News – Page 176 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA ENDORSES TERM OF REFERENCE FOR INDEPENDENT COMMISSION

UCI circulates Terms of Reference for newly-created independent commission

(Ottawa, ON – November 30, 2012) Cycling Canada has endorsed the Terms of Reference for the newly-created Independent Commission appointed by John Coates, President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, to look into the issues and allegations contained in the USADA decision relating to the Armstrong affair.

President John Tolkamp responded to the news earlier today: “As the national cycling federation in Canada we have made our position on a fully independent review clear to the UCI. The composition of this Independent Commission and the scope of its mandate as set out in the terms of reference give us cause to believe that all matters relative to the many issues and allegations that have been raised will be given a fair and comprehensive review. This is a necessary step for our sport to ensure that our past is fully acknowledged, understood and can be used to guide the future towards eradicating doping. We continue to encourage and support the UCI in its anti-doping efforts, as we have always done. Cycling is one of very few professional sports in the world that has implemented strict anti-doping regulations. UCI-driven initiatives such as the biological passport are now being considered by other sports worldwide. We look forward to the report of the Independent Commission in June of 2013.”

The Terms of Reference of the Independent Commission have been published today by the UCI, as well as the announcement of the composition of the Independent Commission.

November 30, 2012/by Communications

SIR PHILIP OTTON, BARONESS TANNI GREY-THOMPSON AND MALCOLM HOLMES QC TO COMPRISE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION LOOKING INTO LANCE ARMSTRONG AFFAIR

Former Court of Appeal judge Sir Philip Otton will chair the Independent Commission to look into the issues and allegations contained in the USADA decision relating to the Armstrong affair. Sir Philip Otton will be assisted by UK House of Lords Peer and Paralympic Champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and Australian lawyer, Malcolm Holmes QC.

Pat McQuaid, President of the UCI, said: “I am grateful to John Coates, President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, for assembling such a high calibre and truly Independent Commission. The wide ranging terms of reference demonstrate the Commission’s determination to review fully the issues contained in the USADA report and I welcome that.”

McQuaid continued: “As I have said previously, the Commission’s report and recommendations are critical to restoring confidence in the sport of cycling and in the UCI as its governing body. We will co-operate fully with the Commission and provide them with whatever they need to conduct their enquiry and we urge all other interested stakeholders to do the same. We will listen to and act on the Commission’s recommendations.”

The Commission, which will act as an external body and will be fully independent of the UCI, ICAS and CAS, will hold a hearing in London between 9-26 April 2013. It then aims to submit its report to the UCI by 1 June 2013, or shortly after. The purpose and wide-ranging remit of the Commission is set out in the attached Terms of Reference, which was drawn up by the Commission members themselves.

The independence of the Commission is further demonstrated by its appointment of counsel to assist it as well as the need for the UCI to have its own legal representation at these hearings and throughout the process.

McQuaid added: “Some of our critics have suggested that this Commission would not be fully independent. They were wrong. The UCI had no influence on the selection of the Commission members.

“The appointment of these three eminent figures demonstrates clearly that the UCI wants to get to the bottom of the Lance Armstrong affair and put cycling back on the right track. Rather than simply attacking the UCI, our critics now have an opportunity to be part of the solution. I would ask them, therefore, to make their representation to the Independent Commission – and to start to put cycling first.

“The costs of the Independent Commission will be a significant burden on the UCI, however it is clear that only such a decisive and transparent examination of the past will answer our critics by thoroughly examining our assertion that the UCI’s anti-doping procedures are and have been among the most innovative and stringent in sport. ”

In the coming two weeks, the UCI will also be announcing details of a wideranging Stakeholder Consultation to look into the future of cycling and discuss how to bring in lasting improvements, as well as to tackle other issues of concern within the sport.

Content: UCI Communications

November 30, 2012/by Communications

INAUGURAL DARYL-EVANS BC GRAND PRIX OF CYCLO-CROSS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

INAUGURAL DARYL-EVANS BC GRAND PRIX OF CYCLO-CROSS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

Dyck, Kabush continues on winning ways in international UCI race

(South Surrey, BC – November 18, 2012) The wild and exciting cyclo-cross action continued in South Surrey after the successful presentation of the 2012 Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships. On Sunday, the group of adrenaline seekers reconvened at the South Surrey Athletic Park for the 2012 Daryl-Evans BC Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross, an event held for the first time.

