News – Page 137 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT COMMUNITY TO HELP CANADA’S MOUNTAIN BIKER ACHIEVE WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES

Canada’s National Mountain Bikers find home in Victoria, BC

January 21, 2015 (Victoria, BC) – ECOASIS and Cycling Canada are proud to announce their partnership that will designate Bear Mountain as the Official High Performance Training Centre of the Canadian National Mountain Bike Team.

The Partnership will run from 2015 to 2020 and is perfectly aligned with Cycling Canada’s vision to become a leading cycling nation by 2020 and beyond.

With the recently opened Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, ON and now the Ecoasis Mountain Bike National Cycling Centre opened at Bear Mountain in Victoria, BC, Canada is in a stronger position to achieve its long-term objectives to put Canadian athletes on the podium at Olympic Games and World Championships.

Throughout the partnership, the Canadian National Mountain Bike Team will participate in various Major Games, including Olympic Games [Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020], Pan American Games [Toronto 2015, Lima 2019] and Commonwealth Games [Gold Coast 2018].

Southern Vancouver Island has attracted the country’s top mountain bike athletes as a home and year-round training ground since the inception of the sport in the 1990’s, including Canada’s first Mountain Bike Olympian (Athens – 1996), and Victoria native, Andreas Hestler: “Southern Vancouver Island has all the ingredients to turn out world-class athletes and has been doing so for many years. It is amazing to see facilities developed to support athletes and of equal importance to engage the local community in encouraging a healthy lifestyle. I am excited to see the long term legacy that this forward thinking can deliver – this is a win-win for everyone!”

Other notable athletes who have lived and trained in Victoria include Roland Green (World Champion 2001, 2002), Alison Sydor (World Champion 1994, 1995, 1996) and Catherine Pendrel (World Champion 2011, 2014) among others.

Two-time XC MTB World Champion Catherine Pendrel is excited about the opportunity to train in Canada. “Canada has been a dominant nation in cross-country mountain biking since World Cup racing began in the early 90’s. Riders naturally gravitated to the year round temperate climate and amazing trail and road riding network in Victoria. Having a training centre in Victoria will be an incredible resource to develop our national team riders and to continue producing the best riders in the world. I am really excited by this partnership between Bear Mountain and Cycling Canada MTB and look forward to spending more time on the island.”

Canadian Mountain Bike Head Coach and Victoria resident Dan Proulx sees great opportunities for the National Mountain Bike Team going forward with the new Training Centre at Bear Mountain: “Bear Mountain will provide the National Team with a great opportunity to build a year-round high-performance centre that supports Canada’s future champions.” Proulx added “the weather, technical terrain and daily training environment in this region will help our riders fully prepare for international competition. The National Mountain Bike team has a strong history here. Many of the best Canadian mountain bikers have perfected their skills and fitness on these trails.”

ECOASIS President and CEO, Dan Matthews: “Bear Mountain Resort is very pleased to support and welcome Canada’s mountain bike athletes, many of whom have deep roots in the trails around our beautiful resort community. Acting as a catalyst for world-class sport development is a priority for us at Bear Mountain, and we are excited and proud to be an important anchor for Cycling Canada’s mountain biking program. Along with the development of the trails necessary for the Canadian team athletes, we are working with our local partner organizations to introduce trail systems for mountain bikers of all skill levels to enjoy. Mountain biking is a strong complement to our commitment to golf and tennis and its versatility fits in well with the expansive healthy lifestyle opportunities and amenities that will further distinguish our community.”

The CEO of Cycling Canada, Greg Mathieu is appreciative of the support being provided to the national program and noted: “Thanks to ECOASIS, our riders will get to experience the challenging trails on southern Vancouver Island and considerable support available at Bear Mountain Resort. This partnership will enhance our national program and provide for a daily training environment that is essential to the development of Canada’s top mountain bikers.”

The first of the Canadian National Mountain Bike Team’s Spring Training Camps with take place at Bear Mountain this February 23- March 8. There will be opportunities to meet the athletes and coaches at Westin Bear Mountain on the final weekend of the Camp. Further details will be announced.

