News – Page 159 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

PELLETIER-ROY AND CARLETON VICTORIOUS IN OMNIUM AT BROMONT

Canada doubles up on top of podium for the two Omnium events

(Bromont, QC – September 06, 2013) Canadian national team members Gillian Carleton and Rémi Pelletier-Roy won the women’s and men’s omnium competitions at the inaugural Bromont International Track Challenge, Friday.

The omnium is a six-race competition run over two days, with a mix of sprint and endurance events.

Both Carleton and Pelletier-Roy led the event after the first day of racing, which consisted of a flying 250 m time trial, a points race and an elimination race. The second day began with an individual pursuit, then a scratch race and a standing-start time trial over 500 m for the women and 1,000 m for the men.

Carleton won the pursuit, finished third in the scratch and won the 500m to lead a Team Canada sweep of the podium, with Jasmin Glaesser in second and Laura Brown in third.

“My goals for this race was to work on our 4-km women’s team pursuit but also it was a good opportunity for me to get the personal points I needed to qualify for the first world cup in Manchester,” said Carleton. “I managed to do that and also improve on my bunch racing skills from last week at nationals, so I’m pretty happy with it.”

Pelletier-Roy also won his pursuit but only finished fifth in the scratch race. He went into the kilometre time trial needing to finish better than fourth and did better than that with second place. Rounding out the podium were U.S. riders Zach Kovalcik and Jacob Duehring.

Also racing Friday were the sprinters.

After a straightforward progression to the finals, fellow U.S. national team members Madalyn Godby and Melissa Erickson faced off in the women’s sprint finals, with Godby winning in straight rides. Another U.S. rider, Alissa Maglaty, beat Canadian Candice Vermeulen for bronze.

The sprint men put on a thrilling show, with London Olympics fourth-place finsher Njisane Philllip of Trinidad and Tobago facing an international mix of challengers, including Canadian champion Hugo Barette.

Barette had a solid tournament until he met Phillip in the semifinals, where he lost in two rides thanks to the Trinidadan’s pure speed. Barette then faced South African Bernard Esterhuizen in the bronze medal race, where he lost narrowly to finish fourth. Phillip meanwhile dispatched U.S. rider Kevin Mansker to top the podium.

The Bromont International Track Challenge continues Saturday with the team pursuit and keirin competitions. For results, schedules and more information visit www.challengebromont.com.

/by

ROHAN DENNIS STEAL OVERALL LEAD AS WINDS SHIFT AT TOUR OF ALBERTA

Ryan Anderson becomes Top Canadian, to wear Red Jersey

(Drumheller, AB – September 06, 2013) Rohan Dennis of Team Garmin-Sharp is your new Tour of Alberta leader, after the third of five stages.

On this third stage of the race, departing from Strathmore to Drumheller, the Australian cyclist riding with Team Garmin-Sharp was part of a large 18-man break, packed with power, for most of the race until a smaller group of six emerged in front that went all the way to the finish line.

A break of 12 riders took off approximately 60km after the start of the race in Strathmore, which was later joined by a six-rider chase. Once the merger between the chase and the break was completed, the 18-man break worked well together and managed to increase their lead throughout the entire race.

With a rolling terrain, strong winds and some climbs toward the end of the 169.8km course, Dennis and 17 other riders smelled that an early break could be the winning move today, and they were proven right. With five guys in the break at the top of the General Classification, the powerful group was certainly one to watch.

Peter Sagan, the leader entering the race, missed the critical break and was forced to rely on his exhausted teammates from Cannondale Pro Cycling team, who have been pulling the peloton for the last two days to keep him at the top of the standings. The other teams, with GC leaders in the break, did not help Cannondale close the gap.

Six riders attacked the lead group, and eventually would gain upwards of a one-minute gap on the chase group. That group consisted of Dennis, Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing), Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano), Steve Morabito (BMC Racing), Robert Gesink (Belkin Pro Cycing) and Damiano Caruso (Cannondale Pro Cycling)

At the finish line, a group of six riders crossed together, with Rohan taking the first place in a photo finish in front of Bookwalter in second and Caruso in third.

In the General Classification, Dennis takes over the lead as his lead group crossed the finish line with over 16 minutes ahead of the main peloton, of which Sagan was part of. Dennis enter stage four tomorrow with an 18 second lead on Brent Bookwalter of BMC racing, and 30 seconds on Damiano Caruso of Cannondale Pro Cycling. Peter Sagan, who was leading since the opening prologue, drops to the 19thplace, 16:35 behind.

