News – Page 136 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

Challenge Longhi & Défi Sportif- Preparation Camp

Preparation Camp – Challenge Longhi & Défi Sportif

Organized by Cycling Canada and the Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes

Contact : Guillaume Plourde
Guillaume.plourde@cyclingcanada.ca
819-342-6092

Date: From April 27th to April 29th 2015

Location:
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (Île-Notre-Dame, Montréal)
And/or
Centre National de Cyclisme de Bromont
400, Shefford street, Bromont
J2L 3E7
(To be determined depending on weather)

Applications:

-Open camp for all para-cycling divisions (handbikes, tricycles, tandems and regular bikes);

-For competitors that attend Challenge Longhi and Défi Sportif Altergo 2015 that will be held in Montreal on the Notre-Dame Island from May 1st to May 3rd:
http://www.publicationsports.com/defisportif/login_ps.html?lng=EN
http://www.fqsc.net/paracyclisme/le-defi-sportif-2

-Maximum of 10 participants:
– Selection made from the 2014 National Championships, Défi Sportif
2014 and other races results ;
– Final selection will be made by the coach.

Preliminary Schedule:
8:00 Arrival of participants, presentations and camp guidelines
8:30 – 9:45 Athlete and groups preparation
10:00 -12:00 Training session
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch (self-sufficient / at the participants charge)
1:00 – 2:00 Morning session debriefing
2:00 – 2:45 Rest and preparation time
3:00 – 5:00 Active recovery and debriefing
**Travel, lodging and food costs will be 100% self-funded by participants**

*Click to see full Media Advisory*

March 16, 2015/by Communications

SULLIVAN FINISHES FOURTH IN FINAL DAY OF TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Ottawa, ON – February 22, 2015) Canada’s Monique Sullivan just missed the podium in the women’s Keirin at the 2015 UCI Track World Championships on Sunday, finishing 4th. It is Sullivan’s best-ever world championship result and caps five days of competition that saw Canada win two bronze medals and a total of four top-8 results.

Sullivan qualified in a minimum number of rides to make the gold medal final in the Keirin and rode a strong race, just getting pipped by Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (Cuba) in the final metres for the bronze. Anna Meares (Australia) won gold and Shanne Braspennincx (Netherlands) the silver.

“Today was a great day on the boards,” said Sullivan. “I really owe this one to the team and everyone who supported me. There’s been a push to the sprint program and my result is a testament to that. To have a dedicated sprint coach really helps the program and it makes a difference.”

“The goal is always to win a medal, but today I focussed on not wanting it. You want it so bad, but I just focussed on the process, and told myself ‘it’s about position’. In the early rounds especially I executed my rides well and I wasn’t scared to race my race, I’m not just following wheels. Just don’t be scared, everyone is beatable.”

Jacques Landry, Director of High Performance for Cycling Canada, summed up the Canadian performance, “Overall, I am satisfied with this week of competition. We as a program are tracking well with performances at the international level all the while building depth through our development programs. The women’s endurance successes this week are a product of great leadership by our coach Craig [Griffin] and also determination and commitment from the women in our program.”

“On the sprint side of things, the resurgence of Monique in the Keirin will serve as a catalyst from which we can continue to integrate a high performance culture within our ranks. We’ve only started seeing what our sprint athletes are capable of. With our sprint coach Erin providing great technical and tactical expertise on a daily in our new home in Milton, there is no doubt in my mind that through patience and hard work we will deliver performances at Games to come.”

“I am proud of the athletes and staff that we have in our program right now. We have all the ingredients to become a strong and confident track cycling nation.”

Text courtesy of Rob Jones/Canadian Cyclist

February 22, 2015/by Communications

CANADA WINS SECOND BRONZE MEDAL AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Ottawa, ON – February 21, 2015) Canada took its second medal of the Track Cycling World Championships on Saturday, in St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, when Allison Beveridge won the bronze medal in the women’s Scratch Race.

Beveridge, who was a member of Canada’s bronze medal Team Pursuit squad on Wednesday, came back from a mid-race crash to win bronze. Initially, Beveridge finished fourth, but moved up to third after the French rider, Pascale Jeuland, was relegated for an improper move. Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) took gold and Amy Cure (Australia) silver.

“It was definitely up and down,” agreed Beveridge. “I felt a bit frustrated after my crash, and then to come fourth was really frustrating. So to end up with the bronze was really exciting and a good way to end off the world championships. I first heard that I had won the bronze medal from the announcer and the crowd booing when the French girl was relegated, but when they came over to get me for the podium I knew for sure.”

