Ottawa, ON (Feb. 5, 2024) – Team Canada showed its depth of field with several athletes out of a 21-person roster earning top-10 results at the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tabor, CZE, from Feb. 2-4.
Competition began on Feb. 2 with the team relay. Riding for the red and white were Ian Ackert of Severn, ON; Rafaëlle Carrier of Lac-Beauport, QC; Tyler Clark of Mono, ON; Jayden McMullen of St. Thomas, ON; and Ava and Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, ON. The team pulled together to post an impressive time of 1:02:29hr for fourth place just behind Belgium, who stopped the clock at 1:01:55hr for bronze. The top two spots on the podium went to gold medallists France and silver medallists Great Britain, both with a time of 1:01:23hr.
Canada’s best results came in the U23 category. After winning the rainbow jersey last year as a Junior, Isabella started her U23 career just shy of the World Championship podium in fourth place for the women. Despite a hard-fought battle back from 20th place, her time of 49:32m was a scant 13s behind bronze medallist Leonie Bentveld (NED) and her time of 49:19m. Great Britain’s Zoe Backstedt took gold (48:24m) while Kristýna Zemanová (CZE) claimed silver on a time of 49:08m.
Not far behind Isabella was her sister and 2023 Junior silver medallist, Ava, coming in at 13th place.
Also making the move into the U23 category for 2024 was Ackert in the men’s category. The 2023 Junior Cross-country Olympic (XCO) bronze medallist held steady through a competitive field to place sixth with a time of 53:31m, 1:39m off the time of gold medallist Tibor del Grosso of the Netherlands (52:02m).
In her ninth consecutive World Championship as an Elite, Maghalie Rochette of Sainte-Adèle, QC, maintained her reputation for consistency in the women’s category. She secured a 10th-place finish with a time of 50:11m, finishing less than four minutes behind leader Fem van Empel (NED) and her time of 46:19m.
Canada also earned a top-20 finish in the Women Junior category, with Carrier placing 16th in an impressive World Championship debut.
“After starting the racing with our best-ever result in the team relay on Friday, it was great to see each athlete put all of their preparation into action and leave absolutely everything on course,” said National Team Coach Michael Van Den Ham. “Results-wise, the three top-10s and numerous other personal best results are impressive not only this year, but as as a sign of things to come from this group.”
Full results from the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships can be found here.
Team Canada – Results
Junior Women
16th – Rafaëlle Carrier, Lac-Beauport, QC
31st – Lily-Rose Marois, Lac-Beauport, QC
44th – Aislin Hallahan, Peterborough, ON
46th – Nico Knoll, Calgary, AB
51st – Dorothée Perron, Gatineau, QC
Junior Men
23rd – Jayden McMullen, St. Thomas, ON
47th – Felix-Antoine Leclair, St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
51st – Tristan Taillefer, St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
67th – Alix Brunelle, Sherbrooke, QC
68th – Lucas Goertz, Waterloo, ON
U23 Women
4th – Isabella Holmgren, Orillia, ON
13th – Ava Holmgren, Orillia, ON
27th – Madeleine Pollock, North Vancouver, BC
U23 Men
6th – Ian Ackert, Severn, ON
53rd – Cody Scott, Courtenay, BC
Elite Women
10th – Maghalie Rochette, Sainte-Adèle, QC
18th – Sidney McGill, Edmonton, AB
30th – Christiane Bilodeau, St. Albert, AB
31st – Katelyn Walcroft, Collingwood, ON
Elite Men
41st – Tyler Clark, Mono, ON
46th – Evan Russell, Mill Bay, BC