News – Page 147 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

STEVE SMITH DEFENDS DOWNHILL TITLE AT CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships crown Smith and Vaea Verbeek as its Champions

(Sun Peaks, BC – July 13, 2014) The 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships took place at the Sun Peaks Resort on Sunday. Canada’s Steve Smith of Nanaimo, BC (Devinci Global Racing) and Vaea Verbeek of North Vancouver, BC (Intense/GoPro) won the elite titles, while Daniel Shaw of North Vancouver, BC won the junior men title.

Smith, the overwhelming favorite in today’s race, impressed the crowd with a speedy run of 3:26.73, a narrow 1.5-second lead over Kyle Sangers of Kingston, ON in second place and a small 2.5-second lead over Remi Gauvin of Nanoose Bay, BC in third place.

“It was a lot for me this year, especially coming back from injury in the spring and going straight to racing the World Cup. This was a great race for me to come and just go fast, putting some good time on the bike. The track was great,” said Smith after the race.

Smith won his career second Canadian title and will be keeping the coveted Maple Leaf sleeve around the world. “With the pressure of winning last year, I didn’t want to throw that sleeve away. I wanted to win again this year, and it feels great to do it.”

“This track was very technical in its own way, just because how fast it is. There are no roots or very technical sections, so the line choice is what separated the group. It was just a bunch of berms and going very fast. When you go very fast, it’s hard to create separation. It’s a fine line to go a little bit quicker then everybody without blowing up in that loose dirt,” added Smith about the tight time differences seen this year in comparison with the 2013 edition.

In terms of season goals, Steve Smith’s objectives have changed after missing the opening World Cup events due to an injury in the spring. In 2013, Smith won the UCI World Cup overall title. “It changed in the overall thoughts. I can’t win the overall this year. For me, now it’s just able to race as good as I can. The first two World Cup races were good to see where I was at. I want to be able to finish this season the way I left off, to be able to win races and contend for the win.”

VAEA VERBEECK WINS WOMEN RACE AFTER TWO MONTHS OFF THE BIKE

In the women’s race, Vaea Verbeeck was the fastest of the women’s group, taking the title and the sleeve. Verbeeck excelled in the timed session on Saturday and maintained her speed through to the Championships race. Verbeeck, who won her first Canadian title, finished first with a time of 3:56.00. Casey Brown of Revelstoke, BC came in second, while Jaime Hill of Pemberton, BC finished in third place.

Verbeeck was thrilled with the results. “This is a relatively unexpected victory, and I am extremely happy. Arriving this weekend, I saw that the start list was missing some of the Canadian girls. So I totally gave myself a goal to win the title,” confessed Verbeeck, which came back on the saddle just last week from two months of inactivity after lacerating her liver.

“I did not have many expectations as to my performance coming back from injury just last week, and I think that’s what helped me this weekend. I just wanted to ride, and go as fast as possible. I was eager to ride this very fast course. Yesterday, I won the seeding with a good margin, which gave me a good boost of confidence in today’s race,” added the rider from Granby, QC, who has been living in British Columbia for the past two years.

Verbeeck will, for the next twelve months, wear the sleeve designating her as a Canadian champion. “I never had the honor to wear the national champion jersey. The next year will undoubtedly be quite a different experience. I am confident that my results will follow at the World Cup level. My main goal this season is to break the top 10 at the World Cup, and I hope that the sleeve will give me a little boost.”

DANIEL SHAW STEPS UP ON RACE DAY TO TAKE JUNIOR TITLE

Daniel Shaw stepped up on race day in the junior men (U19) category to take the coveted Canadian title. After posting the third fastest time of the seeding session on Saturday, Shaw improved two ranks on Sunday by posting a fast time of 3:39.66. Jack Iles of Whistler, BC, fastest in the seeding run, posted the second fastest time on Championship day, just 0:00.11 behind the winning time of Shaw, while Max Scharf of Salmon Arm, BC crossed the finish line in third place.

The championships also featured races in cadet and master categories. Magnus Manson of Sechelt, BC was crowned in the cadet men (U17) category by posting the fastest time of 3:35.13 while Stephanie Denroche of Whistler, BC took the cadet women (U17) title with a time of 4:50.87.

