News – Page 133 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CANADIAN PARA-CYCLING TEAM HEADS TO EUROPE FOR UCI WORLD CUP EVENTS

Canada sends large team with hopes to medal and cumulate UCI points towards Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

(Ottawa, ON – June 3, 2015) The Canadian Para-Cycling Team is ready for another important road season ahead as the team attempts to optimize its quotas for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

The team comprised of 20 athletes will travel to Europe for two UCI World Cup events, in Maniago, Italy June 5-7 and Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland June 13-16. Ross Wilson will join the team for the second World Cup in Switzerland.

The team will be led by coaches Eric van den Eynde and Sebastien Travers, and will attempt to reach the podium as well as posting top-10 results.

Multiple World Champion and Paralympic medallist Robbi Weldon of Thunder Bay, ON will race with a new pilot this season in seasoned veteran Joanie Caron of Rimouski, QC. The duo have been training together this off-season, and will be looking to test their skills against other international women tandems.

Shelley Gautier of Toronto, ON will be back in action, hoping to keep her undefeated string intact. Gautier has won every international event in which she entered since taking on competitive cycling in 2010 after a mountain bike accident in 2001.

In July, Canadian athletes will be travelling to the 2015 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Nottwil, SUI, July 29-August 2. The team will return home after the Worlds to compete at the Toronto 2015 Parapan-American Games. The UCI Road World Cup Finals are planned in South Africa September 11-13.

TEAM CANADA – UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLD CUP #1 AND #2

Marie-Ève CROTEAU (Québec, QC)
Shelley GAUTIER (Toronto, ON)
Marie-Claude MOLNAR (St. Hubert, QC)
Nicole CLERMONT (St. Denis de Brompton, QC)
Jaye MILLEY (Calgary, AB)
Ross WILSON (Edmonton, AB)*
Aroussen LAFLAMME (pilot) (St Augustin de Desmaures, QC)
Alexandre CARRIER (Bromont, QC)
Alexandre CLOUTIER (Pilot) (St Antoine de Tilly, QC)
Daniel CHALIFOUR (Mont-Laurier, QC)
Robert LABBE (Québec, QC)
Charles MOREAU (Trois-Rivières, QC)
Mark LEDO (Maple, ON)
Mike SAMETZ (Calgary, AB)
Louis-Albert CORRIVEAU (Ste-Claire, QC)
Robbi WELDON (Thunder Bay, ON)
Joanie CARON (Pilot) (Rimouski, QC)
Shawna RYAN (Saskatoon, SK)
Audrey LEMIEUX (pilot) (Montreal, QC)
Mathieu CROTEAU-DAIGLE (Thetford Mines, QC)
Pierre-Olivier BOILY (Pilot) (Sherbrooke, QC)

June 3, 2015/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA MOURNS THE PASSING OF ROSS CHAFE

(Ottawa, ON – June 2) On Sunday, May 31^st, two members of the Whistler Cycling Club, Ross Chafe (50) and Kelly Blunden (53), were killed in a traffic accident when they were struck by a vehicle while on a ride near Pemberton, BC.

Ross Chafe was a member of the National Cycling Team, representing Canada at three World Championships on the road (1979, 1980 and 1986). He also competed in the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

In addition, Ross served on the Board of Directors of the Hamilton 2003 Road World Championships Foundation for almost a decade and was instrumental in the foundation’s support to developing riders.

Linda Jackson, Chair of the Foundation said; “The news about Ross is simply devastating. Ross was such a kind and generous person. He was always a strong proponent of supporting the development of Canada’s next generation of cyclists. My heart goes out to his family during this difficult time.

On behalf of the members of Cycling Canada we extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends and fellow riders of Ross Chafe and Kelly Blunden.

