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CANADA ADDS THIRD CYCLING MEDAL AT PARALYMPICS

(Rio, BRA – September 10, 2016) Canada added a third medal in cycling at the Paralympic Games on Saturday, with Tristen Chernove of Cranbrooke, BC, winning bronze in the Men’s 1000 metre Time Trial. This is Chernove’s second medal, after winning a silver medal in the Individual Pursuit.

Chernove’s time of one minute and 14.716 seconds is a new Paralympic record for his C2 category. When time factors were added for the blended C1, C2 and C3 categories, Chernove finished third in the overall standings, behind C1 rider Li Zhangyu of China, who set a world record in C1, and Arnoud Nijhuis of Netherlands, also C1, who took silver. Ross Wilson of Edmonton finished 15th and Michael Sametz of Calgary was 17th.

“I was really nervous about getting on my bike,” admitted Chernove, “because I’m so tired from lack of sleep, I haven’t slept for three days. So I was really doubting myself. I got through the ride and got a medal, which is wonderful, but I’m far from riding at my performance level. So I’ve to get back on top of what I’m capable of for the road events. All I could do was trust in my body, that all the training and all the work the coaches have done with me and the muscle memory would pay off. [After being diagnosed in 2009] I only thought of cycling as a way to delay my degeneration, and because it is something I love, and it was my passion for cycling that got me to this level. I do this because riding bikes is glorious. So it’s just a wonderful gift that this has happened.”

Ross Wilson said “I made a really hard effort to get started out of the gate and thought it went really well. I had a bit of a wobble on the third lap, I was pulling on the bars a little too much and had the wheels slide a bit, but I was able to get back on and really empty the tank on the last lap. I’m really proud of that, and overall I felt it was ‘job done’ and I can’t complain.”

Michael Sametz commented, “It was hard after racing last night as well, but I just went all out. Usually I’m not a great starter, so I end up picking it up at the end. It’s funny, when I was 14 and started racing, I told people my goal was to go to Rio, so it’s pretty incredible.”

September 10, 2016/by Communications

BOIVIN TOP CANADIAN IN QUEBEC WORLDTOUR RACE

(Quebec, QC – September 9, 2016) Team Canada’s Guillaume Boivin (Montreal, Quebec) was the top Canadian finisher on Friday at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec, taking 17th place in the field sprint, won by world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) of Slovakia.

Boivin is in his first race back after three months of injury, suffering a broken shoulder in June before the National Road Championships, and then requiring 13 stitches to his knee following a training accident three weeks ago.

The 16 lap, 201.6 kilometre WorldTour race, saw a group of eight riders break away from the peloton on the first lap. Included in the group was Team Canada rider Nicolas Masbourian (Quebec City, Quebec). The group managed to carve out a lead of over five minutes before the top teams started to pull them back. The last members of the group, including Masbourian, were caught with just under three laps to go.

Sagan surged to the front in the final 50 metres to beat Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (BMC) of Belgium and Anthony Roux (FDJ) of France. Boivin finished in a small group just five seconds back.

“This race is one of the hardest races in the season,” said Boivin. “I had a pretty good ten days of training [after his crash], and I thought I felt not too bad. But training and racing are different beasts, so it is hard to know how your form is. With four laps to go I was feeling pretty good, and just to be here was a bit of a miracle, so I’m definitely happy with the result. Hopefully I can build on that for world championships in mid-October.”

The teams will travel tomorrow morning to Montreal to take part in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday.

September 9, 2016/by Communications

TWO SILVER MEDALS FOR CANADA ON DAY 2 OF PARALYMPIC TRACK COMPETITION

(Rio, BRA – September 9, 2016) Canada won two silver medals on Friday, the second day of track cycling competition at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Ross Wilson of Edmonton, Alberta, took silver in the Men’s C1 Individual Pursuit, as did Tristen Chernove of Cranbrook, BC, in the Men’s C2 Individual Pursuit. Michael Sametz of Calgary, Alberta, finished just off the podium, in fourth place, in the Men’s C3 Individual Pursuit.