The third stage finished in Drumheller, a small town tucked away in the picturesque Canadian Badlands along the Dinosaur Trail. To honour this special stage, Dennis received as a gift a dinosaur bone, a gift he will cherish forever.

 

ANDERSON CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL SEASON, TAKES OVER RED JERSEY

The Best Canadian jersey also exchanged hands after today’s stage, with Ryan Anderson of Optum-Kelly Benefits being part of the winning break. He jumps to the seventh place of the overall classification, just 44s outside Dennis, dislodging Ryder Hesjedal. With two more stages left in the race and a lead of 7:20 on Alex Cataford of Garneau-Quebecor, second in the Best Canadian ranking, Anderson has a golden opportunity to end the Tour of Alberta in red.

“I think today we got a true stage that the Tour of Alberta can provide, with winds and rollers. We raced hard all day to make that stage even better, even more exciting. It was game on pretty much from the first right turn today, and it’s made it exciting for everyone watching. It adds to what the Tour of Alberta can be like, and develop into a hard race, not necessarily into climbs,” said Anderson, who grew up just outside Edmonton in Spruce Grove, AB. “Especially from being originally from Alberta, it’s pretty sweet to wear red. I still want to get a stage podium, and I’ll try for that the next couple of days. I think this is a nice addition for the tour, and we’ll be hungry for more.”

Anderson was part of the strategic attack and remained for the most part with the main group until the six riders detached themselves at the front: “I was pretty close to making that lead group at the end, but it was just a little too tough for me. I really didn’t think it would come back, but it ended up being quite close. At least I was able to take the red jersey, which makes the day a little better. I helped chase a bit when I could. I didn’t really want to chase by myself because I had no chance to win the stage.”

The young rider has been enjoying a terrific season to date, stepping twice on the podium at last week’s USA Pro Challenge, and taking the fourth place in the first stage of the Tour of Alberta, notably. Next week, he’ll suit up in the Canadian uniform, representing Canada at the UCI WorldTour race in Quebec and Montréal.

“For me this year, it’s been a really good season. Just been racing in North America, but all the UCI races I have done have gone extremely well for me. I think it’s gonna leapfrog me forward. After this, I will try to continue and do well at the two WorldTour races with the Canadian National Team in Québec and Montreal.”

Anderson was part of the SpiderTech project led by Steve Bauer, and grew as a racer with the program. “After SpiderTech I was a little bit disappointed. I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do, and coming back to a team like Optum-Kelly Benefits has been a good home for me, to refocus and come out stronger than I have ever been. Going forward, I think I still want to do races in Europe and the bigger North American races, so we’ll see how the rest of the year fans out. I think this year I’ve shown that I when I need to, I can take care of myself, and get some good results in a sprint. I certainly am not focussing on sprints as a specialty of sort. I think in Europe and hard one-day races I can take care of myself when opportunities arise.

The 2013 Tour of Alberta continues tomorrow with the fourth stage in Black Diamond, and end on Sunday in Calgary.

The race can be watched on Sportsnet in Canada, with the last two hours of the race shown live.

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

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 3

1. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 3:55:31

2. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +0

3. Damiano Caruso Italy | Cannondale Pro Cycling +0

4. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +0

5. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +0

6. Steve Morabito Switzerland | BMC Racing Team +0

7. Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:09

8. Marcus Burghardt Germany | BMC Racing Team +:09

9. Jakub Novak Czech Republic | BMC Racing Team +:09

10. Jeremy Vennell New Zealand | Bissell Pro Cycling +:09

=========

21. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

22. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

28. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

45. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

55. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

63. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

64. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

102. Jean-Sebastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +16:48

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 10:59:18

2. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:18

3. Damiano Caruso Italy | Cannondale Pro Cycling +:30

4. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +:31

5. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:34

6. Robert Sweeting United States | 5-Hour Energy P/b Kenda +:54

7. Francisco Mancebo Spain | 5-Hour Energy P/b Kenda +:55

8. Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:56

9. Matthias Friedemann Germany | Champion System Pro Cycling +1:12

10. Steven Kruijswijk Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +1:15

=========

37. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +17:42

39. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +17:43

56. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +18:03

73. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +18:37

77. Jean-Sebastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +18:52

81. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +18:57

90. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +19:48

92. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +19:53

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 10:59:18

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 25pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 25 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 10:59:18

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:56

Most Aggressive Rider (Blue): Steve Morabito Swtizerland | BMC Racing Team

 

/by

PELLETIER-ROY AND CARLETON LEAD OMNIUM IN BROMONT

Excellent day for Canada at this inaugural International Track Challenge

(Bromont, QC – September 05, 2013) Canada’s Rémi Pelletier-Roy and Gillian Carleton lead the men’s and women’s omnium races respectively after the first day of competition at the Bromont International Track Challenge.