June 2, 2015/by Communications

CANADA CUP SERIES TO VISIT SOME OF THE BEST SINGLE-TRACK IN ONTARIO AT HORSESHOE VALLEY

Horseshoe Valley hosts in 2015 both Canada Cup and Canadian Mountain Bike XCM Championships races

(Horseshoe Valley, ON – June 1, 2015) This coming weekend, Horseshoe Valley will be host to the second stop on the Canada Cup MTB Series calendar, and the cross-country specialists will be treated to some of Ontario’s top trails in the North Barrie region.

Participants will get a sneak peak at some of the same single-track to be used for the 2015 Canadian Mountain Bike Marathon Championships to take place this fall.

Currently leading the Canada Cup standings are Emily Batty (Trek Factory) and Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain) in the Elite category, as well as Soren Meeuwisse (Trek Canada Moutain Bike) and Raphaël Auclair (Pivot Cycle – OTE) in the Junior category.

Superfly Racing takes it to the next level with it’s first-ever Canada Cup after years of hosting Ontario Cup races. Riders can expect all the same great organizing as the Ontario Cup Series on a bigger stage! Horseshoe’s course has much-improved and will feature better spectatorship, awesome riding and a truly awesome resort atmosphere.

Sean Ruppel of Superfly Racing, the event organizer, is thrilled about hosting the nation’s top mountain bikers: “Having been a big part of mountain biking in Ontario over the last 20+ years, I felt it was time to elevate my events to a bigger stage. The series can also use more committed, full-time organizers and I’m very excited to work in concert with my friends at Hardwood.”

“We have no doubt that this new venue will quickly become a pillar of the Canada Cup series. Combined awesome riding, high quality organizing and resort atmosphere and you get the perfect package for another amazing week-end of racing,” added Mathieu Boucher, Director of Performance Development at Cycling Canada.

Visit the organizer’s website for additional information: http://www.superflyracing.com/

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Canada Cup series is designed to provide competitive opportunities to the next generation of cyclists, transitioning from provincial race series to international competitions. Hosted in partnership between Cycling Canada, its provincial sport organizations and local organizing committees, the Canada Cup Cycling Series is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union.

Current Canada Cup rankings can be found here: https://cyclingcanada.ca/mountain-bike/canada-cup-series/.

Schedule, registration and technical guide information for the event can be found here: https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/mountain-bike/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/horseshoe-valley/

June 1, 2015/by Communications

CANADIAN CYCLING TEAM NOMINATED FOR TORONTO 2015 PAN AM GAMES

24 athletes chosen to represent Canada

TORONTO (June 1, 2015) On Monday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Cycling Canada Cyclisme announced the 24 cycling athletes nominated to represent Team Canada at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games from July 10 to 26. The announcement was made at the Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome, home of the track cycling events for the Games.

As host nation, Canada will be fielding the maximum 24 cyclists across all disciplines, representing the largest cycling team at the Pan Am Games. A total of 16 cyclists will race in the Track and Road events, in addition to four in Mountain Bike and four in BMX.

Historically, Canada has won 43 medals in cycling at the Pan Am Games: 21 gold, nine silver and 13 bronze. Three cyclists nominated to Team Canada have previously won medals at the Pan Am Games: Laura Brown (2011), Jasmin Glaesser (2011) and Catharine Pendrel (2007).

The cycling competition will take place at multiple venues and include the following events:

Road Cycling: men’s and women’s road race, Ontario Place West Channel, July 25; men’s and women’s individual time trial, Milton Time Trial Course, July 22
Track Cycling: men’s and women’s team pursuit, men’s and women’s team sprint, men’s and women’s sprint, men’s and women’s keirin, men’s and women’s omnium, Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome, July 16-19
BMX: men’s and women’s, Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre, July 11
Mountain Bike: men’s and women’s cross-country, Hardwood Mountain Bike Park, July 12.

Two key legacy projects that were born out of the 2015 Pan Am Games will bring long-term benefits to the cycling sports. For track cycling, the main centrepiece will be the game-changing world-class velodrome built in Milton, ON – one of only three internationally-sanctioned covered velodromes in North America. It is anticipated that the permanent BMX track at Centennial Park in Etobicoke, located south of Toronto Pearson International Airport, will also bring a wave of new athletes to Eastern Canada.