Wilson finished second to Li Zhangyu of China in the 3000 metre final of the C1 competition, qualifying second to Li, who set a world record in his qualifying ride. In the final, Wilson was caught by his rival, automatically ending the race.

“The goal was the gold and I fell just short of that,” said Wilson. “I rode the fastest I have ever ridden, so I think I can be proud and hold my head high. I think it’s pretty cool to win the first medal and I hope this opens the floodgates.”

In the 3000 metre C2 gold medal final, Chernove finished with a time of three minutes and 47.412 seconds, just under three seconds behind Liang Guihua of China, who won the gold medal.

“It is wonderful to be on the podium,” said Chernove, “but I still have a lot to learn. I didn’t have my best rides today, which is hard. It’s wonderful to have a silver medal, but this was far from my best ride. But this isn’t the end and I’m going to harness my energies, refocus and get back on top of my game.”

Sametz qualified third in the 3000 metre C3 competition, putting him in the bronze medal final against Clifford Eoghan of Ireland. Eoghan took the bronze medal with a time of three minutes and 40.201 seconds, 1.389 seconds faster than Sametz. David Nicholas of Australia won the gold medal.

“I think I lost concentration at the halfway point,” explained Sametz, “then I was able to bring it back later in the race, but then I just didn’t have enough time to catch [Eoghan]. I have learned that I need to work on my mental preparation and also my physical level, so I will get better for Tokyo.”

September 9, 2016/by Communications

MOLNAR FIFTH IN FIRST DAY OF PARALYMPIC CYCLING COMPETITION

(Rio, BRA – September 8, 2016) The first day of Paralympic cycling competition on Thursday, in Rio de Janeiro, had Canadians competing in three events, with Marie-Claude Molnar of Lemoyne, Quebec, the highest placed finisher, in fifth place for the Women’s C4 Individual Pursuit.

Molnar raced the qualifying round against world record holder and eventual gold medal winner Shawn Morelli of the United States. Molnar’s time of four minutes and 8.452 seconds for 3000 metres put her in fifth place, just outside the top-4 required to move on to the medal round. However, Molnar was pleased with her time.

“That’s really what I wanted – to ride with the world champion, Shawn Morelli. She is really better then everyone and that gave me a lot of motivation for the race. To achieve a race time of 4 minutes and 8 seconds was a goal that we set ourselves, and that is now reached. I really did what I had to do; I kept to the original plan and I kept my lap times constant, so I’m really happy.”

In the 3000 metre Women’s C5 Individual Pursuit, Nicole Clermont of Laval, Quebec, finished ninth in qualifying with a time of four minutes and 8.557 seconds, and did not move on to the medal round. Sarah Storey of Great Britain won the gold medal with a world record time of three minutes and 31.394 seconds.

“I was aiming for 4:06 but I did 4:08,” said Clermont. “I started a little bit too fast; one second too fast on my first lap. Since I do not do a lot of track racing, it is difficult for me to understand what is the correct pace for a 19.5 second lap. So I did not have a lot of latitude, and that first lap killed me. But I made it: I am 55 years old, I did a race on the track at the Paralympics Games in Rio!”

“It was really important for me today to share with the students at the school where I work. My adventure here is really important, but I want to be a role model . If I can share as much as I can with the students, it is mission accomplished for me. It is not easy to be a student, it is difficult some times, but I think I am good example of perseverance and when we push our limits, it’s the best example we can give. I am the happiest school director in the world!”

The third event Canada competed in on Thursday was the Men’s 4000 metre Tandem Pursuit, with the team of Daniel Chalifour (Ste-Therese, Quebec) and his pilot Jean-Michel Lachance (Quebec City, Quebec) finishing ninth in qualifying, in a time of four minutes and 24.129 seconds. Chalifour and Lachance did not advance to the medal round, with Great Britain’s Steve Bate and his pilot Adam Duggleby winning the gold medal after setting a world record time of four minutes and 8.146 seconds in qualifying.

