News – Page 3 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CANADA TO HOST TWO STOPS IN NEW UCI CONTINENTAL SERIES

Ottawa, ON (Dec. 18, 2024) – Cycling Canada is proud to announce that two Canada Cup events – the Canmore Canada Cup XCO and SilverStar Canada Cup DH – will serve as stops in the recently announced UCI Continental Series for mountain bike.

The Continental Series will be held during standard UCI calendar events in the cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill (DH) disciplines. Each continent will host six XCO and six DH stops to comprise their respective series. For 2025, Canada will host one stop in each discipline, highlighting two longstanding events on the national calendar.

First is the Canmore Canada Cup XCO, scheduled for June 11-14 in Canmore, AB, hosted by the Alberta Nationals Mountain Bike Race Association.

“Since 2017 when the Alberta Nationals Mountain Bike Race Association was formed and organized the Canadian XCO Mountain Bike Championships, we have been building to this moment,” said Ron Sadesky, Event Director of the Canmore Canada Cup. “Canmore is ripe for taking on higher-level international events and a UCI Continental Series status is the perfect opportunity to showcase the foundation we’ve built over many years of high-level hosting. We are incredibly excited about how a series like this will add to the vibrancy of XCO racing in North America and about welcoming new athletes to Canmore.”

The second UCI Continental Series stop will coincide with the SilverStar Canada Cup DH on Aug. 2-3 in SilverStar Mountain, BC, organized by SilverStar Mountain Resort as part of the Crankworx Summer Series.

“We hosted our first downhill race, the Grundig World Cup, in 1994 and since then SilverStar Bike Park has dedicated itself to delivering gravity-fueled fun to the biking community,” said Ian Jenkins, Director of Sales, Marketing and Events at SilverStar Mountain Resort. “Being selected as the first stop of the UCI DH Continental Series 2025 is a testament to our commitment to the dirt for over 30 years, as we’ve shaped the bike park into one of North America’s premiere biking destinations. We look forward to welcoming athletes and spectators to experience the excitement of SilverStar and see why people come back year after year long after the snow has gone!”

The Series creates valuable opportunities for high-level international competition, both domestically and in easily accessible neighbouring countries. It also offers an additional route to the UCI World Cup for riders not registered in a World Series Team: For each category, the top five from each event will gain ‘Golden Ticket’ entries to a World Cup of their choosing in 2025, plus the top five in the final overall standings will win entries to the following UCI World Cup season. Series standings will also be considered in World Cup wildcard allocations for UCI mountain bike teams.

For more information, visit the Events Page of the Cycling Canada website.

December 18, 2024/by Communications

FIVE ATHLETES ON THEIR WAY TO 2024 UCI URBAN CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Dec. 12, 2024) – Five athletes will be competing at the 2024 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from Dec. 17 to 21.

Paris 2024 Olympian Jeffrey Whaley will take part in BMX Freestyle Park along with Maxime Chalifour, who was crowned Canadian Champion last October in Bromont, QC. Silver medalist at the Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships, Mike Varga and 19-year-old rookie, Xavier Wright will also be packing their bags to join the Canadian team.

In the flatland category, Jean William Prévost will be the sole Canadian representative. Reigning Pan American Champion and leader in the UCI BMX Freestyle Flatland Men Elite Ranking, Prévost will be one to watch.

“We’re really excited to be bringing a crew of five riders to this year’s Urban Cycling World Championships,” said Dave Thomas, National Team Coach. “Going from three spots to five from 2023 to 2024 is a huge accomplishment we are already tremendously proud of. Each rider brings a lot to the table, and it should be a very exciting event. We are excited for this one and the bright future of the Canadian BMX freestyle program!”

Competition for Canadian athletes begins on Dec. 18 and continues throughout the weekend. The complete schedule, start lists and important information are available here.

Team Canada:
Maxime Chalifour – Boisbriand, QC
Jean William Prévost – Kirkland, QC
Mike Varga – Whitby, ON
Jeffrey Whaley – L’Assomption, QC
Xavier Wright – Pickering, ON

December 12, 2024/by Communications

VOTING OPEN FOR 2024 CYCLING CANADA ANNUAL AWARDS

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 29, 2024) – It’s that time of the year where we recognize the hard work done during the 2024 season through our annual awards. Each award will be given to the race organization or individual who went above and beyond their duties. Awards include:

Event of the Year
Riders can vote on which national event stood out most based on registration, timing and the quality of course or track. Based on participant feedback through an online survey, the award will be given to the race organizer for their outstanding work.