Canada will field the largest team in its Pan American Games history with more than 700 athletes expected to be named to the Team at the Games in Toronto. With TORONTO 2015 providing a “home Games” experience, as well as a number of qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, these Games will offer a tremendous experience for Canada’s high performance athlete

QUOTES

“Canada has a great track record in Pan Am cycling with a total of 43 medals since 1967. Our roster of talent this year has everything it takes to keep Canada on its medal trajectory. Congratulations to all of the cyclists who made it onto the Team. Canada will be cheering for you!”

Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee

“Our cycling athletes are among the world’s best and this is reflected by the outstanding team nominated today. It was such an honour to do what I loved most and cycle for my country and I know these athletes share my passion. Congratulations to each one of our cyclists, you deserve this great honour and Canada will be sure to support you as you take on the best that the Americas have to offer here in the Golden Horseshoe.”

Curt Harnett, TORONTO 2015 Team Canada Chef de Mission

“For these home Games we will be bringing the best cyclists Canada has to offer. There is no doubt that we will be competing for medals in all cycling competitions entered. Our team is comprised of athletes having taken part in previous Olympic Games, riders that have medaled in recent years at the world championships and newly identified talent that will use this experience to build for future games performances. Our preparation started a few years ago when it was announced that Toronto would be hosting these Pan Am Games and has intensified since acquiring international level facilities. Our athletes, coaching staff and support personnel are looking forward to the feeling of pride that comes with competing for Canada in front of Canadians.”

Jacques Landry, High Performance Director and Head Coach at Cycling Canada

“Games events are magical. They are an opportunity to pursue dreams and connect with your nation in such a unique way. I can’t wait to compete at the Pan Am Games in Toronto!”

Catharine Pendrel, two-time Olympian, two-time World Champion, Commonwealth Games Champion, Pan Am Games Champion, five-time Canadian Champion

“I can’t wait to represent Canada in Toronto for my first Pan Am Games. It’s always special to wear the maple leaf and race for medals, especially in my home country.”

Tory Nyhaug, London 2012 Olympian, UCI World Championships silver medallist, ten-time Canadian Champion

“We are so proud of those who have been selected to compete for Canada in cycling at the upcoming Pan Am Games. Being able to train here at home in the venues, like the new state-of-the-art Velodrome in Milton will give our team the edge they need to push for the podium. Congratulations to all the athletes chosen, and good luck!”

Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport)

The cycling contingent which will represent Canada at the TORONTO 2015 Games includes:

TRACK CYCLING

Allison BEVERIDGE (Calgary, AB) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Laura BROWN (Vancouver, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Jasmin GLAESSER (Coquitlam, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit, Women’s Omnium]
Kirsti LAY (Medicine Hat, AB) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Kate O’BRIEN (Calgary, AB) [Women’s Sprint, Women’s Team Sprint]
Monique SULLIVAN (Calgary, AB) [Women’s Sprint, Women’s Team Sprint, Women’s Keirin]

Hugo BARRETTE (Cap-aux-Meules, QC) [Men’s Sprint, Men’s Team Sprint, Men’s Keirin TBD]
Evan CAREY (Victoria, BC) [Men’s Sprint, Men’s Team Sprint]
Adam JAMIESON (Toronto, ON) [Men’s Team Pursuit]
Eric JOHNSTONE (Calgary, AB) [Men’s Team Pursuit]
Sean MacKINNON (Hamilton, ON) [Men’s Team Pursuit]
Rémi PELLETIER-ROY (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC) [Men’s Team Pursuit, Men’s Omnium]
Ed VEAL (Queensville, ON) [Men’s Team Pursuit]
Joseph VELOCE (Fonthill, ON) [Men’s Sprint, Men’s Team Sprint, Men’s Keirin TBD]