In the Elite Women’s race, Mical Dyck of Victoria, BC (Stan’s No Tube) continued on her winning ways after taking the Canadian title on Saturday, taking the victory in the 40 minute race on the 2.8 km course, slightly different from Saturday’s Canadian Championships race. With the Canadian Championships title and this victory, Dyck established herself as a strong contender for UCI World Championships, to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, in February.

Edmonton’s Harlton Pepper (Juventus Cycling Club), Canada’s top-ranked cyclo-cross rider, took the second place in today’s Grand Prix, bouncing back after a fourth-place finish in yesterday’s race. Wendy Simms rounded up the podium crossing the finish line in third place.

The Elite Men’s race, the field was strong as both the U23 and Elite racers were starting in the same category. Four-time Canadian Champion Goeff Kabush, winner of yesterday’s race, started alongside some big names of cyclo-cross coming from both Canada and the USA. Three-time U23 Canadian Cyclo-cross Champion Evan McNeely (Ottawa, ON/Specialized Canada) also took the start, matching his skills against the Elite field.

Early in the 60 min race, Jeremy Martin (Boischatel, QC/Rocky Mountain Factory Team), Geoff Kabush and Mike Garrigan (St-Clemens, ON) were leading the large lead group. In the third lap, Steve Fisher (Bellingham, WA/Hagens Berman p/b Raleigh), Geoff Kabush and Mike Garrigan, along with McNeely, Chris Sheppard (Bend, OR/Rocky Mountain Bicycle), Andrew L’Espérance (Halifax, NS/Norco Factory Team) and Spence Paxson (Seattle, WA/Team Kona) established themselves as the strongest contenders to take the victory.

In the last 20 minutes of racing, a group of five riders remained at the lead, including Kabush, Paxson, McNeely, L’Espérance and Fisher. With a few attempts to attack and separate the group, Kabush, McNeely and Fisher were able to drop Paxson and L’Espérance and ride as a small lead group.

Thanks in part to a crash from Fisher, holding up Kabush, McNeely took the opportunity to increase his gap on Kabush and Fisher, with 15 minutes left of racing. But Kabush showed he’s in top form, and was able to close the gap on McNeely, and drop him in the last lap.

Kabush rode away solo, never looking back, to take the victory, followed by McNeely and Fisher in second and third places respectively.

The designed course offered many challenges to the competitors over the weekend, including barriers, stairs, dirt sections and many slippery off-camber switchbacks.

In addition to the UCI-sanctioned international Elite categories for men and women, many riders tackled for the second consecutive day the challenging course in wet and cold conditions. Riders from all categories were lined-up for Challenges, including Masters and Youth racers.

RESULTS – 2012 Daryl-Evans BC Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross – South Surrey, BC.

Elite Women (25 entries) (UCI)

1. Mical Dyck (Victoria, BC/Stan’s No Tube)

2. Pepper Harlton (Edmonton, AB/Juventus Cycling Club)

3. Wendy Simms (Nanaimo, BC/Kona)

Elite Men (45 entries) (UCI)

1. Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC/SCOTT-3 Rox Racing)

2. Evan McNeely (Ottawa, ON/Specialized Canada)

3. Steve Fisher (Bellingham, WA/ Hagens Berman p/b Raleigh)

November 18, 2012/by Communications

WET AND RAINY COURSE MAKES FOR WILD CANADIAN CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mical Dyck and Geoff Kabush take Elite Canadian titles; Eighth Canadian Champion Jerseys awarded in South Surrey, BC

(South Surrey, BC – November 17, 2012) The cold rain and strong cold wind made for some challenging and interesting races Saturday at the 2012 Daryl-Evans Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships held in Surrey, British Columbia, as eighth new Canadian Champions were crowned in a spectacular and exciting day of cyclo-cross racing at its purest form.

In the elite races, many high profile Canadian athletes were in attendance. Olympians Emily Batty of Brooklin, ON (Team Subaru-Trek), Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, BC (Team Luna Pro) and Geoff Kabush of Courtenay, BC (SCOTT-3-Rox-Racing) all were on the start lines for the Men and Women Elite races.