The omnium consists of six events over two days of racing. On Day 1, riders do a flying lap, a points race and an elimination race. On Day 2, riders do an individual pursuit, a scratch race and a standing-start time trial over 500m for the women or 1,000m for the men.

Pelletier-Roy, who won silver in this event at the Canadian championships in Dieppe, N.B., a week ago behind Zach Bell, is confident going into Day 2 after finishing third, first and first in the opening three events. Second overall two points behind is Jacob Duehring of the U.S. and in third at four points is Darren Matthew from Barbados.

“The pursuit is pretty much my strongest event,” said Pelletier-Roy. “I do OK in the kilo. The scratch is a tactical event anyway. It’s the opening day that determines most of the overall standings, so being first I’ll do a good pursuit and kilo and defend my position in the scratch.”

Carleton, who won the Canadian title a week ago, won the flying lap, finished third in the points race and won the elimination race to lead the standings three points ahead of Mexico’s Sofia Arreola and seven points ahead of Team Canada teammates Jasmin Glaesser and Steph Roorda.

In the team sprint, U.S. teams took the top spot on the podium in both the men’s and women’s events. Madalyn Godby and Melissa Erickson won the women’s event while Kevin Mansker, Geoffrey Fryer and David Espinoza won the men’s race.

Racing resumes Friday with the final three omnium events and the sprint tournament.

The Bromont International Track Challenge runs from Sept. 5 to 8. Schedules, start lists and results can be found at www.challengebromont.com.

 

/by

HIGH TEMPO AT TOUR OF ALBERTA AS TWO-MAN BREAKAWAY MAKES IT THROUGH

Peter Sagan maintains General Classification lead with third place

(Red Deer, AB – September 05, 2013) Very high speeds were on the agenda once again today as the 2013 Tour of Alberta continued with Stage two, a 174.8 km ride between Devon, outside of Edmonton, and Red Deer. The group once again today enjoyed a beautiful day to race, with sunshine and blue skies all across the course.

Despite leaving Devon 15 minutes later than originally planned due to the very fast speed from yesterday’s opening stage, where riders posted an average of 47.9 km/h, the group of 117 cyclists continued today with the high tempo, taking only 3:32:47 to complete the stage, averaging 45.3 km/hr.

Two riders emerged in a break after the second sprint line in Ponoka with 75 km to go – Silvan Dillier of BMC Racing and Sergei Tvetcov of Jelly Belly Cycling Team. The break gained a maximum gap of 5:20, until the peloton decided to chase and attack. The two riders, two time trial specialists, worked well together and managed to stay ahead of the group entering the final laps.

The break managed to maintain their speeds and momentum in the three-lap circuit, and it is ultimately Sylvan Dillier who crossed the finish line first, with Tvetcov taking the second rank. The peloton sprinted for the third place, and it’s Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling who completed the podium in third place, after launching the sprint early.

In the general classification, Peter Sagan is still sitting atop the standings, with a 0:26 lead over his closest competitor, Rohan Dennis of Team Garmin-Sharp. Rob Britton is the top member of the Canadian National Team in 27th place with a deficit of 1:07 over Sagan, while Antoine Duchesne still remains one second behind his teammate.

Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal is still sitting as the Top Canadian rider, wearing the Red Jersey in ninth place in the overall. Canada’s National Champion, Zach Bell of Champion System is sitting in 110th place of the general classification, after crashing yesterday.

Gord Fraser, the directeur sportif for the Canadian Team here at the Tour of Alberta, is impressed with with average speeds of racing: “For us, I think it was a good day. Jean-Sebastien [Perron] was on Sagan’s wheel in the finale. He said he was maxed out, but to have him up there in the hunt bodes well for the team… so far so good. Racing at approximately 50km/h for that long is difficult, and you can’t say that about races very often. They are certainly getting lots of speedwork.”

“Today was very much the same situation as it was yesterday, it was really a question of winds and how it would affect the race. With the wind turning from the north, we had a tailwind all day, with a speed in the peloton around 50km/h, for the entirety of the race.”