MOUNTAIN BIKE

Emily BATTY (Brooklin, ON/Trek Factory Racing) [Women’s Cross-Country]
Catharine PENDREL (Kamloops, BC/Luna Pro Team) [Women’s Cross-Country]

Raphaël GAGNÉ (Québec, QC/Rocky Mountain Bicycles) [Men’s Cross-Country]
Derek ZANDSTRA (Trenton, ON/Scott-3 Rox) [Men’s Cross-Country]

BMX

Daina TUCHSCHERER (Airdrie, AB) [Women’s BMX]
Amelia WALSH (Ayr, ON) [Women’s BMX]

Jimmy BROWN (Airdrie, AB) [Men’s BMX]
Tory NYHAUG (Coquitlam, BC) [Men’s BMX]

ROAD

Allison BEVERIDGE (Calgary, AB/Team Trek-Red Truck Racing) [Women’s Road Race]
Laura BROWN (Vancouver, BC/ UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) [Women’s Time Trial]
Jasmin GLAESSER (Coquitlam, BC/ Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies) [Women’s Road Race, Women’s Time Trial]
Kirsti LAY (Medicine Hat, AB/ Team SAS-Mazda-Macogep p/b Specialized) [Women’s Road Race]

Guillaume BOIVIN (Longueuil, QC/Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies) [Men’s Road Race]
Hugo HOULE (Ste-Perpétue, QC/AG2R La Mondiale) [Men’s Road Race, Men’s Time Trial]
Sean MacKINNON (Hamilton, ON) [Men’s Road Race, Men’s Time Trial]
Rémi PELLETIER-ROY (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC/Garneau-Quebecor) [Men’s Road Race]

COACHES

Jacques LANDRY (Team Leader) (Ottawa, ON)
Kris WESTWOOD (Deputy Team Leader) (Ottawa, ON)
Ken COOLS (Coach, BMX) (Abbotsford, BC)
Craig GRIFFIN (Coach, Track, Women’s Endurance) (Colorado Springs, CO, USA)
Erin HARTWELL (Coach, Track, Sprint) (Dundas, ON)
Ian MELVIN (Coach, Track Men’s Endurance) (Milton, ON)
Dan PROULX (Coach, Mountain Bike) (Victoria, BC)

STAFF
Craig DEVEER (Therapist, Road and Track) (Sarnia, ON)
Roger FRIESEN (Sports Psychologist) (Abbotsford, BC)
Tara LAZARSKI (Therapist, Mountain Bike) (North Vancouver, BC)
Adam MUYS (Mechanic, BMX) (Maple Ridge, BC)
Guy NAPERT-FRENETTE (Communications Manager/Media Attaché) (Calgary, AB)
Mike PATTON (Physiologist, Track) (Guelph, ON)
Dan PETERS (Mechanic, Road and Track) (Hamilton, ON)
Adam TROTTER (Mechanic, Mountain Bike) (Waterloo, ON)
Jenn TURNER (Chiropractor) (New Westminster, BC)
Emily WOOD (Performance Analyst) (Nottingham, GBR)

June 1, 2015/by Communications

NINE JUNIOR TRACK RIDERS TO REPRESENT CANADA AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2015 UCI Junior Track World Championships to take place in August at Astana, KAZ

(Ottawa, ON – May 21, 2015) Canada will be sending nine junior cyclists to attend the 2015 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan this summer, August 19-23, 2015.

The men’s endurance program will be represented by Evan Burtnik of Edmonton, AB, Connor Byway of Ottawa, ON, Bayley Simpson of Lindsay, ON, John Willcox of Victoria, BC, and Jordann Jones of Ancaster, ON.

Katherine Maine of Ottawa, ON, Anna Talman of Edmonton, AB and Gillian Ellsay of Courtenay, BC will be racing the women’s endurance events.

Stefan Ritter of Edmonton, AB, will be the lone sprinter representing Canada, racing both the sprint and the keirin.