Canada also had two men in the Sprint competition – Joseph Veloce and Hugo Barrette. Veloce, the Canadian national sprint champion, qualified 24th with a personal best time of 9.992 seconds for the Fly 200 metre time trial, but was knocked out of competition in the first heat. Barrette finished 26th in the qualifying time trial and did not move on to the sprint competition.

“It was definitely a bittersweet day,” said Veloce. “I’m happy with my qualifier – the first tie under ten seconds at sea level – but I ended up having to race the fastest guy and he caught me flat footed, so that was it for my day. I had some forced time off after a bad crash in 2013, but I’m happy with my progression in the last three months, as I keep getting faster. Now I’m looking forward to racing at home in Toronto.”

Canada has one athlete racing on Sunday, the final day of competition, with Monique Sullivan competing in the women’s Keirin.

Text courtesy of Rob Jones/Canadian Cyclist

February 21, 2015/by Communications

GLAESSER 6TH IN INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Ottawa, ON – February 20, 2015) Two Canadians competed on Day 3 of the 2015 Track World Championships in St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, on Friday. Jasmin Glaesser was Canada’s top finisher with a sixth place result in the women’s Individual Pursuit, while Monique Sullivan was eliminated in the first round of the women’s Sprint.

Sullivan qualified 14th in the Flying 200 metre time trial, but lost to Victoria Williamson of Great Britain in the first round of head-to-head sprinting. This is Sullivan’s first world championship since the London Olympics, and she is steadily rebuilding her form.

“I was definitely hoping for more today,” agreed Sullivan. “But it’s all about learning and building for the next races, so I’m just taking what I can from this experience. I’m happy with the training I’ve had, but it’s all about consistency, and soon I think everything will begin to come together.”

Glaesser, a member of Canada’s Team Pursuit squad, which won a bronze medal the day before, and set a new national record, came up flat in the 3000 metre Individual Pursuit after two hard rides the day before.

“I had some pretty high expectations today, Glaesser admitted. “I’ve had some great Individual Pursuits last month in Milton and training in L.A. [Los Angeles], so I knew that I was more than capable of being in the final. I’m absolutely gutted, but I was running on an empty tank today after the Team Pursuits [on Thursday, when Canada set a new national record].”

February 20, 2015/by Communications

Canada Wins First Medal of 2015 Track World Championships

Day 2 of the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, saw five world titles awarded, with a second world record also set. Canada won its first medal of these championships with a bronze in the Women’s Team Pursuit.

For a fourth straight year, Canada was on the podium in the Team Pursuit. After struggling in the opening round on Wednesday, the Canadian team of Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Steph Roorda came back in round two on Thursday with a time three seconds faster then their previous one, setting a Canadian record of 4:17.799. They finished second in their heat to defending world champions Great Britain, who went on to the gold medal final against Australia, while Canada faced New Zealand. In the bronze medal final Canada won by nearly five seconds.

“I was disappointed in our performance yesterday,” admitted Glaesser, “we made some technical errors that didn’t show what we could do out there. So, I think we came back today and redeemed ourselves a little bit. Everyone today … we really focussed, we set our minds to it and committed to our ride, and I think that showed.”

The first title was awarded in the women’s 500 metre Individual Time Trial, with the same three medalists as last year, but reverse order. Russia’s Anastasia Voynova took gold after finishing the bronze medal position last year, while world record holder Anna Meares of Australia retained silver, and defending champion Miriam Welte of Germany dropped to bronze. Canada’s Kate O’Brien, racing at her first world championships, finished 18th.

“I’m still pretty new to this,” explained O’Brien, “so it’s hard to say what time I expected. It’s an indication of where I am right now, and I know that I have some more work to do.”

In the men’s Keirin, Canada’s Hugo Barrette did not make it out of the first round. In the Repechage race, Barrette attempted to break away with a lap to go and was leading by eight bike lengths with less than a lap to go. However, he was caught ten metres from the line. He admits to disappointment, commenting “it’s the world championships, and everyone showed up with great legs today. I’m in the best shape of my life, but wasn’t able to make the semi-finals, so that’s really disappointing. I gave my best and it just wasn’t enough.”

February 19, 2015/by Communications

Canada Qualifies Third in Women’s Team Pursuit

The 2015 UCI Track World Championships opened in St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, on Wednesday with a world record time set, plus a win for the host nation.

