race season in 2018”.

January 31, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA INTRODUCES NEXTGEN MTB PROGRAM

Ottawa, ON, January 30, 2018 – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the athletes who will be part of the MTB NextGen DTE Program for 2018, which is already underway for the current racing season.

The MTB NextGen DTE Program is focused on providing targeted athletes with an elevated level of support to move seamlessly into the elite ranks and deliver international podium performances. Support includes a world-class Daily Training Environment, including personalized and periodized coaching and integrated support services, with a focus on performances on the international competition schedule. The program is designed to offer athletes an optimized preparation with the goal of increasing opportunities for selection onto national program projects and international performances within the national program. Program services are based out of Victoria, BC, with the training environment moving as required throughout the year.

“We have an exceptional group of eager and hard-working athletes,” said Mountain Bike NextGen Coach, Jeff Ain. “The work is well underway, and things are looking bright for the future of mountain bike in Canada. I am very fortunate to work every day with this group, as well as the exceptional support network of service providers who help underpin the program.”

All athletes accepted to the core program are coached by Cycling Canada’s MTB NextGen coach, Jeff Ain, and will have full access to all projects and integrated support services through the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. In addition to the core program athletes, there is a pool of eleven associate athletes who are offered training opportunities based on project capacity and availability.

The 2018 squad consists of:

Sean Fincham – Squamish, BC
Dana Gilligan – Oro Medonte, ON
Soren Meeuwisse – Oro Medonte, ON
Mackenzie Myatt – Musquodoboit Harbour, NS

January 30, 2018/by Communications

ELITE CANADIAN ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELOCATED TO SAGUENAY

Ottawa, ON, January 25, 2018 – Due to a lack of anticipated municipal funding and logistical constraints, NTSQ Sports Group and Cycling Canada have made the difficult decision to relocate the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) from Kamloops, BC to Saguenay, Quebec. This change in location will not impact competition dates, which are still planned for June 21-24 for Elite, Junior and Para athletes.

Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, which was cancelled earlier this year due to circumstances out of their control, has agreed to take on the task of organizing the event for the 2018 season. The team behind Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay has numerous years of experience organizing high-level road races and are thrilled to welcome Canada’s top athletes to their region. “We are happy to work with Cycling Canada on organizing the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) in Saguenay. Our organizing committee is hard at work making sure that Canada’s top cyclists have access to fun and exciting races and enjoy their stay among us in Saguenay,” said the co-president of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, Sébastien Gagnon.

Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada said, “The decision to relocate the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) was not taken lightly, although we are confident that this will provide the best possible outcome for all parties involved. The organizers at Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay bring a wealth of experience to the organization of this Championship event, and we are excited to continue with the process of delivering this prestigious event in a region that has many years of experience in hosting high-level road cycling events.”

After hosting separate Para Road Championships last year due to a conflict in schedule, para-cycling athletes from all over Canada will be re-integrated back into the Elite/Junior Championships weekend with Championship titles being awarded in both the Time Trial and Road Race disciplines. The Canadian Road Championships for Masters remains unaffected by this change and will still take place in Victoria, BC from June 1-3. Details regarding schedules and registration will be communicated at a later date.

January 26, 2018/by Communications