Of the nine cyclists, three participated in the 2014 edition of this event: Evan Burtnik, Connor Byway, and Bayley Simpson. Burtnik finished seventh in the omnium, the best result for these three young cyclists.

“Having continued to lift the expectation of what is demanded of a National Team rider at the UCI Juniors Track World Championships, there is an increasing expectation of the level of performance of our riders, said Ian Melvin, men’s endurance track coach at Cycling Canada. “Several strong performances in the Men’s Individual Pursuit at the selection trials suggest that a top-6 ride in the Men’s Team Pursuit is well within our reach and that a top-5 in the Individual Pursuit itself is a very real objective.”

Melvin adds: “The inclusion of three talented Junior Women has the promise to fulfill several top-10 placings in the individual endurance events while in the Men’s Sprint, the rapidly developing Stefan Ritter has the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best in the world where anything can happen.”

Supported by Cycling Canada staff, the 2015 Canadian Junior Track World Championship team has the potential to continue building towards medal potential performances in the coming years. As one of the major pathways into elite national team programs, ever improving performances and results will only serve to enhance and support Cycling Canada on the world stage.

TEAM CANADA – UCI JUNIOR TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Evan BURTNIK (18, Edmonton, AB)
Connor BYWAY (17, Ottawa, ON)
Bayley SIMPSON (17, Lindsay, ON)
John WILLCOX (16, Victoria, BC)
Jordann JONES (16, Ancaster, ON)
Stefan RITTER (17, Edmonton, AB)
Katherine MAINE (17, Ottawa, ON)
Anna TALMAN (17, Edmonton, AB)
Gillian ELLSAY (18, Courtenay, BC)

May 21, 2015/by Communications

CANADIAN MOUNTAIN BIKERS TO PARTICIPATE IN OPENING WORLD CUP RACES

Seven Canadian athletes to travel to Europe racing with National team

(Ottawa, ON – May 19, 2015) Seven Canadian Mountain Bikers will travel to Europe to participate in the two opening UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup legs of the 2015 season, in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czech Republic and Albstadt, Germany.

The cross-country portion of the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup begins in Czech Republic May 23-24, followed by the next weekend in Germany May 30-31.

The team will be headed by Dan Proulx, Head Coach of the Canadian Mountain Bike Team: “The main objectives for the team is to earn UCI points for Olympic qualification, and acquire more World Cup experience for our younger riders. Our expectations as a result of this project is to improve World Cup and UCI ranking, and provide an opportunity to test the fitness at the World Cup level for all athletes.”

Léandre Bouchard, who had a series of excellent results in the U23 category including three Canadian Championships title in four years, makes his debut to the Elite category, racing his first World Cup in the category. Raphaël Gagné will continue to progress coming off his breakthrough season in 2014, and is enjoying a very impressive 2015 season to date with several podiums at UCI events in the United States.

Three-time Canada Cup Champion and two-time Canadian Championships medallist Sandra Walter will race in the elite women race. Walter has had much success in the past year both nationally and internationally.

Peter Disera and Marc-André Fortier will race for Canada in the U23 Men category, while Haley Smith and Catherine Fleury will partake in the U23 Women category.

Other Canadians will be at these two World Cup events with their respective professional trade teams.

www.RedBull.tv will webcast live the Elite cross-country races from both events. On television, the race in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ, Czech Republic event will be broadcast on Sportsnet One in Canada, May 27 for the Elite Men and May 28 for the Elite Women, both days featuring a two hour show starting at 11:30 Eastern/9:30 Mountain Time.

TEAM CANADA – UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP – CZECH REPUBLIC AND GERMANY

Léandre BOUCHARD [Elite Men] (Alma, QC)
Peter DISERA [U23 Men] (Barrie, ON)
Catherine FLEURY [U23 Women] (Alma, QC)
Marc-André FORTIER [U23 Men] (Victoriaville, QC)
Raphaël GAGNÉ [Elite Men] (Québec, QC)
Haley SMITH [U23 Women] (Uxbridge, ON)
Sandra WALTER [Elite Women] (Coquitlam, BC)

May 19, 2015/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA PRE-SEASON UPDATE

The outdoor season is now upon us with the roads, paths, tracks and trails coming to life after a long winter. Cycling Canada has been very busy since the fall and would like to give our participants and supporters an update on many areas of interest.