January 21, 2015/by Communications

ADDENDUM TO ANTI-DOPING CONSULTATION REPORT

Cycling Canada was made aware of the concern of a member regarding compliance with the Terms of Reference for the Consultation Report that was published on October 29, 2014. The specific concern related to item 16 of the Terms of Reference which reads; “LBB will act independently during the consultation process, with no influence whatsoever from CCES or CCC or any of its officials and/or employees, past or present, and will receive no instructions whatsoever either from CCES or CCC with regard to the consultation process and the substantive content in the LBB Report.”

The intent of this clause was to ensure that the interviewer (LBB Strategies) was not influenced in any manner by either the CCES or Cycling Canada in their work. We believe that goal was upheld but wish to acknowledge the concern that has been raised. The specific issue raised was that one of the interviewers had a contract with Cycling Canada in 2003. Although this was not known by the project coordinators at CCES or Cycling Canada at the time the Consultation commenced, it has been found to be the case. This individual was known by CCES and Cycling Canada to have played an active role in the administration of Cycling Canada many years earlier – well prior to the years covered by the Consultation process. This earlier involvement in cycling was deemed acceptable, indeed beneficial, as in-depth knowledge of the sport was a required component of the interviewee selection process where not all who wished to contribute could be heard.

Cycling Canada contacted the President of LBB Strategies, Benoit Girardin, who provided the following statement; “Our consultancy firm, LBB Strategies, recently conducted a study and consultation on the doping activity in Canadian cycling. It has been brought to our attention that one of the three interviewers that worked on the project had a contract with the Canadian Cycling Association for one year during the period that was reviewed (January 1, 1998 to December 1, 2013). As the project director, I can confirm that the interviewer conducted just a few interviews, provided me with the raw interview notes and was not involved in the analysis of the interview results or in drafting the report. I am totally confident that the legitimacy and objectivity of the report, its findings and recommendations have not been impacted at all by this situation”.

Cycling Canada believes the Consultation Report was in all respects true to its intents and aims, and that a great deal of valuable information was learned from it. We don’t feel that the integrity of the report was compromised in any way and we believe that it has provided us with a great tool as we try and move towards cleaner sport.

January 19, 2015/by Communications

CANADA TO COMPETE IN THE LAST WORLD CUP ROUND OF THE 2015 CAMPAIN

Cali, Columbia host final World Cup round prior to World Championships

(January 15, 2015 – Ottawa, ON) The Canadian Track Cycling Team is competing this weekend at the last 2015 World Cup round.

Canada is sending a development squad to compete in the Women’s Team Pursuit event. Catherine Dessureault, Kinley Gibson, Ariane Bonhomme and Annie Foreman-Mackey will all make their World Cup debut in the event.

Since 2012, Canada has been on the podium in all World Cup and World Championship events with Jasmin Glaesser, Laura Brown, Stephanie Roorda, Allison Beveridge and Kirsty Lay. These team pursuit riders are skipping this World Cup round in order to prepare optimally for the upcoming World Championships to take place in Paris at the end of February.

Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien will take part in the women’s sprint events while Joe Veloce, Hugo Barrette, and Evan Carey will be competing in the men’s sprint events.

Also, competing in this last World Cup of the season will be the men’s team pursuit squad. The men’s team pursuit squad will be comprised of Rémi Pelletier-Roy, Eric Johnstone, Aidan ‎Caves, Sean McKinnon and Adam Jamieson.

The event starts Friday with the team event qualifications.

January 15, 2015/by Communications

Cycling Canada releases physiological assessment materials for coaches

Cycling Canada has developed a new set of physiological assessments to answer the questions that coaches and riders often face, in consultation with coaches and physiologists from all cycling sports. We have developed these new protocols for the National team, and would like to share them with anyone in our system who is interested in using them. If a coach is working with an athlete who they think could make the National Team, being able to send results/information to the National Coach in a way that can be compared directly to data we have on internationally-successful riders will help show their potential.