“It was extremely fast,” commented Chalifour. “Being in the seventh heat, we had a very good idea of the time it would take to reach the medal round. We started strong and maintained the lap time needed to be in the medal round at the beginning but, unfortunately, it was a little too fast for us to maintain during 4000 metres. If we would have started a little bit slower, we probably could have made four minutes and 17 seconds, but we knew it would not be enough to qualify for the medal round, so we gave it our all at the start. We cannot be disappointed to have tried to be in the medal round. At the end, six teams did four minutes and 14 seconds or less. I have never seen that in our category.”

Pilot Jean-Michel Lachance added, “It’s a big disappointment. We put all our energies to the Pursuit. We have not delivered what we wanted to deliver. For the road events coming up, the pressure will be less important. We can play on the tactical side to stand out.”

September 8, 2016/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON & THE LEXUS “RIDE WITH LEGENDS”

Cycling Canada and Lexus invite you to ride and celebrate with Canada’s cycling greats. Join current Canadian National Team athletes as well as Cycling Canada Hall of Fame inductees for a VIP supported road ride through the beautiful Halton Hills, starting and finishing at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club in Milton. The ride will be followed by Cycling Canada’s 2nd annual Hall of Fame induction luncheon, celebrating the 2016 class of inductees including Brian Walton, Alex Stieda, Marie-Helene Premont, Gord Fraser, Louise Lalonde and the 1908 Men’s Team Pursuit.

When: Sunday, October 2, 2016 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm
Where: Crosswinds Golf & Country Club, Milton, ON

Tickets: Ride & Luncheon – $200 // Luncheon Only – $100 (link below)

Arrival / breakfast: 8:30 am – 9:30 am (baked goods, fruit tray, yogurt, coffee/tea/juice)
Ride: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Hall of Fame Luncheon: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Notes:

Two ride options will be available (50km and 70km). Support vehicles will follow the cycling groups.
All participants will receive an official Canadian National Team cycling jersey from Louis Garneau.
Water, sports beverages, nutrition and mechanical services will be provided.
Locker and shower service will be available for all guests.
Must bring: Bike in good working order (rentals and demo bikes also available), cycling shoes, helmet, weather-appropriate cycling apparel.

The ride will be followed by the Cycling Canada Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at 1:00 pm celebrating the following inductees:

CYCLING CANADA NAMES 2016 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Lunch menu:

Appetizer: Rolls with whipped butter
Entree: NY Striploin 6oz with madagascar peppercorn sauce, oven roasted red potatoes, garden salad
Dessert: Apple crumble
Coffee and tea – Wine and beer – Soft drinks

For any dietary requirements (no red meat, gluten free, vegetarian), please contact karine.bedard@cyclingcanada.ca

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Ride + Luncheon: https://hoponcanada.ca/product/cycling-canada-hall-fame-luncheon-lexus-ride-legends/
Luncheon only: https://hoponcanada.ca/product/cycling-canada-hall-fame-luncheon/

September 6, 2016/by Communications

THREE CANADIANS IN TOP-10 AT TOUR OF ALBERTA

(Edmonton, AB – September 5, 2016) The 2016 Tour of Alberta concluded on Labour Day Monday in Edmonton with a 124 kilometre circuit race through the downtown in front of thousands of fans.

Spain’s Francisco Mancebo won the stage in a breakaway, just in front of the peloton. Peter Disera (H&R Block) was the top Canadian finisher, in fourth place. American Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel) won the overall title, with Alex Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) the top Canadian in fifth place, winning the Best Canadian jersey. Antoine Duchesne of Chicoutimi, Quebec, was the top rider for Team Canada, finishing 16th on the stage and eighth in the final standings. Silber also won the Best Team for the race.