In early December of last year the road stakeholders’ engagement was initiated towards finding more opportunities for trade teams, event organizers and provinces to contribute to the overall national road program and its further development. Specific sessions with various groups of stakeholders have been held through the first quarter of this year and have led to a more complete understanding of the many issues that are in play and, in some cases, the most appropriate way to address them. The process has yielded some additional support for events like the Pan American Championships at which Canada needs to obtain qualification points towards World Championships quota positions. The process of creating a more robust road program is ongoing.

Most of you will know that the Pan Am / Parapan Am Games Velodrome opened in Milton on the first weekend of this year. In addition to hosting two exciting track events, the Canadian Track Championships and the Milton International Challenge, the velodrome is now home to our National Team program and our athletes are benefitting from this legacy even in advance of this summer’s Games.

Another Pan Am Games legacy facility for cycling is set to open on June 13^th with the hosting of the BMX Canada Cup at the new Centennial Park in Etobicoke Supercross track. If you haven’t seen it and are in the area, don’t miss this inaugural competition.

In February we brought on board a new sponsor, Ecoasis – Bear Mountain Resort which will be the western Canadian training base for our Mountain Bike program. We look forward to working with them to bring high level training and racing to Vancouver Island.

In mid-April we launched the HopOnCanada campaign which has been very well received and supported by our agency Innocean Worldwide and numerous media partners particularly Rogers Sportsnet. Anyone who has watched any of the early season classic races on Sportsnet has been entertained by the rider less bikes within our public service ad. There is much more collateral beyond the PSA and we would encourage you to go to hoponcanada.ca to view it.

Recently the Cycling Canada Board held is semi-annual meeting Vancouver, BC. In addition to a full business agenda there was also an opportunity to share discussions with interested stakeholders on specific topics of interest to the organization.

On the business side the Board approved a budget of $ 7,361,000 for the 2015-16 fiscal year, reviewed the organization’s risk registry, discussed the feedback from the community on the new Anti-doping Rule Violation Policy and monitored the performance against the Strategic Plan over the past year.

The Board named the Nominations Committee for the 2015 Annual Meeting and the date for that meeting. The Nominations Committee will be chaired by Board Member Bill Kinash and comprised of Interprovincial Council representative Susan Richards who is President of Cycling Association of the Yukon and Greg Mathieu, CEO of Cycling Canada. The meeting will be held via conference call on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It will deal with three agenda items; Elections, Approval of the Financial Statements and Appointment of the Auditor. Further information will be provided to the voting members in the next month.

The Annual Conference will be held in St. John’s, Newfoundland from Friday, October 30^th to Sunday, November 1^st, 2015. The full itinerary for the weekend is being developed with the assistance of Bicycle Newfoundland & Labrador and promises to be a memorable weekend.

The Board had a very interesting and productive discussion on a successful club development program that was presented by Andrew Pinfold who outlined how the Vancouver-based Escape Velocity club has built their DEVO Vancouver Youth Cycling Team. The business model used to initiate and sustain the program is one that could be applied to many clubs across the country. With the help of the Bridge the Gap Fund the DEVO program is supporting a second club in Victoria that will implement the program. The intent is to seed additional clubs for a two-year period after which they are expected to have built up their sustainable capacity.

Blake and John Bromley met with the Board and outlined the rationale behind the charitable giving platform Chimp Fund. They pointed out that many organizations, including sporting organizations and teams, had worked with them to attract donations for their programs and activities. There were examples provided on how a sport cause could be set up and receive funds to support their activities. Cycling Canada plans to pilot a specific national team activity for support with Chimp to see learn more about what is needed at our end and how the community supports it.