Steve Storey of Whistler, BC (Master 30-39), Bryan Gioia of Port Moody, BC (Master 40-49), Michael Mooney of North Vancouver, BC (Master 50+) all won their respective races in the men’s master categories, while Keara Clark of Squamish, BC was the fastest among the master women.

The Canadian Championships is the most important one-day race of the season for the top Canadian downhillers, with the highly-coveted Maple Leaf Jersey and sleeve on the line. The National Champion jersey is a symbol of pride and achievement and is what drives many cyclists in their competitive career.

The Downhill race took place on a very fast course of 2.6 kilometers in length. Riders first tacked the aptly named “DH” trail, relatively steep descent winding in and out of sub-alpine forest offering steeps, fast and flowing berms, and some singletrack. “Holy Rollers” was the next section, offering a more mellow grade that forced pedalling to reach maximum velocity. This wider section featured multiple berms and small hits along the way leaving riders to balance speed and style, leading in to the final section of the course. The notorious “Arm Pump” was the most technical section of the course. Flowing singletrack with some roots, rocks, and some berms and drops kept speeds up as riders raced towards the finish line.

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RESULTS – CANADIAN MOUNTAIN BIKE DOWNHILL CHAMPIONSHIPS – SUN PEAKS, BC

Elite Women

1. Vaea Verbeeck (North Vancouver, BC) 3:56.00

2. Casey Brown (Revelstoke, BC) +0:02.12

3. Jaime Hill (Pemberton, BC) +0:14.86

Complete Results

Elite Men

1. Steve Smith (Nanaimo, BC) 3:26.73

2. Kyle Sangers (Kingston, ON) +0:1.54

3. Remi Gauvin (Nanoose Bay, BC) +0:02.53

Complete Results

Junior Men (U19)

1. Daniel Shaw (North Vancouver, BC) 3:39.55

2. Jack Iles (Whistler, BC) +0:00.11

3. Max Scharf (Salmon Arm, BC) +0:02.58

Complete Results

Cadet Women (U17)

1. Stephanie Denroche (Whistler, BC) 4:50.87

2. Kyleigh Stewart (Kamloops, BC) +0:02.00

3. Devin Konx (Rossland, BC) +0:49.67

Complete Results

Cadet Men (U17)

1. Magnus Manson (Sechelt, BC) 3:35.13

2. Henry Fitzpatrick (West Vancouver, BC) +0:07.57

3. Finn Iles (Whistler, BC) +0:09.72

Complete Results

Master Women 30+

1. Keara Clark (Squamish, BC) 4:31.37

2. Karaleen Gioia (Port Moody, BC) +0:02.02

Complete Results

Master Men 30-39

1. Steve Storey (Whistler, BC) 3:56.15

2. Jason Latreille (Calgary, AB) +0:25.66

Complete Results

Master Men 40-49

1. Bryan Gioia (Port Moody, BC) 3:56.16

2. Colin Yarrow (North Vancouver, BC) +0:08.46

3. Martin Newman (North Vancouver, BC) +0:12.35

Complete Results

Master Men 50+

1. Michael Mooney (North Vancouver, BC) 4:18.83

2. Olivier Rousseau (Burnaby, BC) + 0:03.29

3. Derek Diedricksen (Comox, BC) +0:28.03

Complete Results

July 13, 2014/by Communications

STEVE SMITH LOOKING TO DEFEND DOWNHILL TITLE AT CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sun Peaks, BC to welcome 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships this weekend

(Ottawa, ON – July 9, 2014) The 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships will take place near Kamloops, BC, at the Sun Peaks Resort this coming weekend. Canada’s Steve Smith of Nanaimo, BC (Devinci Global Racing) and Micayla Gatto of North Vancouver, BC (Cycling BC) will both be looking to defend their titles from 2013.

The Canadian Championships is the most important one-day race of the season for the top Canadian stars, with the highly-coveted Maple Leaf Jersey on the line. The National Champion jersey is a symbol of pride and achievement that a rider will wear for the following year, and is what drives many cyclists in their competitive career.

“If you are looking for an adrenaline rush from start to finish, then mountain bike downhill is your top cycling sport to watch. The course will be spectacular for these Championships, and expect the tightest battle all way to the finish line,” said Nicholas Vipond, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “The Canadian Championships crown the best this country has to offer, and this year will be no exception.”