Submission Form – Events

Coaching Recognition Awards
The Coaching Recognition Award is presented to coaches whose Canadian athletes or teams won gold while competing at any of the Canadian Championships during the 2024 season. The Coaching Recognition Award – Community is presented to a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) coach who delivers quality, safe and inclusive grassroots programming.

Submission Form – Canadian Championship Coaches
Submission Form – Community Coaches

Commissaires of the Year
Nominated by their peers or a Provincial/Territorial Sport Organization (PTSO) staff member, Commissaire of the Year is awarded to those who have made national and international contributions to the sport.

Submission deadlines are set on Dec. 12, 2024 for all awards. The winners will be announced in January 2025.

November 29, 2024/by Communications

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR CYCLING CANADA OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 20, 2024) – Cycling Canada welcomes personal expressions of interest for the identification of individuals who are capable, willing and motivated to serve the organization in a volunteer capacity on one of four operational committees:

Committee	Vacancies Available	How to Apply
Events Committee	Three (3)	Email the Events Candidate Self-Evaluation Form to general@cyclingcanada.ca with the subject ‘Committee Expression of Interest’
Officials Committee	Four (4)	Email the Officials Candidate Self-Evaluation Form to general@cyclingcanada.ca with the subject ‘Committee Expression of Interest’
Coach Development Committee	Three (3)	Email the Coach Development Candidate Self-Evaluation Form to general@cyclingcanada.ca with the subject ‘Committee Expression of Interest’
High Performance Committee	Three to five (3-5)	Online via this form

The deadline to submit expressions of interest is Dec. 11, 2024. Following the deadline, staff will review, assess and identify the ideal individuals for each of the committees.

Detailed committee responsibilities, terms of reference and the desired committee member skills matrix can be found in the Cycling Canada Policy on Operational Committees. For 2025, the High Performance Committe is specifically seeking candidates knowledgeable in BMX racing, mountain bike, para-cycling and track cycling.

Committee members will be selected on an annual basis with each appointment lasting two years, starting January 2025. Size is flexible and is based on the ability to find a competent cross-section of skills and experience. Expected time commitment for committee members is a few hours per month, mainly for teleconference meetings, with one or two face-to-face meetings per year.

November 20, 2024/by Communications

U23 ATHLETES CONQUER ELITE FIELD AT 2024 CANADIAN CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 18, 2024) – There was plenty of action at the 2024 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships, presented by Lazer, held on Nov. 16 in Lévis, QC, as a new class of Canadian champions were crowned.

Racing through rain and mud, 350 athletes put on quite a show for the local crowd.

Ian Ackert and Isabella Holmgren, both 19 years of age and usually competing in the U23 category, gave a masterclass in the Elite categories, in which they were both upgraded for the occasion. The two Ontarians dominated their races, establishing a gap of over 40 seconds on the runner-up positions, occupied by Maghalie Rochette in the women’s category and Gunnar Holmgren in the men’s. Sidney McGill and Tyler Clark took bronze.

“I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in a long time,” Isabella told Canadian Cycling Magazine. “I was just trying to focus on my own race because it was so slippery. I made sure to power on the straightaway. I didn’t plan an attack or anything, I just rode as hard as I could.”

Earlier in the day, Mika Comaniuk and Marin Lowe were crowned winners of the U23 category after taking an early lead in the race, creating a significant gap over silver medallists Alexander Woodford (+31.83s) and Mia De Martin (+2:21m).

“I love these conditions,” said Lowe “I was excited for the race and felt calm going into it and I was open to all possibilities. I just wanted to deliver a good race and stay smooth in conditions that I love and am used to from back home, so I’m happy about how I executed my plan. It’s very special to win this jersey.”

Rafaëlle Carrier, national title holder in the Junior women’s XCO and XCC mountain bike events, took her third title of the 2024 season. The Junior men’s race got underway in the sprint, with Émilien Belzile winning against Evan Moore.

Alexa Haviland (Women U17), Carter Deveer (Men U17), Kelly Welbourn (Women 55-64), Sue Haviland (Women 45-54), Jodi Wendland (Women 35-44), James Laird (Men 65+), Jean-François Blais (Men 55-64), Aroussen Laflamme (Men 45-54) and Eric Jeannotte (Men 35-44) also took honors in their respective categories.