John Tolkamp, President of Cycling Canada, summarized the recent months of activity as follows; “There has been a lot of work done by many people to advance the sport in a number of areas which can be seen within this brief report. Cycling is stepping up in the minds and hearts of Canadians and we want to build on this momentum. Best of luck to all for an enjoyable season of Hopping On!”

May 14, 2015/by Communications

CANADA CUP BMX TO FEATURE SEVEN EXCITING RACES IN FOUR CITIES

Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec all play host to most important BMX series in Canada

(Ottawa, ON – May 12, 2015) In its fourth year of operations, the Canada Cup BMX Series will offer a lineup of seven races to the young and fast BMXers of Canada.

The series will kick off in June, and will travel to Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta to finish in Calgary, AB where the new Canada Cup Champions will be crowned.

The Canada Cup BMX was introduced in 2012 as a way to help bridge provincial competitions to the international stage, and since has been an efficient tool in providing national competition to young riders, which is propelling Canada to some of its best international results since BMX became an Olympic discipline in 2008.

“The 2015 Canada Cup series will offer some great opportunities for young aspiring BMXers to compete against some of Canada’s best,” said Josh Peacock, the series coordinator for Cycling Canada. “The growth of the BMX Canada Cup series has been impressive over the last three years, and we are counting on more young BMXers to join the series this year. With world-class facilities in place such as the Toronto Pan Am BMX Supercross track, the Abbotsford Supercross Track, and the UCI-sanctioned track in Drummondville, athletes young and old will have access to the highest level of competition across the spectrum.”

Toronto, ON, will host the opening weekend of racing for the series on June 13-14 – the first time the city hosts races from the National Series. The much-anticipated Toronto BMX track has been built in conjunction with Toronto 2015 to provide some of the world’s best athletes a world-class track for the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games. The Toronto BMX track features the country’s second ever Supercross start-ramp and will provide a lasting legacy for local and National athletes alike. This event will serve as the track’s inaugural competition and promises athletes and spectators alike a thrilling weekend of racing.

The series head to Abbotsford, BC, June 27-28, for a set of two UCI C1 races at the training home base of the Canadian National BMX Team. The venue, which features a Supercross start ramp for the more experienced, was the host of a UCI BMX Supercross World Cup race in 2012.

The top riders will then travel to Drummondville, QC, host of the 2015 Canadian National BMX Championships and fifth stop on the Canada Cup circuit from July 3 to 5. The races organized by the Club de BMX St-Charles-de Drummond will take place on a newly updated UCI-sanctioned track as of summer 2014. The club began its operations in 2006 and has been hosting races of the Coupe du Québec series since 2008.

The Canada Cup Series will make its final stop in Calgary, AB from August 28 to 30. Organizers from the Calgary BMX Racing Club are excited to host a triple-event weekend, capping off the Canada Cup Series on Sunday with a set of newly crowned Series Champions. Friday August 28th will play host to a UCI C1 event, with Canada Cups 6 & 7 happening on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

James Palmer (BC) and Eliane McAdam (AB) both won the BMX Canada Cup Series Elite titles in 2014, while Hayden Michielsen (BC) and Cayleigh Van Staalduinen (AB) took the top honours of the Junior categories.

CALENDAR – 2015 CANADA CUP BMX SERIES

Canada Cup BMX #1-2

Toronto, ON

June 13-14, 2015

https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/bmx/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/toronto/

Canada Cup BMX #3-4

Abbotsford, BC

June 27-28, 2015

https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/bmx/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/abbotsford/

Canada Cup BMX #5

Drummondville, QC

July 05, 2015

https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/bmx/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/drummondville/

Canada Cup BMX Finals #6-7

Calgary, AB

August 29-30, 2015

https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/bmx/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/calgary/

May 12, 2015/by Communications

CANADA CUP SERIES OPEN WITH NEW COURSE DESIGNS AT MONT-TREMBLANT

Canada Cup has been showcasing rugged mountain biking for 25 years

(Mont-Tremblant, QC – May 11, 2015) The 2015 Canada Cup Mountain Bike Series, celebrating 25 years of excellence and rugged competitions, kicks off in Mont-Tremblant this weekend with newly redesigned courses for both cross-country and downhill.