MICAL DYCK EDGE OLYMPIANS AND FORMER CHAMPIONS

In the women’s race, Batty, the defending Canadian Champion lined up against some strong competition, which included Pepper Harlton of Edmonton, AB (Juventus Cycling Club), which is current the leading Canadian in the international cyclo-cross rankings, and Pendrel, and two-time UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Champion.

A group of three riders –Mical Dyck of Victoria, BC (Stan’s No Tube), Wendy Simms of Nanaimo, BC and Harlton Pepper – took off early in the first lap to create a lead group, and exchanged their lead with the race. With strong riders such as Batty and Pendrel leading the chase for most of the race, it is only in the last lap that things truly changed. With Harlton dropping off to the chase group, only Dyck and Simms remained ahead.

In the last lap, while Simms dismounted to tackle a muddy off-camber section, Dyck made her move — an attack that was unanswered by Simms who could only watch Dyck ride away in the front.

Dyck increased her lead in the last kilometer, and rode away to a solid victory – her first Canadian title.

“It feels really good (to wear the National Jersey). I tried to stay positive coming here. I was praying for rain, and we got it,” said Dyck after the awards ceremony. “I blew off my start, so I had some catching up to do. The muddy course was awesome. I had great tires on, tires I had never tried before and they are responded great in the mud, with really good grip. Now I wish for some sun!”

KABUSH WINS FOURTH CYCLO-CROSS TITLE

In the Men’s race, Chris Sheppard of Bend, Oregon (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) entered the race as the three-time defending Champion. Sheppard faced off against his main rival, Olympian and seven-time Canadian Mountain Bike Champion Geoff Kabush (SCOTT-3 Rox Racing).

Kabush took advantage of a great start to stay away from trouble usually arising from large peloton, and took the lead in the first lap, with Derrick St-John’s of Gatineau, QC (Stevens p/b The Cyclery), Aaron Schooler of Edmonton, AB (Norco Bicycles – SRI Importing) and Sheppard in the chase group.

Kabush was able to gain some significant advantage throughout the rest of the course, and rode solo to his fourth Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships title, and eleventh Canadian title including his seven Mountain Bike titles.

“I was looking forward to today. I knew that if my leg showed up, it wasn’t a course that would have a lot of “micky mouse” group rides. It’s a pretty tough technical course. The first few laps, people were going really hard. I put on some pressure, and decided it was the time to push it home. Every lap, there were a couple of section where you could really lay down the power, and put in some hard accelerations,” said Kabush. “I felt really comfortable on my Scott Addict. It was pretty efficient throughout the muddy corners, and I was able to stretch out the lead.”

“The Worlds are on definitely on my schedule. The Worlds in Louisville will definitely be fun to go back there, and hopefully with good weather. I’ve been there three or four times and it has always been fast and dry. I am looking forward to race the Worlds for the first time. It’s a good opportunity to get the Euros on our side of the water.”

EVAN MCNEELY WINS THIRD STRAIGHT TITLE IN U23 RACE

Evan McNeely of Ottawa, ON (Team Specialized Canada) raced to his third straight title, racing in the competitive U23 group. McNeely, who rides mountain bike, took an early lead from the sound of the starting whistle and steadily increased his lead over the race.

The U23 race was the last race of the day, along with the Elite Men race, both enjoying a break in the rainy weather. The absence of rain, with the muddy course, was beneficial to McNeely. “That’s the way I like it. It was actually perfect. We were all looking at the radar all morning long, and nobody could tell with certainty if it would rain or not! When we woke up in the morning, it was actually quite dry.”

“It was a really fun race today. It’s actually the funnest Canadian Championships that I have done so far, with the conditions. I actually contemplated doing the Elite race because I won the last two years in the U23 categroy. I got the jersey again this year and maybe I’ll make it four next year.”

DISERA TAKES JERSEY AFTER EYEING IT

The Men’s Junior race was as exciting as every race held on Saturday. A small group of three riders took off early, comprised of Trevor Pearson of Delta, BC (DEVO), Peter Disera of Barrie, ON (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnnys CC) and Willem Boersma of Portage La Prairie, MB (Team Manitoba). The three riders exchanged their leads throughout the race, and in the last lap, Boersma was dropped by Disera and Pearson.