Canada had a third place in Women’s Team Pursuit qualifying, keeping them in the hunt for a medal ride tomorrow, when they go up against Great Britain in the second round of racing. A win would put the team of Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Steph Roorda in the gold medal final, while a third or fourth overall in the second round would put them into the bronze medal race.

“The time was close to what we were shooting for,” said Roorda, “we might be a little bit disappointed because we were hoping to maybe get a couple of more seconds. But it’s the fastest we’ve gone [at sea level]. First would have been best, but we can still get into the gold medal round with third.”

Canada’s team of Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien set a second fastest Canadian time ever at sea level in the Women’s Team Sprint, at 34.994 seconds for 12th place, with O’Brien making a fast transition from racing the Bobsleigh World Cup last weekend. China, a perennial favourite in the Team Sprint, winning four silver and two bronze medals in the past eight years, finally took gold ahead of European champions Russia. The Chinese team of Jinjie Gong and Tianshi Zhong put together a world record run in the gold medal final, knocking 0.119 seconds off the time of defending champion Germany. Australia took the bronze medal ahead of Germany.

“I wasn’t super happy with the ride,” O’Brien admitted. “I felt a bit off in the start, so it’s something I have to work on. But I think Monique rode really well, and it’s exciting to be able to come to Worlds in my first year.”

The Canadian men’s team of Hugo Barrette, Joe Veloce and Evan Carey also had a promising result in the Men’s Team Sprint, knocking six-tenths of a second off their previous best sea level time to finish 13th.

“It feels pretty good going 44.4 [seconds],” agreed Barrette, “six-tenths better than our last sea level record. It’s inspiring for what’s to come. We’re still a development team, and Evan Carey, a rookie, did the best he could and we are really pleased with the improvement we have made.”

The men’s Team Sprint saw some drama, with first place qualifier and defending champion New Zealand initially beating France in the gold medal race, only to get relegated to the silver medal after it was determined they made an exchange between the first and second rider outside of the transition zone. The disappointment of the Kiwis was palpable when the building erupted in cheers after the relegation was announced, and the French team of Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau and Michael d’Almeida were declared the winners. Germany defeated Russia to take the bronze medal.

The action continues on Thursday, with Canada racing in the final rounds of the Women’s Team Pursuit, the Men’s Keirin and Women’s 500 metre Time Trial.

Courtesy of Canadian Cyclist

February 19, 2015/by Communications

CANADA READY TO TACKLE WORLD’S BEST AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Ottawa, ON – February 13, 2015) Canada is ready to compete and win some medals at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Canada’s women team pursuit is in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, with only one objective: bring back home some medals. The team will depart Canada on Wednesday, competing from February 18 to 22 in the five-day competition featuring the world’s top track cyclists.

“Canada is ready to leave a mark at this World Championship. Our women’s team pursuit program has shown that it can unequivocally stand on the podium while our team sprinters continue to gain some critical international experience while improving their rankings. We feel that we can and will be strong competitors at this event,” said Jacques Landry, High Performance Director at Cycling Canada.

The Canadian women’s squad has had plenty of success in the team pursuit event in previous editions of this cycling sport, winning medals the last three years. Canada’s team will be represented by Jasmin Glaesser, Stephanie Roorda, Kirsty Lay, Alison Beveridge and Annie Foreman-MacKey. Of the team, only Glaesser was part of the team that won the Olympic bronze medal in London. The final composition of the team will be announced at a later date.

Glaesser is also expected to perform well in the individual pursuit, where a medal is within her reach.

In the sprint events, the rising duo of Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien continue to improve in the women’s team sprint international rankings. With Sullivan enjoying the best season of her career and O’Brien off to a roaring start in her rookie season on a bike, the duo could score some important Olympic-qualification points for Canada. The team will look to finish in the Top 8.

Joseph Veloce, Hugo Barrette, and Evan Carey will represent Canada in the men’s team sprint race. The threesome excelled this season in World Cup action, showing consistent progress on a regular basis as the season unfolded. The three-man team is also looking to rack up some important points on their Olympic qualification journey, hoping to end the current season with a Top 12 performance.