The cross-country specialists will be the first to test the new course on May 17, followed by the downhillers on May 18.

Evan Guthrie and Sandra Walter, the two 2014 Canada Cup XCO Series Champions, are registered for this opening race of 2015, ready to defend their titles.

The event is one of three Canadian stops on the UCI Junior Series XCO calendar, and will allow junior riders to cumulate important points for to qualify towards the UCI World Championships.

“We are excited for another edition of exciting events at Mont-Tremblant in 2015. XC riders will benefit from a completely redesigned race course, incorporating more of the Mont Tremblant village and added technical features, improving the overall experience for athletes and spectators alike. Downhill riders will benefit from a revised schedule, allowing two full days of practice on-course, while offering a slightly improved course with some of the series’ most challenging features,” said Pierre Patrick Roy of Les Entreprises Cykel, the event organizer.

Adding to an exciting weekend of racing, organizers are excited to introduce the Duathlon urbain Tremblant (“D.ur.T”) and Vélo Yoga as two brand new events in an action-packed weekend schedule. Combined with an improved Expo & Technical Team space at the base of the mountain, this event promises to be one of the most memorable Tremblant Canada Cups to date

Mathieu Boucher, Cycling Canada’s Director of Performance Development, is excited about the new Mountain Bike season ahead: “We are very excited to begin the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Mountain Bike Canada Cup in Mont-Tremblant. Pierre Patrick Roy and his team worked relentlessly to develop new challenging courses and to make sure that everything is in place to offer an amazing week-end of racing for cyclists at every level. The new cross-country course will a take advantage of the renowned pedestrian village offering additional visibility to riders and their teams”

Event details can be found on the organizer’s website at http://velomotion.ca/

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Canada Cup series is designed to provide competitive opportunities to the next generation of cyclists, transitioning from provincial race series to international competitions. Hosted in partnership between Cycling Canada, its provincial sport organizations and local organizing committees, the Canada Cup Cycling Series is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union

Schedule, registration and technical guide information for the event can be found here: https://cyclingcanada.ca/sport/mountain-bike/events/type-of-event/canada-cup/mont-tremblant-canada-cup/

May 11, 2015/by Communications

TARA WHITTEN TAKES SILVER MEDAL AS SHE RETURNS TO INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Whitten has eyes set on the women’s individual time trial at Rio 2016

(Ottawa, ON – May 7, 2015) Tara Whitten of Edmonton, AB (The Cyclery-OPUS) won the silver medal in the individual time trial race Thursday at the 2015 UCI Road Pan-American Championships.

The London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist took a break from competition after the Olympic Games to focus on completing her doctorate studies. In the spring, she announced her return to competition with the objective to compete for Canada at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Today, she tackled the flat 18-km course with confidence, and crossed the finish line 15s back of Carmen Small of the United States of America, who posted the winning time of 27:55.

“It feels really good to be back in international competition ‎after almost three years away,” said Tara Whitten from Mexico. “My legs were feeling really good today. My pacing was a little off, but I’m happy that I could hold it together for a strong finish. I’m looking forward to building on this result as the rest of the season unfolds.”

Whitten will next race for the National Team at the 2015 Amgen Tour of California Invitational Time Trial, May 15 at Big Bear Lake.

Adam De Vos (Team HR Block) posted the best time for Canadians in the Men U23 time trial race, in seventh place. Alex Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) punctured and suffered mechanical issues, finishing ninth.

The road races at the UCI Pan-American Championships will take place Saturday and Sunday.

May 7, 2015/by Communications