In the last technical section with perhaps 500m to go in the race, Pearson fell off his bike sporting a decent lead, and Disera took advantage of the situation by attacking and passing Pearson. Within the last 500m to the finish line, Disera was now solo on his way to the Canadian Championships title.

“I didn’t know what the outcome would be from the start. It was a bit of a gong-show at the start. Today, it was about who would be the smoothest and protect the inside in technical turns. I took full advantage of that when others would ride the outside. I was sixth or seven at the start. The real characters started to show, and moved up spots until I was leading,” said Disera. “Pre-riding yesterday, I thought this would be a sick race, with lots of off-camber. I thought it would be cool. Then I woke up today and realized it had rained last night. I came to realized that some of the technical areas would be extremely difficult. I had to run a few sections to stay competitive, and just took those as they came.

“I have been on the podium at Canadian Mountain Bike Championships the last few years, and I had been wanting this jersey. I am excited I got it in cyclo-cross.”

MASTERS RACING AT ITS BEST AT CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

In the morning Masters races prior to the Elite races, a large group of riders took to the course with the hopes of winning the coveted jersey. Aroussene Laflamme of St-Augustin-De-Desmaures took the title in the 30-39 Men category, starting from the gun with an upbeat tempo and rode to the finish line to take the title.

In the 40-49 category, British Columbia’s Bob Welbourn rode to the Canadian title, winning his very first National title after immigrating from Zimbabwe 15 years ago. Welbourn’s victory did not come easy, as he struggle with equipment issue throughout the race, with flat tires, and had to constantly chase the very large peloton of 59 entries to take and keep the lead.

In the 50+ race, Peter Lawrence of Calgary, AB (Soul Sportif) was the fastest of the group of 24 to take the Canadian title. Lawrence and Robert Orange of Chelsea, Québec (Ride With Rendall) rode together, exchanging leads at the front, before Lawrence made his move in the last lap.

Janna Gillick of Nanaimo, BC (Mid Island Velo Association) rode away to the victory in the Women’s Masters race. Gillick took a comfortable lead with about two laps to go, crossing the finish line first of the group of 14 women.

Cycling Canada takes this opportunity to thank the organizing committee and host Provincial Sport Association, Cycling BC, for hosting the event, as well as all the sponsors and partners for their contribution.

RESULTS – 2012 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships – South Surrey, BC.

Elite Women

1. Mical Dyck (Victoria, BC/Stan’s No Tube)

2. Wendy Simms (Nanaimo, BC)

3. Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON/Team Subaru-Trek)

Elite Men

1. Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC/SCOTT-3 Rox Racing)

2. Chris Sheppard (Bend, OR/Rocky Mountain Bicycles)

3. Derrick St-John (Gatineau, QC/Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery)

U23 Men

1. Evan McNeely (Ottawa, ON/Specialized Canada)

2. Evan Guthrie (Peachland, BC/Rocky Mountain Factory Team)

3. Andrew L’Espérance (Halifax, NS/Norco Factory Team)

Junior Men

Peter Disera (Barrie, ON/Cycle Solutions-Angry Johnnys CC)

Trever Pearson (Delta, BC/ Team DEVO)

Willem Boersma (Portage La Prairie, MB/Team Manitoba)

Masters Women 30+

1. Janna Gillick (Nanaimo, BC/Mid Island Velo Association)

2. Lesley Baldwin (Edmonton, AB/Fiera Racing Team)

3. Emily Sportsman (North Vancouver, BC/Republic Bikes)

Masters Men 30-39

1. Aroussene Laflame (St-Augustin-De-Desmaures, QC)

2. Chris McNeil (Kamloops, BC/Soul Sportif)

3. Martin Bojesen (Kamloops, BC)

Masters Men 40-49

1. Bob Welbourn (North Vancouver, BC/SBR)

2. Marc Boudreau (Ottawa, ON/Stevens Racing p/b The Cyclery)

3. Normon Thibeault (Nanaimo, BC/Frontrunners)

Masters Men 50+

1. Peter Lawrence (Calgary, AB/Soul Sportif)

2. Robert Orange (Chelsea, QC/Ride With Rendall)

3. Bob Bergman (Toronto, ON/Canadian Cycling Magazine)

November 17, 2012/by Communications

2012 CANADIAN CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS ATTRACT STARS TO SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Cyclo-Cross popularity is rising in Canada; features both road and mountain bike enthusiasts

— LIVE coverage of Elite, U23 and Junior races on www.cyclingmagazine.ca and www.canadiancyclist.com —

(Ottawa, ON – November 14, 2012) Mountain Bike stars and Olympians Catharine Pendrel, Goeff Kabush and Emily Batty are only three of Canada’s top road and mountain bikers expected on the start line of the 2012 Daryl-Evans Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships and the Daryl-Evans BC Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross presented by Red Racer, to be held this weekend at the South Surrey Athletic Park in South Surrey, British Columbia.