Data can be collected from field data or lab testing, with more detail captured as the rider progresses up the development pathway.

Our next steps will be to translate these documents into French, and to create a database that people can use to upload results and generate reports on their athletes, if they chose.

https://cyclingcanada.ca/resource/

January 12, 2015/by Krisw

GLAESSER AND PELLETIER-ROY RESIST PRESSURE TO WIN OMNIUM

Veloce rises to the occasion to win Keirin at inaugural Milton International Challenge

(January 11, 2015 – Milton, ON) The inaugural Milton International Challenge came to an end on Sunday, with riders from nine countries taking to the boards of the brand new velodrome in Milton, ON.

The last day of competition featured the keirin races and the remaining three races of the omnium.

Jasmin Glaesser and Rémi Pelletier-Roy started Sunday’s competition as leaders of the men’s and women’s omnium. Glaesser took the third place in both the time trial and the flying lap, and entered the points race with a strong lead. Despite a strong challenge from her national team teammates Stephanie Roorda and Allison Beveridge, Glaesser defended her lead and finished the omnium with 230 points, 19 points ahead of Roorda and 23 points over Canadian Champion Beveridge.

“More than anything I was really excited to race. I wanted to be aggressive from the start, and not simply defend the lead. I really wanted a good race, and put in 100%,” said Glaesser. “Looking back at some of my international races, I tend to wait too long to start fighting in the race. At the World Cup in London, I finished second (in the points race) by just one point, and I think that came down as not going for points early enough and always have to catch up. For me, today was a practice going into the points race at the upcoming World Championships.”

In the men’s omnium, Pelletier-Roy had a six-point lead entering the last day of competition. He increased his lead in the time trial and took third place in the flying lap. Heading into the points race he had a slim four-point lead. Right from the start, he went on the attack by lapping the field for 20 points, and followed every ensuing attack to secure the victory. Pelletier-Roy finished the 120-lap race with an impressive 50-point lead over Ed Veal in second place.

“When I try to race defensively, it’s never a good outcome. I came into the race with the mentality of it being a standalone Points Race. Of course, I was watching a few guys… but I wanted to race just like any other race,” said Pelletier-Roy, the Canadian Champion in the event.‎ “I am on my journey to accumulate UCI points and race the World Cup next year and maybe qualify a spot for Rio‎.”

The men’s keirin final featured Canada’s two best sprinters, with Hugo Barrette and the keirin Canadian Champion Joseph Veloce in the final for the gold medal. Veloce took the lead position in the opening five laps. When the sprint launched, Barrette immediately attacked to lead the 6-man group with Veloce right behind. In the last lap, Veloce turned on the engines, overtook Barrette and rode away to the gold medal.

“Wearing the National Champion jersey, I went in to do the jersey justice. I wanted to win this race. I raced aggressively and stood on top of the podium,” said Veloce.

“During an attack, a lot of things come into play. When someone is coming over the top of you, you have two choices: you can let him pass you, or keep him on your hip. Once I knew he had a good dig to do a good effort coming over top, I decided to let him go and set up the rush. At the front, you work a lot harder at top speeds. Coming out of corner four, I saw Hugo turned his head a bit and jumped at the opportunity to pounce. I went all out from there to take the win.”

Canada’s Monique Sullivan won silver in the women’s keirin. Sullivan, who won the sprint events yesterday, won each heat of the day to earn her spot in the final. In the ultimate race, the lone Canadian faced three Americans and two riders from the Netherlands. Right from the start, Sullivan took the front and maintained the lead position for the entire race. But in the final straight coming to the line, Yesna Rijkhoff of the Netherlands surged around the outside and edged Sullivan at the finish line.

Eva Burk of the United States won the junior women’s keirin gold medal, while Canada’s Nick Wammes came out on top of the men’s junior race.

The Canadian Track Cycling Team will now travel to Colombia to compete in the last UCI World Cup event of the season in Cali. The team will then prepare for the World Championships presented in Paris later in February.