Full results from the event can be found here. The 2025 Canadian Cyclo-Cross Championships will be held once again in Lévis, QC; more details on the 2025 Championships Calendar are available here.

November 18, 2024/by Communications

LÉVIS HOSTS THE CANADIAN CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 13, 2024) – Canadian athletes in the U17, Junior, U23, Elite and Masters categories are gearing up for the final national championships of the season, the 2024 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships, presented by Lazer and held in Lévis, QC, on Nov. 16.

A myriad of internationally proven athletes, including Elite Women and U23 Men Pan-American champions Sidney McGill and Ian Ackert, 2023 Junior World Champion Isabella Holmgren and World Cup top 10 regular Maghalie Rochette will all be behind the starting line.

2023 Canadian champions in their respective categories, Ackert, Ava Holmgren, Rafaëlle Carrier, Evan Russell, Ethan Wood, Jayden McMullen, Gail O’Reilly and Bob Welbourn will also be present, hoping to get their hands on the maple leaf jersey for another year.

“We are thrilled to bring the final Championship event of the 2024 season to Lévis,” said Josh Peacock, Director of Marketing and Events at Cycling Canada. “In choosing the site for this year’s Championships, we were confident that the organizers in Lévis possessed the perfect mix of community support, hosting expertise and a top-notch cyclo-cross venue. With the popularity of cyclo-cross continuing to grow across our country, we’re confident this competition will showcase some of the best performances this sport has to offer.”

The full technical guide and important event information can be found on the Events Page of the Cycling Canada website.

November 13, 2024/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES BOARD OF DIRECTOR UPDATES

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 6, 2024) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce updates to the composition of its Board of Directors following its Annual Meeting held via video conference on Sept. 24, 2024.

At the Annual Meeting, Cycling Canada’s member Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations voted to elect three incumbent directors from a slate of 10 nominees. Each of these directors will serve three-year terms in the role of Director-at-Large.

Cycling Canada directors elected Sept. 24, 2024:

Mark Collins (Milton, ON)
Louizandre Dauphin (Abbotsford, BC)
Denise Ramsden (Toronto, ON)

Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, the Cycling Canada Board elected Mark Collins (Milton, ON) to serve as Chair of the Board for a term that will conclude at the next Annual Meeting in September 2025. This is Collins’ second year as Chair, succeeding Pierre Laflamme (Quebec, QC), who had served as Chair since December 2018.

Stepping down from the Cycling Canada Board is Curt Harnett (Toronto, ON), who served from September 2019 to 2024. The Board would like to recognize and thank Curt for his significant contributions over his time on the Board, particularly in the areas of fundraising, where he spearheaded the launch of the Club 1882 program.

Continuing their ongoing terms on the Cycling Canada Board of Directors are Directors-at-Large Lara Check, Andrea Eby, Pierre Laflamme and Kelly Murray. The position of Athlete Representative continues to be held by Forrest Riesco by virtue of his role as Chair of the Cycling Canada Athletes’ Council.

Cycling Canada would like to extend a warm welcome to its returning directors as well as a sincere thank you to all the candidates who put their names forward as nominees in the recent election.

The role of the Board of Directors is to provide overall strategic direction, leadership and stability for the organization. The Board establishes the overall mission and purpose for the organization and it is responsible for a number of key governance-related activities including approving the appointment of (and providing direction to) the CEO and senior management team, the development and adoption of organizational policies, financial oversight and approval of the annual budget.

Cycling Canada Board of Directors (October 2024)

Lara Check Director-at-large
Mark Collins Director-at-large/Chair
Louizandre Dauphin Director-at-large
Andrea Eby Director-at-large
Pierre Laflamme Director-at-large
Kelly Murray Director-at-large
Denise Ramsden Director-at-large
Forrest Riesco National Team Athlete Representative

November 6, 2024/by Communications

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2024-2025 ESPORTS SEASON

Ottawa, ON (Nov. 4, 2024) – The fifth consecutive Cycling Canada Esports season is set to return from Nov. 4, 2024, to April 7, 2025, on the virtual cycling platforms Zwift and MyWoosh.