Cyclo-cross, rising in popularity across Canada, is a unique cycling sport that features both road and mountain bike abilities. Cyclo-cross is held on a closed circuit loop, typically in a park that features climbs, obstacles that requires dismounts, mud traps, and many other exciting features.

This year, many of the cycling stars from both the road and mountain bike disciplines will be in attendance for the set of races held Saturday, November 17^th and Sunday, November 18^th. The riders will race on a 3.25km course featuring stairs, dirt jumps and barriers.

Back-to-back Canadian Champion Chris Sheppard, 40 Canada’s highest ranked rider in the UCI World Rankings, is registered to compete, and will be going for the hat trick. This month, Sheppard took the sixth spot at the Cross After Dark #3 race, and seventh at the Harbin Park International, both races held in the United States.

Sheppard will have stiff competition from Mountain Bike Olympian Geoff Kabush, 36, who posted three Top 5 results this season in US Grand Prix races, including a third-place finish at the New Belgium Cup.

Pepper Harlton, 28, is Canada’s top-ranked women in the UCI World Rankings. Harlton came second at the 2011 Canadian Championships, and will be looking for the top spot this year. Just last week, Harlton took the 13^th spot in the US Grand Prix Derby City Cup, and finished fourth just a few weeks ago at the new Belgium Cup, also part of the US Grand Prix tour.

Emily Batty, 24, the reigning Canadian Cyclo-cross Champion, is also expected to partake in the race. She’ll be joined by Catharine Pendrel, 32, a four-time Canadian Mountain Bike Champion and two-time and reigning UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Champion.

Canadian Championships titles will be awarded to the following categories: Junior Men, U23 Men, Elite Men and Women, Master Women and Master Men (30-39, 40-49, 50+).

This year, the UCI World Championships will be held in the United States of America, in Louisville, Kentucky. Participation at the Canadian Championships is mandatory for entry into World Championships.

Canadian Cycling Magazine will stream the races live online, with expert commentary and analysis. Log on to www.cyclingmagazine.ca to find out more about the coverage.

The 2012 Daryl-Evans Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships and the 2012 Daryl-Evans BC Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross presented by Red Racer are organized by Cycling BC and are both sanctioned by Cycling Canada and the International Cycling Union (UCI).

SCHEDULE

Friday, November 16

3pm-4:30pm: Course Open for Training

7:15pm: Team Manager Meeting

Saturday, November 17

8:15am-9:00am: Course Open for Training

9:15am: Canadian Championships, Masters M 50+, Masters W 30+

10:15am: Canadian Championships, Masters M 40-49

11:15am: Canadian Championships, Masters M 30-39+

12:15pm: Youth Cross Challenge

1:45pm: Canadian Championships, Elite W (17+)

3:00pm: Canadian Championships, Elite M, U23 M

Sunday, November 18

8:30am-9:45am: Course Open for Training

10:00am: Challenge Men, Challenge Women, Master Women, Singlespeed, Under 17 Challenge

11:00am: UCI Race, Elite Women

12:15pm: UCI Race, Elite Men

2:15pm: Cat 3/4 Men, Master 3/4 Men

3:15pm: Master 1/2 Men, Junior Men

November 16, 2012/by Communications

Cycling Canada Annual Meeting Summary

Cycling Canada held its Annual Meeting in Toronto from October 26 to 28, 2012 and dealt with a number of important matters. A summary follows:

Strategic Planning for 2013-2016 Quadrennial

Facilitator Rose Mercier led the meeting participants through a strategic planning workshop that reviewed the draft plan that was developed by the Cycling Canada Board after receiving the input of the provincial and territorial affiliates, committee members and the cycling membership at large in March and April of this year.

The national body has specific roles and responsibilities within its mandate and has set out its mission, vision and values. Added to this were four strategic imperatives that were reviewed within the workshop with feedback received on the desired outcomes for each of them.