“Yesterday we just caught out a bit at the end, getting behind a split. We refreshed the guys this morning reminding them that it’s not over until they cross the finish line, and to encourage other riders in the peloton to keep the wheel. It happens, guys are tired and they have done their work, pulling the anchor and cause problems for others behind. These guys never stop learning, even at the professional level.”

Fraser was excited to see the break take the race today, after taking chances and launching the break attack: “Congratulations for both guys in the breakaway. It’s nice to see them rewarded for taking a chance. Sergie is a really aggressive rider. It’s too bad he couldn’t pull of the stage. It would have been good for domestic cycling and for Jelly Belly.”

The finish line spectators were treated to a great festival in Red Deer, with Country superstar band Emerson Drive entertaining the thousands of spectators awaiting the peloton to cross the finish line. Once again, the Tour of Alberta was embraced by local communities along the course, especially at start and finish locations.

This inaugural Tour of Alberta now makes its way to Southern Alberta for the last three stages. Tomorrow’s stage start in Strathmore, just east of Calgary, and end in Drumheller in the heart of the Canadian Badlands.

The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race.

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

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 1

1. Silvan Dillier Switzerland | BMC Racing Team 3:32:47

2. Serghei Tvetcov Moldova | Jelly Belly P/b Kenda +0

3. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling +:16

4. Aidis Kroupis Lithuania | ORICA GreenEDGE +:18

5. Luka Mezgec Slovenia | Team Argos-Shimano +:18

6. Nicholai Brochner Denmark | Bissell Pro Cycling +:18

7. Eric Young United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:18

8. Travis Mccabe United States | SmartStop P/b Mountain Khakis +:18

9. Dennis Van Winden Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:18

10. Jeremy Vennell New Zealand | Bissell Pro Cycling +:18

==========

21. Jean-Sébastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

41. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

61. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

68. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

82. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

88. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +:18

91. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:58

94. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:16

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:26

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:28

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:36

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:37

6. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:43

7. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +:44

8. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:46

9. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:46

10. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:47

==========

27. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +1:07

29. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +1:08

50. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:28

69. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +2:02

74. Jean-Sébastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +2:17

78. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +2:22

88. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +3:13

90. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +3:18

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 25 pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 17 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 7:03.34

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:46

Most Aggressive Rider (Blue): Serghei Tvetcov Moldova | Jelly Belly P/b Kenda

/by

BROMONT HOSTS INTERNATIONAL TRACK CYCLING CHALLENGE

Eighth nations represented at this inaugural International Track Challenge

(Bromont, QC – September 05, 2013) Track cyclists from eight different nations are in Bromont, Que., for the Bromont International Track Challenge. This inaugural event features sprint and endurance competition and is the last chance for athletes to score ranking points to qualify for the 2013-2014 UCI Track World Cup season.

The high-quality field includes national teams from the U.S., Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico, as well as individual athletes from France, Great Britain, Barbados and New Zealand.

This will be the first event of the track season for the Canadian national team. The women’s endurance races will be contested by Olympic bronze medallists Gillian Carleton and Jasmin Glaesser, as well as Laura Brown, Steph Roorda and Allison Beveridge. Pan Am Championships silver medallist Hugo Barette will race the men’s sprint and keirin, and Rémi Pelletier-Roy is participating in the men’s omnium and points race.

The Bromont International Track Challenge runs from Sept. 5 to 8. Schedules, start lists and results can be found at www.challengebromont.com.

/by

OPEN LETTER TO UCI NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS ON BEHALF OF CYCLING CANADA

(Ottawa, ON – September 4th, 2013) Today the Board of Directors of Cycling Canada made public a letter in support of Brian Cookson for the position of President of the International Cycling Union (UCI).  The election will take place at the UCI Congress in Florence, Italy on September 27.

=========================================

Over the past year Cycling Canada has received a lot of input from concerned Canadian cyclists and key stakeholders. This input has generally been with one key message – the desire for more transparency and accountability within the governance structure of the UCI and a call for a fresh start under new leadership.

Despite this call for change it should be recognized the current leadership has brought about considerable growth through globalization of cycling with the new UCI pro-tour continental series and the introduction of the biological passport, which was very forward thinking and has aided in cleaning up the sport.  Canada has benefited from this rise in popularity, the globalization of the sport and a cleaner peloton. In Canada we have seen the start of two World Tour races in Quebec and the Tour of Alberta, Mountain Bike World Cups and World Championships in Mont Ste. Anne, regularly held Para-Cycling World Cups and this year’s Para-Cycling Worlds. Canada is building its first world class velodrome as part of the 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games.  As a cycling nation Canadians have seen a Giro d’Italia winner in Ryder Hesjedal, along with numerous World Champions in mountain, track and Para- cycling.