The Downhill race course starts on the aptly named “DH” trail, a relatively steep descent winding in and out of sub-alpine forest offering steeps, fast and flowing berms, and some epic singletrack that will challenge the riders.

“Holy Rollers” is the next section on the menu, with a more mellow grade that will force pedalling to reach maximum velocity. This section is wider with tons of berms and small hits along the way that will leave participants balancing speed and style, leading in to the final section of the course.

The notorious “Arm Pump” holds this honour and is definitely the most technical section of the course. Fun and flowing singletrack with roots, rocks, and some new berms and drops added this summer to keep speeds up as riders race towards the finish line below.

“Sun Peaks has been a favourite course of many riders on the racing circuit for the last couple of years and we are really excited to welcome top racers from across the nation to what will be an entertaining and action packed weekend. ‘Canada’s Alpine Village’ is the perfect setting for the National Championships this year,” said Henry Pejril, race organizer.

In 2013, Steve Smith took these Championships by storm, winning the men’s elite race and the coveted sleeve in a dominating fashion. The downhill veteran and crowd favorite won the race with a four second lead. Coming back from injury, Smith will compete against the likes of Kyle Sangers, Rob Fraser, Mckay Vezina, Kirk McDowall, Samuel Thibeault, Mark Wallace, and Matt Beer just to name a few contenders for the title.

In the women’s race, veteran Micayla Gatto, a multiple medallist at World Championships, took the title with a three-second lead last year. A win for her this year would represent her career fourth Canadian Championships downhill title. Vaea Verbeek, Denise Uyesugi, and Kirby McLean are all expected to provide a stiff competition to the defending champion in the women’s elite race.

As in 2013, there will be medals and jerseys awarded to the winner of each race the Cadet (U17), Junior (U19), Elite and Master categories for both Men and Women.

The timed sessions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, while the Canadian Championships races will be presented on Sunday.

Online Registration is open until July 10, 6pm Mountain Time. Elite and Junior Expert categories must register a minimum of 48 hours before the event: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=6041&lan=1&cartlevel=1

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

July 9, 2014/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA HIRES ERIN HARTWELL AS TRACK SPRINT COACH

(Ottawa, ON – July 8, 2014) Multiple Olympic and World Championships medallist Erin Hartwell will be leading Canada’s track sprint programs as head coach, Cycling Canada announced today.

Hartwell, who is from Indianapolis, Indiana, is starting his role at an exciting time for Canadian track cycling, with the Milton Velodrome at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre scheduled to open this fall and a new crop of sprinters waiting in the wings after a series of talent ID camps conducted across the country earlier this year.

But the first item on Hartwell’s agenda will be the Commonwealth Games, where speed skater Vincent De Haître will join Hugo Barrette and Joseph Veloce in the team sprint – the event that will be the cornerstone of the sprint program.

“The team sprint is very important to us because if we can qualify for the Olympic Games it automatically gives us starters in the sprint and keirin as well,” said Hartwell. “It’s also a great way to develop riders who can then go on to perform in the individual events.”

After the Games, the focus will switch to the Pan-American Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico, in September. Cycling Canada hopes to debut its women’s team sprint program there, anchored by 2012 Olympian Monique Sullivan, who recently returned to competition after stepping away from cycling after the London Games.

“I’m delighted to welcome Erin on board as national sprint coach,” said Jacques Landry, Cycling Canada’s High Performance Director. “Erin brings a wealth of experience to his new job and we can expect to see rapid improvement from our riders in the coming seasons.”

Hartwell was one of the top American sprinters in the 1990s, winning a bronze medal in the sprint at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and a silver medal in the kilometre time trial in1996 in Atlanta, as well as four UCI Track World Championship medals.

Since retiring from cycling, he became president and CEO of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, and then High Performance Director for the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation. Hartwell will be based at the new velodrome in Milton alongside Canada’s track endurance coaches, Craig Griffin and Ian Melvin.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

July 8, 2014/by Communications

2014 BMX CANADA CUP SERIES TO OFFER RECORD-HIGH NUMBER OF RACES

In its third year, the BMX Canada Cup Series to feature nine races

(Ottawa, ON – July 7, 2014) In only its third year of operations, the BMX Canada Cup series will offer a record-high nine races to the young and fast BMXers of Canada.