Strategic Imperatives

Resources: Grow the human capital and discretionary funding necessary to achieve strategic goals.
Development: Consolidate and strengthen a national structure enabling coordinated initiation and progressive development of cyclists.
High Performance: Enhance and expand the system of professional-quality support for Canada’s competitive cyclists.
Profile: Move Canadians to take pride in Canada’s national cycling team and their accomplishments.

The workshop focused on the Development area as it is the one where the activities of the national body and the provincial/territorial affiliates find the greatest common ground.

The next steps will require that the Board of Directors and management of Cycling Canada review the inputs received on mid-term objectives and how success in each area will be defined and measured.

By late February the Strategic Plan for the four years beginning April 1, 2013 will be determined and the resources allocated to delivering on it put in place through the budget plan.

Elections to Cycling Canada Board and Program Committees

The following individuals were elected to the noted positions at the AGM:

Board of Directors

Bill Kinash (Director – two year term)
Hannah Parish (Director – two year term)
Kevin Baldwin (Director – two year term)
Stéphane LeBeau (Director – one year term)

High Performance Committee

Guy Vincent (Chair – two year term)
Andrew Iler (Development Team Representavie – two year term)

Officials’ Committee

Wayne Pomario (Road & Track Representative – two year term)
Jason Howard (BMX Representative – two year term)

Events Committee

Kevin MacCuish (Chair – two year term)
Andrew Paradowski (Road & Track Representative – two year term)

True Sport Presentation

The participants at the Annual Meeting had the opportunity to take part in an interactive session with Paul Melia, President of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Karri Dawson, Director of Operations for the True Sport area of CCES.

The theme of their presentation was around how to make the True Sport principles operational in our sport. They provided some examples of how other National Sport Organizations (NSOs) had made use of the True Sport declaration and followed through with specific actions.

They also highlighted their desire to work with cycling to help us attain the sport we want and toward that end noted the emphasis on anti-doping education in addition to the additional testing that will assist in restoring the integrity of the sport. We hope that many of the provincial associations will follow through on the opportunities provided by True Sport and outlined in the presentation.

National Insurance Program

Since nine of the eleven affiliated provinces and territories are members of the national insurance program it was an opportune time to get firsthand information from our new broker of record Marsh represented by Lyne Erwin, Effie Paraskevakos and Steve Fretwell and from the underwriter of our insurance program SportsCan Insurance represented by the President, Mark Woodall.

The session was very informative as Mr. Woodall outlined the loss history of the national program and fielded a variety of questions on how we could move forward knowing that increased litigation is likely in coming years. He explained that each incident for which there is a claim can be handled in one of three ways; settle, defend or deny and that his team has to analyze the best approach to each situation based on what the known facts tell them and the history of awards by courts in similar circumstances.

Mr. Woodall encouraged the members to manage the insurance program by what is needed to make it the most effective not by managing the fees. He cited several examples where programs would not defend based on deliberate or accidental omissions from a policy. These policy omissions are normally a factor in reducing fees but increasing risk and vulnerability to an action that can’t be defended or covered under insurance. He assured those present that our plan was one that covered all the bases but that such a plan, in this day and age, against our loss history, will inevitably cost more going forward.

Annual Awards

The annual awards were presented as part of the Cycling Celebration that was held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. The winners in each category were as follows:

Event/Organizer of the Year:

Road – Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, QC
Mountain Bike – Championnats Canadiens Marathon, Saint-Raymond, QC
Track – Championnats Canadiens – Dieppe, NB
BMX – Coupe Canada, Saint-Augustin, Québec
Paracycling- Coupe du Monde UCI – Baie Comeau, QC
Cyclocross – Canadian Championships, Toronto, ON

Individual Awards

National Commissaire of the Year – Steve Head, Toronto, ON
International Commissaire of the Year – Wayne Pomario, BC
Torchy Peden Award – Atlantic Region (NS, PEl, NB, NF&L)
Russ Copeland Award – Joakim Albert
President’s Trophy – Ryder Hesjedal
Builder of the Year – Martin Demers (St Felicien, QC)

Annual Meeting 2013

Cycling Canada has a protocol in place whereby every second Annual Meeting is held in Ottawa for a variety of logistical and expense control reasons. Both St. John’s and St. Georges de Beauce have expressed interest in hosting the meeting which will be reviewed by management and a recommendation made to the Board by mid-December of this year.