Despite these successes, one realizes that with the pervasive revelations of doping this growth in cycling has been on the back of deceit and cheats.  This has left a dark cloud of uncertainty and skepticism surrounding cycling as a whole, a tarnished public perception, where we have seen parents question bringing their children to the sport and sponsors, supporters and government funding bodies leaving the sport.   As we look from the current global climate toward the future of our sport, it is as important to stand for openness, transparency, accountability, and honesty as it is to deliver on these high goals.  There is a need and a call for leadership change not only to improve the perception of cycling but to improve on governance, stakeholder relations, and further work to advance the fight on doping, among other priorities.

It is with the voices of Canadians in mind that the Board of Directors of Cycling Canada believes Brian Cookson represents the best path forward.

We believe Mr. Cookson is best positioned to deliver the necessary transformation and will drive the kind of organizational change we feel is necessary for cycling to reach its extensive potential.  He has stated he is not willing to stand for a corrupt sport and he recognizes the need for a collaborative approach with all stakeholders going forward.  His manifesto shows he understands the issues at hand, not the least of which includes bringing the hearts and minds of cyclists back to the sport.  He has the necessary experience and a proven track record in the sport of building and supporting solid growth and it is evident he has the respect of key stakeholders.

With respect to the current uncertainty over the status of nominations we do urge Mr. Cookson to focus his efforts on winning a clear mandate from the UCI Congress by delivering a compelling platform and vision instead of engaging in legal or procedural battles.

“We have listened to Canadians” said John Tolkamp, Board President. “We have heard their voices calling for change and we at Cycling Canada strongly share this sentiment and are willing to publicly endorse Brian Cookson in an effort to effect change. Regardless of the current conditions surrounding the election in September, we also feel it is important that there is a democratic, fair and binding vote at Congress. We are confident that cycling has a bright future.”

Sincerely,

John Tolkamp

President

Cycling CANADA Cyclisme

 

Kevin Baldwin – Director

David Cathcart – Director

Bill Kinash – Director

Stephane Le Beau – Director

Hannah Parish – Director

Mike Sarnecki – Director

Erinne Willock – Director

/by

CANADIANS PROMINENT IN 2013 INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC SPORT AWARD SHORTLISTS

OTTAWA, September 4, 2013 – Canadians are prominent in the 2013 Paralympic Sport Award shortlists released today by the International Paralympic Committee, recognizing achievements at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Canadians made the shortlists in three categories – best male athlete, best team and best official.

Best male athlete: Patrick Anderson (Fergus, Ont.) spearheaded Canada to wheelchair basketball gold by posting career best numbers and finishing as the tournament’s top scorer.

Best team: Canada’s Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team claimed their third gold in the last four Paralympic Games by beating Australia 64-58 in the final.

Best official: Through the International Cycling Union (UCI) and London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), Louis Barbeau (Repentigny, Que.), Director General of the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC), was responsible for the London 2012 cycling course, which proved to be a challenging and fantastic event.

“Patrick Anderson, Louis Barbeau and the Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team are champions on and off the field of play and an inspiration to all Canadians,” said Gaétan Tardif, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

“The Canadian Paralympic Committee is extremely proud to see their accomplishments recognized internationally and we congratulate them on their commitment to excellence, leadership and the years of hard work invested in these performances.”

Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in Athens, Greece on Nov. 23, coinciding with the International Paralympic Committee’s General Assembly and Conference.

The winners will be selected by a judging panel which includes the IPC Governing Board, IPC Athletes’ Council, IPC Management team and sponsor Allianz.

Previous winners of the awards, which take place in the years following a summer and winter Paralympic Games, include legendary Canadian wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc.

The Paralympic Sport Awards have been given out every two years since 2005, and Canada has taken home the most honours, winning five different awards.

For more information, please visit  www.paralympic.org/TheIPC/HWA/ParalympicSportAwards

/by

TOUR OF ALBERTA ROLLS THROUGH PRAIRIES ON STAGE 1

Peter Sagan increases lead as Canadian Team withstands pressure

(Camrose, AB – September 04, 2013) The 2013 Tour of Alberta continued today with the first mass-start road race in the beautiful Strathcona County. With a highly successful prologue yesterday, riders were excited to hit the roads of Alberta for this first road race, a 158km voyage from Strathcona County to the small town of Camrose.