Flash quotes: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/media

Full results: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/results

January 11, 2015/by Communications

OVER 6700 SPECTATORS ENJOY TRACK CYCLING RACES AT NEW VELODROME

Largest Track Cycling crowds since 1994 Commonwealth Games

(January 11, 2015 – Milton, ON) A large crowd turned out at the new velodrome to cheer on the athletes over the last seven days of competitions. Over 2500 came to watch the Milton International Challenge, and over 6700 gathered over the two weekend of competition, which included the Canadian Track Championships last week end.

Canadian track cycling legend Curt Harnett was thrilled to see spectators enjoying the sport he loves. “I can’t think of any event since the 1994 Commonwealth Games that attracted this kind of crowd for a track cycling event. This velodrome is the truly the beginning of a new era for Canada’s cycling programs.”

Canadian cycling legend Steve Bauer is currently head coach of the Milton Cycling Academy. Bauer will share his expertise and leadership to develop a full program of track cycling at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, ranging from introductory track cycling programs to more structured training sessions for all ages and abilities. The Milton Cycling Academy will play a key role in engaging participation of new cyclists in the community and the province, as well as supporting a talent pool of athletes focused on their long-term athletic development. The ultimate goal of aspiring young athletes would be to transition into high performance international competition with Cycling Canada.

January 11, 2015/by Communications

GLAESSER, PELLETIER-ROY LEAD OMNIUM AT MILTON INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE

Canada’s Monique Sullivan and Hugo Barrette take sprint victories

(January 10, 2015 – Milton, ON) Day two of the Milton International Challenge featured the sprint finals and the first three races of the omnium event.

Canada’s Jasmin Glaesser currently leads the women’s omnium event, thanks to a perfect day on the track, with victories in all three races today: the scratch race, individual pursuit and the elimination race. With 120 points, she has a lead of eight points over Stephanie Roorda and 12 points over Canadian Champion Allison Beveridge.

“[The perfect omnium] would be nice, but would certainly be a tough go. Alli [Allison Beveridge] is very quick, and same with Steph [Roorda]. They both are in great form right now, and we have some strong international riders here. The 500m and the Flying Lap are definitely not my strongest events. I am really looking forward to the points race,” said Glaesser, who had to pull out of the omnium last week due to illness. “I was so disappointed last week, having to withdraw. It was a National Championship. I wasn’t at my best and had to pull out of racing. Since that day, I have been looking to bounce back and making amends in this race.”

Rémi Pelletier-Roy, the Canadian Champion in the event, raced to the second place of the scratch race, posted the fastest time of the individual pursuit, and took second place of the elimination race after being relegated in the last lap. Pelletier currently leads the men’s omnium by six points over his closest competitors, Ed Veal also of Team Canada and Zachary Kovalcik of Team USA both tied in second place.

“The first day is always a little bit more dangerous. Anything can happen in the scratch and the elimination races. I was pretty happy to finish second in both these races. In the pursuit, I don’t think I needed to go that fast, but I didn’t want to take a risk and I wanted to use that as a training ride. It was a really good day,” said Pelletier-Roy. He added: “The kilo and the flying lap aren’t my strongest events, but I can manage to do well, so I can stay on top of the standings. The points race is the race I have been excited about, and that’s where the omnium will unfold.”

In the individual sprint races, Canada’s Monique Sullivan took the titles with some solid and dominant racing throughout the entire day. Sullivan faced Netherland’s Yesna Rijkhoff in the gold medal duel, and easily defeated her opponent in two rounds to win her second victory at this International Challenge.

Canada’s Hugo Barrette, the reigning Canadian Champion, took control of preliminary heats. In the semi-finals he faced training partner Nijsane Philip of Trinidad who came fourth in the same event at the 2012 Olympic Games. Labeled as the “Clash of the Titans”, Barrrette did not disappoint in front the Canadian crowd. Barrette took the opening round in a nail-biting fashion, and repeated his feat in the second round, coming from behind while benefiting from the inside lane.