A group of 13 riders broke away early in the race, gaining over two minutes on the field, led by Carpenter’s team. The break began to shed riders in the second half of the stage, and was down to Mancebo, Canada’s David Drouin (Silber) and Toms Skujins (Cannondale-Drapac)with four laps to go. The break was caught in the final lap, with the exception of Mancebo, who held on for the win.

“It was great to be able to hold onto the jersey,” said Cataford. “This is the biggest race for us in Canada, and to get the Best Canadian award is a great honour. I can’t thank my team mates enough for the whole week in the way they supported me. This year for the team has been incredible, and it has become a really good stepping stone for young Canadians wanting to race at the highest level in the sport.”

For Team Canada, the week saw Duchesne in the Best Canadian Jersey on the opening stage, plus Alexis Cartier finishing second on Stage 2, and finished sixth overall in the team standings.

Team Director Kevin Field explained, “I think the race went really well; we are really trying to work on blended projects, which is why we have top pros like Antoine Duchesne here and Hugo Houle at Tour de Beauce earlier in the season, and mixing them with the Under-23 program at Team RaceClean and other young riders on trade teams like Garneau-Quebecor, Silber and H&R Block. We used this race as an opportunity for those young guys to show themselves and ride at a higher level, and learn from riders like Tony [Duchesne], and I think we achieved that here. The team was animating the race, we were aggressive and trying to create opportunities for Tony, and I think when we debrief we will be very satisfied with this week.”

September 5, 2016/by Communications

HESJEDAL 4TH IN STAGE 4 OF TOUR OF ALBERTA

(Edmonton, AB – September 4, 2016) Ryder Hesjedal (Trek Segafredo) of Victoria was the top Canadian rider on Sunday at Stage 4 of the Tour of Alberta, finishing fourth in the individual time trial, held in Edmonton.

The 12.1-kilometre time trial took the riders along the North Saskatchewan River valley through the center of Edmonton, with a one kilometre climb in the last third of the race.

Bauke Mollema, a team mate of Hesjedal, won the stage with a time of 14 minutes and 44.12 seconds. Andzs Flaksis (Holowesko/Citadel) was second, nine seconds back, with Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel) third at 16 seconds. Hesjedal was a further three seconds in arrears.

Alex Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) finished tenth and continues to hold the Best Canadian Jersey, sitting in fifth place overall, and 32 seconds behind race leader Carpenter. Cataford’s team mate Nigel Ellsay is seventh and Team Canada leader Antoine Duchesne is eighth.

“It wasn’t a time trial that suits my strengths,” said Cataford. “But time trials are still the strongest part of my riding, so I’m happy to hold onto the Jersey and even extend my lead. I was hoping to improve a bit more in terms of the overall standings, but I went out there and gave it everything I had on the day and I’m happy with my performance.”

The Tour of Alberta concludes on Monday with a 124-kilometre circuit race around downtown Edmonton.

September 4, 2016/by Communications

CATHARINE PENDREL WINS XCO WORLD CUP TITLE

(Vallnord, AND – September 4, 2016) Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) of Kamloops, BC, capped off a season that already includes an Olympic bronze medal with the overall World Cup title in Women’s Cross-country on Sunday, in Andorra.

Pendrel finished third in the sixth and final round of the series. Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) of Brooklin, Ontario, finished 12th in the race and third overall in the World Cup.

Pendrel had a strong start to the race, leading in the opening lap before crashing and falling back to third, to finish one minute and 21 seconds behind Jolanda Neff of Switzerland and 45 seconds behind second placed Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway. Batty, who had crashed in training, raced with bruised ribs but moved up from 19th on the first lap to finish 12th.

Pendrel won the overall title, her third, with 1030 points, in a season that included one World Cup victory, a second place and two third places. Annika Langvad of Denmark was second with 1006 points, and Emily Batty finished third with 710 points, including two third place results.