November 6, 2012/by Communications

2013 MOUNTAIN BIKE CALENDAR FEATURES THREE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canadian Mountain Bike Championships and Canada Cup events promise to be better than ever

(Ottawa, ON – November 06, 2012) Cycling Canada released on Tuesday the 2013 Mountain Bike calendar. The season will be highlighted by the UCI World Cup race in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC, a race that has become a tradition on the UCI World Cup tour and is a favorite among international riders.

The 2013 Mountain Bike domestic calendar features three Canadian Championships for 2013. The traditional Canadian Cross-country Championships will be held at the popular Hardwood Ski and Bike resort near Barrie, ON, the site that will host the Mountain Bike competitions for the 2015 Pan-American Games.

The Canadian Downhill Championships will take place in Panorama, BC, making a return to the popular destination for a third time in four years, while the Canadian Marathon Championships will make a return to St-Raymond for a second straight year after a highly-successful inaugural event in 2012.

The calendar also features an improved Canada Cup for both cross-country and downhill. Five races will be held for cross-country racers, while the downhill racers will ride in three events. The 2013 Canada Cup Finals will be held in Whistler, BC, marking the return of racing at the popular destination. The 2013 Canada Cup series will be held in three provinces: Québec, Ontario and British Columbia.

Mathieu Boucher, director of development for Cycling Canada, is excited about the opportunities in Mountain Bike for next season. “We are pleased to host three different Canadian Championships for 2013 catering to all our riders, in three different provinces. The Canada Cup is also promising to be stronger than ever in 2013, with committed and experienced organizing committees in place. Riders taking part in both the Canadian Championships and Canada Cup events will experience the best mountain biking that Canada has to offer.”

2013 MOUNTAIN BIKE CALENDAR

July 6-7 – Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships [Elite, Junior] – Panorama, BC

July 19-21 – Canadian Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships [Elite, U23, Junior] – Barrie, ON

August 1-9 – 2013 Canada Games – Mountain Bike cycling – Sherbrooke, QC

August 10-11 – UCI World Cup [Elite, U23, Junior] – Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC

August 25 – Canadian Mountain Bike Marathon Championships [Elite] – St. Raymond, QC

2013 CANADA CUP – XCO

May 18 – Mont-Tremblant, QC

May 25 – Baie-St-Paul, QC

June 29 – Sun Peaks, BC

July 14 – Sudbury, ON

August 17 – Whistler, BC [FINALS]

2013 CANADA CUP – DH

May 19 – Mont-Tremblant, QC

June 30 – Sun Peaks, BC

August 18 – Whistler, BC [FINALS]

November 6, 2012/by Communications

ACTION-PACKED ROAD CYCLING CALENDAR DELIVERS COMPETITIVE SEASON

2013 Canadian Elite Road Cycling Championships shift to Ville St-George; Tour of Alberta makes debut

(Ottawa, ON – November 05, 2012) Cycling Canada released on Monday the domestic and international road cycling calendar for 2013, which features once again prominent races for the next season, such as the 2013 Canadian Road Championships in St-George de Beauce, QC and Lac Mégantic, QC, as well as the return for a fourth year of the UCI WorldTour Grands Prix Cyclistes in Québec and Montréal.

The Tour of Alberta, a UCI 2.1, seven-day stage race, is making its debut in 2013, and will become Canada’s top road race on the domestic calendar outside of the WorldTour. The race is expected to bring some of the best professional cycling teams to Canada. The Tour of Delta, a well-known race in British Columbia, is also making its debut on the UCI calendar.

The Tour de Beauce is also back, and is one of Canada’s most prominent races. The Tour de Beauce has been on calendar for more than 25 years and is highly attended by many professional teams from all across the world.

In addition to these high-profile Elite races, many events also allow for the development of up-and-coming cyclists such as the, the UCI Nations Cup Saguenay, the Tour de la Relève international de Rimouski and the Tour de l’Abitibi, all staple races on the international road calendar.

For Women’s cycling, the Chrono Gatineau and Grand Prix cycliste de Gatineau make a return for a fourth consecutive year. The international races for Women’s professional cycling have attracted top women to the National Capital region for this set of high-end races.