Canada’s Olympic sprinter Joseph Veloce qualified with the fastest time, and also dominated all the way to the gold medal dual, setting up an All-Canadian final and a repeat of the exciting sprint finals from last week’s Canadian Championships.

In the gold medal showdown, Veloce took the first of two heats, but made a critical mistake in the second round, and Barrette jumped at the opportunity to win, and force a decider. In the ultimate face-off for the gold medal, Barrette quickly accelerated to take the lead position, and never looked back resisting a fierce attack from Veloce, taking the gold medal.

Germany’s Christoph Schweizer won the points race by a mere point over Nicholas Roger of the United States, and four points over his brother Michael Schweizer. The women’s points race was won by American Colleen Hayduk with 24 points, while her teammate Kate Wilson finished second. In third place was Great Britain’s Amy Hill.

In junior action, Sei Daniel of Trinidad took the men’s sprint gold medal, and Charlotte Creswicke finished first in the women’s race.

Racing ends tomorrow with the final three races of the omnium, the keirin and the madison races.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here.

Flash quotes: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/media

Full schedule: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/schedule

Full results: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/results

January 10, 2015/by Communications

MILTON VELODROME OFFICIALLY OPENED, INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE UNDERWAY

Team Canada takes top honours in three of four team events

(January 9, 2015 – Milton, ON) The Cisco Pan Am Velodrome in Milton is officially opened, and the team events took place on this inaugural day of competition at the three-day Milton International Challenge.

The event started Friday with the team sprint and team pursuit events, and the riders from nine countries raced on the brand new Siberian pine track on the outskirts of Toronto, where the 2015 Toronto Pan-American Games will take place.

Team Canada, the primary World Cup squad, easily won the gold medal facing Team Canada Development (B) by overtaking their opponents just past the 2.5km mark of the 4-km race. The winning team featured world cup medallists Jasmin Glaesser, Stephanie Roorda, Laura Brown and Kirsty Lay.

Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien proudly showcased their new Canadian Champion jersey, and defeated the Trinidad and Tobago team in the women team sprint final. The two ladies took the gold medal edging Team Netherlands by just 0.05 seconds.

“It’s always fun to compete, and always really fun to win,” said Kate O’Brien, who also competes in bobsleigh throughout the winter months. “It’s been so fun to do both cycling and bobsleigh at the same time. Both federations have worked really well together. It sounds cliché, but I am totally living the dream right now.”

For Sullivan, who lost her voice in the last couple of weeks, she couldn’t be happier. “It’s awesome to be here. I can’t believe we are doing our final preparation for the next World Cup right here at home, on this track. I am still today in shock that this velodrome is ours.”

The men’s team pursuit team comprised of Adam Jamieson, Aidan Caves, Sean McKinnon and Eric Johnstone also came out on top of the podium, quickly catching their competitors just 1625m into the race to win the gold medal.

“Judging by our coach Ian Melvin, we were right on pace. The fact that we caught them just 1600m is pretty impressive. We were expecting to go through to the 3-3.5 km mark just like we did at Canadian Championships [last week],” said Eric Johnstone, a member of the young men’s team pursuit squad. “From where we were a year ago to where we stand today, it’s absolutely amazing. The progression we’ve made in the last 12 months is tremendous, and it’s so cool to be part of this program. We’re hoping for a really good ride in Cali, and crack the Top 8. We’ve looked at the numbers after London, we and were so close from the Top 10, knocking on the door. We are going to have to fight hard next year all the way, with the World Cup season and the Pan-Am Games, if we want to get to the Olympics.”

Canadian men team sprinters faced the powerful Trinidad squad in the finals, and took the silver medal. Trinidad had among its group a London 2012 Olympic finalists in Njisane Phillip, who finished fourth in the individual sprint at the last Olympic Games. Trinidad won the event with a final time of 46.356 seconds in the gold medal showdown, taking on the Canadians by more than one second.