The race started with a very fast tempo right from the beginning. A few break attempts were unsuccessful, until a group of four riders found themselves all alone in the front. With no threats in the break, the peloton of approximately 115 cyclists were content to leave the solo attack alone, controlling the gap at around two minutes.

With about 50km to go, the peloton slowly closed the gap on the break, and captured the four exhausted riders in the third and last lap of the Camrose circuit. The teams organized themselves for the sprint, with Cannondale Pro Cycling all pulling for Peter Sagan, who wore today the Province of Alberta Leader’s Jersey.

In the peloton sprint finale, its without any surprises that Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling Team took the sprint victory after 3:22:17 of racing, capturing the important 10-second time bonus that comes with the victory to increase his General Classification lead.

Of the Canadian National Team in the race, Rob Britton remain the top rider showing a time deficit of 1:10 on the leader, with Antoine Duchesne following very closely just one second behind.

Gord Fraser, the directeur sportif for the Canadian Team here at the Tour of Alberta, was pleased with the results of this young team.

“For Cycling Canada, this is an introduction for some of these guys at this level of competition. The guys executed good team tactics, and there is good harmony in the team. We don’t really have a big candidate for a sprint. Jean-Sébastien goes pretty fast and Antoine is in very good shape. There are going to take a sniff at the finish line, but realistically at this level, it’s a tall order.”

“There is a lot that can be lost in a race like today, and we didn’t lose anything. We still have Antoine and Rob pretty high the general classification. Most importantly, just to get that first day out of the way. Today we did 45 minutes at 54km/h average. That is as fast as I ever seen a bike race in my career. The pace was very high and the guys withstood that intensity very well. Lots of positives today, and hopefully as the race wears on we can become more ambitious with our goals.”

Wearing the Best Canadian Jersey today, Ryder Hesjedal of Team Garmin-Sharp finished with the bunch, and conserves his red jersey for tomorrow’s stage.

The race travelled throughout some beautiful prairie lands, home of the flourishing ranching and farming industries in Alberta. With wide open range roads used for the trek, riders were treated with some gorgeous sceneries on a cloud-less day.

Once again today, the race was a big hit in terms of spectatorships, with thousands of fans gathering at the start line in Strathcona County to launch the race, and as many flocking to downtown core of Camrose to witness the finish.

This inaugural Tour of Alberta continues Thursday with Stage two, a 158.1km trek between Devon and Red Deer.

The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race. Globally, the Tour of Alberta will be broadcast in 162 countries, reaching an estimated168 million viewers.

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

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 1

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:22:17

2. Eric Young United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +0

3. Moreno Hofland Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +0

4. Ryan Anderson Canada | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +0

5. Luka Mezgec Slovenia | Team Argos-Shimano +0

6. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +0

7. Fabian Wegemann Germany | Team Garmin-Sharp +0

8. Matthias Friedemann Germany | Champion System Pro Cycling +0

9. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +0

10. John Murphy United States | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling +0

=========

21. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +0

44. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:10

54. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:10

67. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +:24

71. Jean-Sebastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +:24

78. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:29

92. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +:48

103. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +1:40

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:30.35

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:23

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:24

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:30

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:31

6. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:39

7. Patrick Gretsch Germany | Team Argos-Shimano +:39

8. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:40

9. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:40

10. Robert Gesink Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team +:41

==========

26. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +1:01

28. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +1:02

54. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

66. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +1:36

78. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +1:56

84. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +2:09

86. Jean-Sébastien Perron Canada | Canadian National Team +2:11

102. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +3:12

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

 

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:30:35

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 15 pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 10 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:30:35

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:40

Most Aggressive Rider (Blue): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 3:30:35

/by

TOUR OF ALBERTA BEGINS WITH PROLOGUE DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

Six-day race is Canada’s biggest stage race, and the crowd comes out in masses to cheer

(Edmonton, AB – September 03, 2013) The 2013 Tour of Alberta has finally begun, after years of planning, with an opening 7.3km prologue through the streets of downtown Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta.

Tens of thousands of spectators and cyclist enthusiasts gathered at the start and finish area, at Winston Churchill Square downtown Edmonton, and all along the short, gruelling course to see some of the World’s best riders compete for the ultimate honours of the inaugural, six-day Tour of Alberta.

Canada opened up the stage race with Rob Britton posting the fastest time among the group representing the National Team, showing a 41s deficit on the fastest time set by Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling.