The series will kick off in July, and will travel to Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia to finish in Drummondville, QC, where the new Canada Cup Champions will be crowned.

The Canada Cup 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 2014 Canada Cup series will offer some great opportunities for young aspiring BMXers to compete against some of Canada’s best,” said Nicholas Vipond, 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.”

Calgary, AB, will host the opening weekend of racing for the series on July 12 and 13 – the first time the city hosts races from the national series. The Calgary BMX Racing club was established over 30 years ago and has been hosting regular races on the Alberta provincial cup circuit. The 2013 Junior women Canada Cup Series champion, Eliane McAdam, is racing for the Calgary BMX Racing Club.

The top riders will then move to Drummondville, QC for two races in La Belle Province, on August 2 and 3. The races organized by the Cub de BMX St-Charles-de Drummond will take place on a brand new track. The club began its operations in 2006 and has been hosting races of the Coupe du Québec series since 2008.

St-Albert, AB, near Edmonton, will then be hosting the third weekend of races on August 23-24, on the same revamped track used for the 2013 Canadian BMX Championships. The impressive track was significantly improved in the spring of 2013 to host the Canadian Championships, and should offer very competitive races throughout the weekend.

The following weekend, the tour will head to Abbotsford, in British Columbia, for a set of two 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.

Finally, the 2014 BMX Canada Cup Champions will be crowned during the 2014 Canadian BMX Championships weekend, in Drummondville, QC on October 5th.

Connor McCormack and Amelia Walsh both won the BMX Canada Cup Series Elite titles in 2013, while Tanner Vandenhoven and Eliane McAdam took the top honours of the junior categories.

CALENDAR 2014 CANADA CUP BMX SERIES

07.12.14 – BMX Canada Cup #1-2 – Calgary, AB
08.02.14 – BMX Canada Cup #3-4 – Drummondville, QC
08.23.14 – BMX Canada Cup #5-6 – St Albert, AB
08.30.14 – BMX Canada Cup #7-8 – Abbotsford, BC
10.03.14 – BMX Canada Cup #9 Finals – Drummondville, QC

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyclingcanada and Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyclingcanada.

July 7, 2014/by Communications

ED WALSH, DAFNÉ THÉROUX-IZQUIERDO CROWNED JUNIOR ROAD RACE CANADIAN CHAMPIONS

Théroux-Izquierdo takes double title at Global Relay Canadian Road Championships

(Beauceville, QC – July 6, 2014) The 2014 Global Relay Canadian Road Cycling Championships continued Saturday and Sunday in Beauceville with the presentation of the junior road races on Saturday, and criterium races on Sunday.

The women’s race finished in a three-women sprint with Dafné Theroux-Izquierdo (Équipe du Québec) winning the race, taking her second title of the weekend after earning the gold medal in the time trial on Thursday. Theroux-Izquierdo edged at the finish line Emeliah Harvie (Team Alberta) and teammate Laurence Dumais (Équipe du Québec)

In the men’s race, Ed Walsh (Atlantic Cycling Centre) won the race, crossing the finish line alone with a lead of 20 seconds on second place Jean-Simon d’Anjou (Equipe du Québec) and more than three minutes on third place Raphael Auclair (Promutuel/Alco TMI/Norco).

The road race for the master men 30-39 also took place on Saturday, and Jonathan Oligny (Trek-Fiera) won the title after a solo breakaway.

The criterium races took place on the closing day of the 2014 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships. Alexander Cowan (Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle) won the junior men race in a bunch sprint, while Katharine Maine (Team Ontario) took the title of the women’s race.

For additional information on the event, please visit www.championnatscanadiensroute.com

RESULTS – ROAD RACES – GLOBAL RELAY CANADIAN ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS

JUNIOR MEN

1. WALSH, Edward (Atlantic Cycling Center) 3:31:53

2. D.ANJOU, Jean Simon (Équipe du Québec) +0:20

3. AUCLAIR, Raphael (Promutuel/Alco TMI/Norco) +3:19

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