“World Cup Champion feels so good after the suffer fest out there today,” said Pendrel. “This is an incredibly hard race. My start was amazing and I felt really good, but I definitely ran out of oxygen on the second lap. I had trouble staying up on the second descent, was kind of all over the place. I had to really regroup to get my breath. Then it was just about damage control; going as slow as I could just to stay upright on the descent and then hammer on the climb. It wasn’t the prettiest race but it got the job done.”

September 4, 2016/by Communications

DAHL TOP CANADIAN ON STAGE 3 OF TOUR OF ALBERTA

(Drayton Valley, AB – September 3, 2016) Kris Dahl (Silber Pro Cycling) of Calgary, Alberta, was the top Canadian finisher on Stage 3 of the Tour of Alberta, on Saturday, finishing third in Drayton Valley after 181.2 kilometres of racing. Alex Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) holds onto the Best Canadian jersey after finishing fifth on the stage and sixth overall, with Antoine Duchesne of Chicoutimi, Quebec, the top rider for Team Canada, in eighth place overall.

After single digit temperatures and rain on Stage 2, riders were rewarded with intermittent sun and slightly warmer temperatures on Saturday for the start in Olds. A breakaway of nine riders went clear 80 kilometres into the stage and stayed away until the race entered Drayton Valley for three finishing circuits.

After the break was caught, two American riders broke away in the final eight kilometres; Evan Huffman (Rally Cycling) and Robin Carpenter (Holowesko/Citadel). They stayed away to the finish, with Huffman winning and taking the overall leader’s jersey. Dahl chased but was unable to close the gap, finishing four seconds back.

“The finishing circuit was pretty technical with a lot corners,” explained Dahl, “so that was a factor. The last couple of laps there were a lot of attacks, and Huffman and Carpenter got up the road. I was really hoping that we would have enough steam to catch them at the end, but we just couldn’t quite get them. We rode it into the line as hard as we could and I just managed to have enough in the sprint for third.”

With two stages remaining, Cataford is 21 seconds out of the overall lead and Duchesne 25 seconds back. Sunday’s time trial in Edmonton will offer both riders a chance to move up the rankings, with Cataford a strong contender after finishing second in the national time trial championships.

September 3, 2016/by Communications

CARTIER SECOND ON STAGE 2 OF TOUR OF ALBERTA

(Olds, AB – September 2, 2016) Team Canada’s Alexis Cartier of Saint-Adèle, Quebec, took second place on Stage 2 of the Tour of Alberta, on Friday, after grueling day off the front in a breakaway.

Stage 2 took the peloton from Kananaskis to Olds on a 182 kilometre race amid stunning mountain backdrops. However, heavy winds, rain and bitterly cold single digit temperatures hammered the riders, especially in the second half of the race.

Cartier was a late addition to the national squad after his Garneau-Quebecor team mate, national champion Bruno Langlois, suffered a broken collarbone. He was a member of a three rider breakaway that went clear of the peloton before the halfway mark in the stage. The break dropped to just Cartier and American rider Tanner Putter (UnitedHealthcare) with 80 kilometres to go, and the pair just held off the field at the finish, with Putter outsprinting Cartier for the win.

Alex Cataford (Silber) moved ahead of Team Canada’s Antoine Duchesne into fifth in the overall standings and takes the Best Canadian jersey. Both Cataford and Duchesne are 15 seconds behind overall leader Colin Joyce (Axeon Hagens Berman) of the United States.

“It was pretty hard,” agreed Cartier, “but I was happy to be in the break because when it got really cold with the rain, at least we were pushing on the pedals to keep warm. It took a long time for the break to form, but Putter went on a solo move and I bridged across. We got caught at one point, but went again, and we knew if we got to the section before the finish with the tailwind, that it would be hard for the pack to catch us. Bruno gave his spot [on the team] to me, so I’m happy to make him proud.”

Stage 3 of the Tour of Alberta will take the peloton north from Rocky Mountain House to Drayton Valley.

September 2, 2016/by Communications