In the women scratch race, Norway’s Anita Stenberg won the gold medal thanks a powerful effort in the last lap, beating Americans Judith Bloem and Colleen Hayduk at the finish line.

The exciting men’s scratch race saw Nicholas Rogers of the United States take the victory after a solo effort in the last five laps. Rogers was part of a three-man attack that successfully lapped the field which included Zachary Kovalcik of the USA, second, and Dylan Davis of Canada, third.

Team NCCH took both team pursuit titles in the junior category.

Racing continues Saturday and ends on Sunday.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
Flash quotes: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/media
Full schedule: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/schedule
Full results: http://www.toronto2015.org/CNC-MIC-test-event/results

Photo: Cycling Canada/Kevin Vagg

January 9, 2015/by Communications

Opening of Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome Marks Six Months Until Games Begin

TORONTO 2015 Games on Track and Gaining Momentum

MILTON January 9, 2014 — The Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome is off to a roaring start, with national competitions and the official venue opening marked by high-level international competitions. With just six months to go until the Opening Ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games, another key piece of the Games infrastructure is open and another sport test event is helping to finalize preparations.

“People in Milton have watched this unique structure going up in their community, and now they’re coming inside to experience this beautiful building. Not only will spectators watch top international athletes racing, but they’ll also see a truly impressive community space that they’ll be using for years to come,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015). “This international cycling test event is a great way to kick off 2015 — now that we’re in the home stretch to the Games, you can feel the excitement building in the Velodrome and throughout the region.”

The Velodrome saw its first athletes and spectators from January 3 to 6, at the Canadian Track Cycling Championships, presented by Cisco. From January 9 to 11, the Milton International Challenge, presented by Cisco, will welcome cyclists from around the world for a final push for medals and prizes in one of the last events on the calendar for the 2014-15 UCI World Cup season. Tickets are available at https://secure1.tixhub.com/velodrome/online/index.asp.

Events like these provide TO2015 with invaluable opportunities to test venue operations, athlete transportation, accessibility, timing and scoring competitions, as well as experience mobilizing volunteers and other critical functions. So far, the more than 45 test events have given sports fans and community members the chance to see live sports and become more familiar with the Games, including a chance to see 12 new and renovated sport facilities.

The Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome holds a 250-metre timber track, with two 42-degree banks, and is one of two facilities of its kind in the U.S. and Canada. The Olympic- and Paralympic-calibre training facility, will be the new home base for Cycling Canada, the Ontario Cycling Association and the Milton Cycling Academy.

The Velodrome, a legacy community recreation centre, will help Milton attract major national and international cycling events to the community for years to come. The oval-shaped, three-story, fully accessible Velodrome is also designed to operate year-round as a community centre. It includes three multi-use courts located on the infield and walking track located on the spectator level.

Momentum is building towards Games time with:

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Torch Relay team preparing visit 130 Ontario communities and five communities outside of the province.
Lead Partner CIBC and more than 50 other partners and sponsors that have stepped up to support the Games.
Artists, performers and diverse communities are getting ready to stage PANAMANIA, presented by CIBC, the five-week arts and culture celebration in Nathan Philips Square which will be open to the whole community.
Plans for Aboriginal participation at a pavilion that explores the historic and future contributions of indigenous people of the Americas.
A commitment to stage the most inclusive and diverse Games ever, including PrideHouseTO, a pavilion that will celebrate LGBT athletes and promote inclusion in sport.

Quote Sheet

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport:

“The opening of the Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome marks the beginning of a new era for sport in Milton. This amazing facility will make Milton a training and competition hub for track cycling that will benefit both current and emerging Canadian cyclists for a very long time. The events that have taken place here this week are just the tip of the iceberg for what is in store for sport enthusiasts during this Year of Sport in Canada, and I’m counting the days until the start of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.”