“Once again, the 2013 road race calendar will be exciting with lots of great races all across the country. The strength of Canadian cycling has grown greatly over the last decade, and these races play a significant role in the development of our future stars by providing exposure to the international peloton,” said Mathieu Boucher, the director of development at Cycling Canada. “We are highly confident that our race organizers will once more deliver top-notch events across the board.”

2013 ROAD CYCLING CALENDAR

May 18-20 – Chrono Gatineau & Grand Prix cycliste de Gatineau [Elite Women] – Gatineau, QC

May 26 – eQuinelle Grand Prix [Elite Men, Women] – Kemptville, ON

June 6-9 – Coupe des Nations Saguenay [Nations Cup, U23 Men] – Saguenay, QC

June 11-16 – Tour de Beauce [Elite Men] – Ville St-George, QC

June 20-23 – Canadian Road Championships [Elite, U23] – Ville St-George, QC

June 26-30 – Canadian Road Championships [Junior, Master, Para-cycling] – Lac Mégantic, QC

July 7 – Tour de Delta [Elite Men] – Delta, BC

July 16-21 – Tour de l’Abitibi [Junior Men] – Val d’Or, QC

July 31 – Grand Prix cycliste de Rimouski [Junior Women] – Rimouski, QC

August 1-4 – Tour de la relève internationale de Rimouski [Junior Women] – Rimouski, QC

August 10-17 – 2013 Canada Games – Road cycling – Sherbrooke, QC

Sept 3-8 – Tour of Alberta [Elite Men] – Edmonton, AB

Sept 13 – Grand Prix cycliste de Québec [WorldTour, Elite Men] – Québec, QC

Sept 15 – Grand Prix cycliste de Montréal [WorldTour, Elite Men] – Montréal, QC

November 5, 2012/by Communications

KEN COOLS JOINS CYCLING CANADA AS BMX HEAD COACH

Adam Muys to focus on development programs, working closely with Cools

(Ottawa, ON – November 02, 2012) Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Ken Cools as the new Head Coach of the Canadian BMX cycling team, bringing top international coaching talent to Canada.

Cools, who has been coaching the New Zealand BMX cycling team for the past five years, led one of his athlete’s to a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the women’s race, and has coached NZ athletes to five UCI World titles since 2008.

As Head BMX Coach he will be responsible for the development of an overall plan for the delivery of the Canadian BMX program, including the identification of the 2016 and 2020 cohorts of riders that will be developed and for the development of a strategy for coach development. He will oversee Canada’s participation in Junior and Elite World Championships and major international events including the World Cups one of which will be hosted in Abbotsford in 2013.

“Ken Cools brings a wealth of expertise in BMX cycling, having previously worked with elite athletes at the international level. We strongly believe that, in collaboration with the great development work done by Adam Muys at the national level, Canada will grow and become a top nation in BMX as we now move forward to Rio 2016,” said Jacques Landry. “We warmly welcome Ken within the Canadian Cycling community as we strive to become a leading cycling nation by 2020 and beyond.”

“This opportunity aligns with my current experience as a high performance and development BMX Coach. Since I began my coaching career as an international coach in 2001, I have worked with and continue to develop both World and Olympic Champions, including five UCI Elite World Champions and one Olympic medalist,” said Ken Cools, who will begin his duties as Head Coach as of November 12, 2012. “This opportunity appeals to me, as it will allow me to develop a high performance culture and team. I wish to continue to develop and cherish the Canadian vision for existing and upcoming athletes, some of whom I have had the opportunity to train in the past.”

Cools will work with the current Canadian BMX team members in place, including 2012 Olympian Tory Nyhaug, as well as with up-and-coming BMX riders.

This newly created position is supported by Own the Podium for the quadrennial leading up to Rio 2016 and, subject to results achieved, beyond those Games. The BMX coach role through to the London 2012 Olympic Games has been covered by Adam Muys through the support and collaboration of Cycling BC where he leads their BMX program. Adam has determined that his expertise at this time is in working with development riders and carrying out his Cycling BC responsibilities. He, along with other provincial BMX coaches, will work closely with Ken Cools to improve the BMX system in Canada, building and training new champions.

November 2, 2012/by Communications

VIDEO RECAP: CYCLING CELEBRATION