“I rolled the dice. It was the first time racing for me on this bike, which I borrowed from Antoine Duchesne. I put my all, and got close to the Top Canadian,” said Rob Britton, still cooling down after his effort.

“It’s pretty amazing to race in front of so many fans. In some sections, I couldn’t carry myself breathing, with a ton of noise. It was incredible. I’d never thought I’d see the day where we could get so many people out cheering on a bike race in Canada. I think this is a reflection of the momentum that cycling has built over the last few years. It’s getting bigger and bigger each year. Hopefully this is not the end of the momentum and we can keep building from here.”

As for the next five days of racing, Britton thinks it won’t be as easy as it’s been reported: “Just wait and see. They are hard courses. People are saying that it would be easy because there are no climbs, but its not going make it easier, just different. It’s gonna be pretty hurting. I can almost guarantee you’ll see some carnage, some massive group splits on some of those days. Tough racing.”

Antoine Duchesne, two-time U23 Canadian Road Champion, finished with a time just one second slower than his teammate Britton.

“I didn’t do too many mistakes today. It’s a beautiful course, very fast. I was able to engage nicely into the turns, with lots of speed. The end of the course offered some interesting difficulties. I don’t think I could have done better today, so I am really satisfied with the result,” said Duchesne. “The climb was tough. It came after a long straight section of about four minutes of maximum efforts. It was tough to climb.”

“For a first day of competition, there was a really good vibe with a tons of supporters coming out for the race, all along the course. To be racing here in Canada, in front of Canadian in such an important race is difficult to explain. It makes me and my teammates really proud to wear the Maple Leaf and race for the National team. It’s a great honor to be among some of the best Canadians in the race. There are lots of big names in Canadian Cycling here with Zach Bell and Ryder Hesjedal notably. To wear the national team uniform and to be side to side with these guys is a tremendous honor.”

Some big cycling names are present for this first edition of the Tour of Alberta, including Tour de France winner Cadel Evans of BMC Racing, Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Sharp and #2-ranked rider Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling. Reigning Canadian Road Champion, Zach Bell of Champion Pro System, is also among the peloton of 117 cyclists.

The Canadian broadcast partner for the Tour of Alberta, Sportsnet, will be airing the race live for two hours each day, along with daily one-hour highlights program to air in primetime each day of the race. Globally, the Tour of Alberta will be broadcast in 162 countries, reaching an estimated168 million viewers.

The Tour of Alberta continues Wednesday with the first mass-start road race, a 158.1km trek between Camrose and Strathcona County.

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

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – RESULTS, STAGE 1

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:13

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:14

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:20

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:21

6. Chad Haga United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:23

7. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:29

8. David Zabriskie United States | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

9. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:30

10. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

==========

23. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:41

26. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:42

66. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:57

80. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:11

82. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:12

91. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

92. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

2. Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp +:13

3. Tobias Ludvigsson Swenden | Team Argos-Shimano +:14

4. Cadel Evans Australia | BMC Racing Team +:20

5. Brent Bookwalter United States | BMC Racing Team +:21

6. Chad Haga United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:23

7. Pieter Weening Netherlands | ORICA GreenEDGE +:29

8. David Zabriskie United States | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

9. Tom Zirbel United States | Optum P/b Kelly Benefit Strategies +:30

10. Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

==========

23. Rob Britton Canada | Canadian National Team +:41

26. Antoine Duchesne Canada | Canadian National Team +:42

66. Garrett Mcleod Canada | Canadian National Team +:57

80. Ryan Aitcheson Canada | Canadian National Team +1:11

82. Jean-Michel Lachance Canada | Canadian National Team +1:12

91. Stuart Wight Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

92. Derrick St John Canada | Canadian National Team +1:22

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE STAGES

Prologue: Tuesday, September 3; Edmonton (7.3 km)

Stage 1: Wednesday, September 4; Strathcona County to Camrose (158.1 km)

Stage 2: Thursday, September 5; Devon to Red Deer (174.8 km)

Stage 3: Friday, September 6; Strathmore to Drumheller (169.8 km)

Stage 4: Saturday, September 7; Black Diamond/Foothills (169.9 km)

Stage 5: Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary (129.4 km)

2013 TOUR OF ALBERTA – THE JERSEYS

Province of Alberta Leader Jersey (Yellow): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

SUBWAY® Sprint Jersey (Green): Rohan Dennis Australia | Team Garmin-Sharp 10 pts

Budweiser Crown King of the Mountains Jersey (Red Polka Dots): Tom Jelte Slagter Netherlands | Belkin Pro Cycling Team 10 pts

CWB Best Young Rider Jersey (White): Peter Sagan Slovakia | Cannondale Pro Cycling 8:28

Best Canadian Jersey (Red): Ryder Hesjedal Canada | Team Garmin-Sharp +:30

/by

RAPHAEL GAGNÉ SEVENTH IN ELIMINATOR AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS

Smith off the podium for the first time of the 2013 campaign

(Pietermaritzburg, RSA, – September 1, 2013) Canadian Mountain Biker Raphael Gagné of Quebec,   QC finished in seventh place of the cross-country eliminator as the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike Championships ended in South Africa.