The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport):

“In six months, the focus of the sporting world will be on Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe, as we welcome athletes, coaches and fans to the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. During this Year of Sport in Canada, our Government is extremely proud to support these Games and the significant work done to date in building remarkable facilities such as the Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome. As Canada’s only indoor cycling facility, this venue will give our talented cycling athletes the opportunity to train and compete against the world’s best right here at home for many years to come.”

The Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games:

“Our government led the bid to pursue these Games because we knew they would leave a lasting legacy for Ontarians. Thanks to our leadership, Ontario will now be able to better serve our athletes and our communities with incredible world-class facilities like the brand new Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome. And with six months until the Games, I’m proud to say that these facilities are already in use.”

Indira Naidoo-Harris, MPP (Halton):

“The new Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome is an important win for our athletes, our economy and our local community. High-performance athletes are now training and competing in this world-class facility. I’m proud of our government’s investment in these Games and this facility which will benefit families, businesses and athletes right here in Milton for generations to come.”

His Worship Gordon Krantz, Mayor of Town of Milton

“We look forward to welcoming the international cycling community to Milton for the test event this weekend, and the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games this summer. These events are an opportunity to showcase this amazing new facility, which will be a hub for competitive cycling and a community recreation facility to be enjoyed by all.”

Mark Collins, Vice President, Marketing, Cisco Canada

“The Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome is an exciting, unique facility that will put Canada on the international cycling map. This facility is a fitting symbol of Cisco’s partnership with TO2015 – a state-of-the-art facility bringing innovation and new opportunities to sport and the community. Together with TO2015, Cisco will connect this Velodrome to other Pan Am venues, the data operations centre, and to the fans to create the most connected Pan Am Games ever.”

About TO2015

The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10–26 and the Parapan American Games August 7–15. The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) is tasked with managing and delivering the Games. It is working to bring some of the world’s best athletes and artists to the City of Toronto and Greater Golden Horseshoe region, giving Ontarians a unique chance to be part of the action, and making the region a hub for sport.

For more information about the Games, please visit TORONTO2015.org or follow @TO2015, @TO2015_fr (French) or @TO2015_es (Spanish).

January 9, 2015/by Communications

SULLIVAN ENDS PERFECT CANADIAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

Calgary’s Sullivan takes four titles in four races, Olympian Joseph Veloce keirin king

(January 6, 2015 – Milton, ON) The Canadian Track Championships presented by Cisco concluded on Tuesday with the spectator-favourite keirin race, held at the brand new Cisco PanAm/Parapanam Veldrome in Milton, Ontario. Monique Sullivan of Team PCL took her fourth national title of these championships in the women’s race, while Joseph Veloce (Team Ontario) avenged his loss to Hugo Barrette (Equipe de Quebec) in the sprint by winning the men’s title. The madison, which was to conclude the Championship, was cancelled due to lack of teams.

Sullivan had a bit of a scare in the women’s race when she got boxed in at the bottom of the track after the pace bike pulled off, but backed off slightly and came over the top to launch a powerful attack in the final lap and a half to easily outdistance Sara Byers (Team Ontario). Kate O’Brien (Team PCL) rounded out the podium with third place.

“I’m pretty happy,” agreed Sullivan. “It was definitely my goal coming in to win all four titles. I was quite nervous for the keirin, because anything can happen out there, and the girls have been riding really well. I got completely boxed in and didn’t like it, so I put the brakes on and came around. It was the fastest way to do it, but it was a safe move.”

The men’s race had to be restarted after a battle by Veloce and Barrette to get the spot right behind the pace bike saw them overtake it. Veloce got the holeshot on the restart, and led out the group after the bike pulled off. Evan Carey (Team BC) launched an early attack, forcing Veloce and Barrette to react. The pair quickly dropped the other four riders for the final lap in a drag race that saw Veloce hold off Barrette for the title.

“I think we both went in with the same tactic,” agreed Veloce, “we both wanted [to be on the wheel of] the bike. We both wanted to control the race and I just got to the wheel first. After that, I executed as I had hoped. It was a nail-biter to the end, but I just had my head down and was just going for the line.”

January 7, 2015/by Communications