TEAM CANADA – 2015 UCI TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jasmin GLAESSER (22, Coquitlam, BC) [Team Pursuit, Individual Pursuit]
Stephanie ROORDA (28, Vancouver, BC) [Team Pursuit]
Allison BEVERIDGE (21, Calgary, AB) [Team Pursuit, Scratch]
Annie FOREMAN-MACKEY (23, Kingston, ON) [Team Pursuit]
Kirsti LAY (26, Montreal, QC) [Team Pursuit]
Monique SULLIVAN (25, Calgary, AB) [Sprint, Keirin, Team Sprint]
Kate O’BRIEN (26, Calgary, AB) [Team Sprint, Time Trial]
Evan CAREY (20, Victoria, BC) [Team Sprint]
Joseph VELOCE (25, Fonthill, ON) [Sprint, Team Sprint]
Hugo BARRETTE (23, Cap-aux-Meules, QC) [Sprint, Keirin, Team Sprint]

February 13, 2015/by Communications

PARA-CYCLIST SHELLEY GAUTIER UP FOR PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD

(Ottawa, ON – February 11, 2015) Canadian para-cyclist Shelley Gautier is up for a highly prestigious international award – the Laureus Sportsperson with a Disability.

Gautier is shortlisted among a select group of international para-athlete.

“We are delighted to hear that Shelley has been nominated for this highly prestigious award. Gautier has persevered many years to become a World-class athlete and multiple time World Champion. She has inspired many in Canada to reach their goals and accomplish their dreams. We couldn’t be prouder of all the accomplishment she boasts throughout her short yet fruitful career as a para-cyclist,” said Greg Mathieu, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General at Cycling Canada.

The Laureus World Sports Awards will take place on April 15 in Shanghai, China.

Laureus is a universal movement celebrating the power of sport as a force for good to bring people together. It is composed of three core elements – the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus World Sports Awards and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation – which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.

The winners will be announced during a televised ceremony, which in 2014 was broadcast as a live broadcast to over 100 countries around the world and to over 160 countries and territories in total.

February 11, 2015/by Communications

Montréal to host Canada’s first UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup leg

Montréal, Friday, January 30, 2015 – It’s now official: On Saturday, September 19, 2015, Montréal will host the first-ever UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup on Canadian soil, right after Las Vegas opens the 2015-2016 season. For the first time in the discipline’s history, athletes will travel from Europe to North America to start the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season.

“I’m delighted the second round of the 2015-2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup will be taking us to Montréal,” commented UCI President Brian Cookson. “It shows that cyclo-cross is becoming more international after Louisville hosted the UCI World Championships for the first time in 2013. A new phase has now begun in North America with the first round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup to ever be organized in Canada. With Montréal following Las Vegas to open the season, these events are pushing back the discipline’s geographic boundaries.”

For the first time in the sport’s history, Montréal will have the opportunity to host the world’s elite, with more than 200 athletes from 20 countries. Canadians will also be able to perform in front of a home crowd: big names in the world of mountain biking like Maghalie Rochette, Catharine Pendrel, and Geoff Kabush should be on the start line.

Location to be confirm
Gestev is well known for bringing sporting events to downtown locations and will be in the vanguard again as it puts on the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup event in the heart of the city, in an iconic location of the metropolis. The exact location will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Very technical, the 3 km long course combining natural and artificial surfaces, asphalt, sand, and stairs requires athletes to show a great deal of agility for about an hour. Obstacles scattered across the course will force cyclists to leave the saddle and carry their bikes over their shoulders, adding to the excitement. “In Europe, cyclo-cross events celebrate cycling for all, and that’s what we’re aiming for in Montréal,” said Patrice Drouin, president of event producer Gestev.

More details on the event will follow in the months to come.

January 30, 2015/by Communications

TEAM CANADA AT CYCLO-CROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Ottawa, Jan. 23, 2015) Ten athletes will represent Canada at the 2015 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Tabor, CZE, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2015.

Canadian athletes will compete in the Junior Men, U23 Men, Elite Women and Elite Men categories. As preparation for the world championships, the team will also compete in the UCI World Cup in Hoogerheide, NED, on Jan. 24 and 25.

CANADIAN TEAM – 2014 UCI CYCLO-CROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Tabor, CZE

Junior Men

Willem Boersma [Portage la Prairie, MB]
Quinton Disera [Barrie, ON]
Oliver Evans [Winnipeg, MB]
Liam Mulcahy [Brooklin, ON]
Stefan Ritter [Edmonton, AB]

U23 Men

Danick Vandale [Winnipeg, MB]

Elite Women

Mical Dyck [Victoria, BC]

Elite Men

Mike Garrigan [St. Clements, ON]
Mark McConnell [Calgary, AB]
Aaron Schooler [Edmonton, AB]

January 23, 2015/by Communications