The eliminator is a one-lap race held on a short, action-pack course. After a qualifying lap to qualify and rank the riders, two of the four riders in each heat move on to the next round,

Gagné has had success in the discipline this season, taking the fourth place in the opening World Cup of the season. Gagné qualified for the elimination rounds with the 21st fastest lap time.

In his first two opening heats, Gagné moved on by crossing the fastest line in second place, qualifying for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, Gagné finished fourth and was relegated to the small final, racing for the fifth place.

The reigning Canadian Champion of the eliminator, Léandre Bouchard, ended his day on the trails of South Africa in the quarter-finals, taking the 14th position in the final classification. Canadian riders Geoff Kabush and Max Plaxton also qualified for the finals, and did not advance from their first heat.

In the women’s eliminator race, Canada’s Andreanne Pichette posted the best Canadian result in 17th position. Laura Bietola, an Espoir rider, and Rachel Pageau, a junior rider, also took part in the women’s open eliminator race, taking the 21st and 24th position, acquiring valuable career experience.

SMITH SUFFERS MECHANICAL ISSUES IN DOWNHILL RACE

In the elite downhill races, Canada’s downhill star Steve Smith of Cassidy, BC came short today of repeating his victory from the last World Cup race in Mont-Sainte-Anne.

A day after posting the fastest qualifying time of the large field in yesterday’s timed session, Smith posted today the 63th fastest time, after he encountered some issues in the mid-section of the wild downhill course.

Smith posted the second best time at the first interval, and then disaster struck. The third split show a time deficit of over 30 seconds on the top split. Smith would maintain his speed towards the finish line to finish in a heartbreaking 63rd position.

Smith had previously won two medals at earlier World championships, a silver in 2011 and a bronze in 2012.

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

RESULTS – 2013 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – SOUTH AFRICA

Cross-country – Eliminator, Men

1. VAN DER PLOEG, Paul (AUSTRALIA)

2. FEDERSPIEL, Daniel (AUSTRIA)

3. SOTO, Catriel Andres (ARGENTINA)

4. SILVESTRI, Elia (ITALY)

==========

7. GAGNE, Raphael (CANADA)

15. BOUCHARD, Léandre (CANADA)

26. KABUSH, Geoff (CANADA)

31. PLAXTON, Max (CANADA)

 

Cross-country – Eliminator, Women

1. ENGEN, Alexandra (SWEDEN)

2. NEFF, Jolanda (SWITZERLAND)

3. INDERGAND, Linda (SWITZERLAND)

4. RIEDER, Nadine (GERMANY)

========

17. PICHETTE, Andréanne (CANADA)

21. BIETOLA, Laura (CANADA)

24. PAGEAU, Rachel (CANADA)

 

Downhill – Elite, Men

1. MINNAAR, Greg (SOUTH AFRICA) 3:58.058

2. HANNAH, Michael (AUSTRALIA) 3:58.454 +00.396

3. GRAVES, Jared (AUSTRALIA) 4:01.391 +03.333

==========

63. SMITH, Steve (CANADA) 4:35.253 +37.195

 

Downhill – Elite, Women

1. ATHERTON, Rachel (GREAT BRITAIN) 4:28.043

2. RAGOT, Emmeline (FRANCE) 4:36.675 +08.632

3. HANNAH, Tracey (AUSTRALIA) 4:40.438 +12.395

===========

8. BROWN, Casey (CANADA) 4:46.568 +18.525

10. GATTO, Micayla (CANADA) 4:48.949 +20.906

13. ROSSER, Lauren (CANADA) 5:06.078 +38.035

/by
 
Subscribe

SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS

Join Club 1882

ONLINE STORE

Shop our new collection

Contact

Cycling Canada Headquarters
307A Gilmour Street
Ottawa, ON
K2P 0P7

Phone : (613) 248-1353