“The 2024-2025 Esports season is set to be an exciting one for Cycling Canada and we can’t wait to get started,” said Cycling Canada Director of Marketing and Events, Josh Peacock. “Esports are such an invaluable tool for developing the cycling community. We think this upcoming season exemplifies that by providing a range of accessible riding opportunities, tying into events and the athlete pathway with the Canadian Championships and a creating unique connection point with our National Team athletes. We’re also excited to host the Canadian Esports Championships this year in partnership with Echelon Racing, widening our virtual cycling world with the move to the MyWoosh platform.”

Regular programming will feature opportunities to explore Zwift’s vast virtual world while clocking valuable riding time:

Cycling Canada Weekly Rides
Returning this year, our Monday rides will feature time zone options to make it easier for participants across the country to join in on the fun. Courses will vary week to week to provide a mix of training opportunities for all abilities with recommended paces set to allow for a social ride (1.5-2.0 w/kg).

Wednesday Team Canada Rides
Every three weeks, join a National Team athlete as they lead an accessible and social ride held on a flat course to help allow conversation to flow. Don’t miss the chance to join truly interactive group rides with your favorite athletes and connect with them via Discord peer-to-peer voice chats.

The first Wednesday Team Canada Ride of the season will feature Jenn Jackson at 8:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 13 – don’t miss this opportunity to train with some of Canada’s best riders! More details available here.

Saturday Fundo Rides
Starting at 12:05 p.m. ET every Saturday, riders will get to experience a variety of courses from Zwift’s longer rides with distances ranging from 20 to 50km. Participants are invited to join and ride at their own pace or challenge fellow riders as they race to the front.

Our Zwift offerings will expand even further next year with a Cycling Canada club, which will facilitate more opportunities, benefits and events. More information about the club will be released at a later date.

2025 Canadian Esports Championships 
The fourth edition of the Canadian Esports Championships is scheduled to be held on MyWhoosh with support from Echelon Racing Promotions on Feb. 8-9, 2025. New for the 2025, all participants wishing to compete at the Canadian Esports Championships will be required to compete in minimum one (1) Echelon Racing League event, hosted on MyWhoosh. Echelon Racing League qualification events will run from Dec. 7, 2024, to Jan. 18, 2025. Click here for more information.

“Echelon Racing Promotions remains committed to providing the highest quality, accessible, fair and equitable competitions in the Esport cycling space. We continue to believe that Esports provides a platform to strengthen the overall cycling community and its reach, influence and impact by bringing virtual and in-real-life riders and racers together in collaboration with national governing bodies. We are thrilled to partner with MyWhoosh, who shares the same passion and energy to revolutionize cycling through Esport,” said Eric Hill, Echelon Racing League’s Co-Founder and President.

Hill added, “Echelon Racing Promotions is excited to work with Cycling Canada again in 2025. Cycling Canada athletes have long been a staple of the Echelon Racing League and brought top-level competition, so to be working with the federation again to offer the Canadian Esports Championships is a special opportunity that we feel privileged to have.”

More details, including the technical guide, qualification and registration information, will be posted on the Cycling Canada Events webpage in the coming weeks.

With the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship also hosted on MyWhoosh in 2025, the Cycling Canada team selection process will be hosted on that platform once further details including dates become available.

November 4, 2024/by Communications

ACTION AT THE CANADIAN BMX FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND UCI CYCLING ESPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Oct. 28, 2024) – Canadian cycling athletes were in action on Oct. 26, 2024 both at the Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships in Bromont, QC, and in Abu Dhabi, UAE for the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships.

Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships

The new acrobatic zone at the Centre National de Cyclisme de Bromont was the setting for the crowning of two new BMX freestyle winners.

Alexandra Laforest and Maxime Chalifour, who frequently train in Bromont, were on a mission to win this year’s honors. They lived up to expectations, both scoring the highest score in their respective categories.

“I’ve only been doing BMX freestyle for a year,” commented Laforest. “My boyfriend, Maxime (Chalifour), gave me his old bike. I’m a former rugby and soccer player, so I was looking for a new sport with adrenaline. I put a lot of effort into this year to be able to get the title of Canadian champion, and then it paid off because we won it!”

“We train here regularly,” added Chalifour. “It’s barely been a year since the center opened, and I made it my mission to win this year. Last year, at Joyride150 in Ontario, I finished second, and I really wanted to take first place this time. It feels good, with all the family and friends here, it’s great.”

On the men’s side, Mike Varga and Olympian Jeffrey Whaley took silver and bronze respectively, while Sarah Dinel and Marie-Soleil St-Laurent finished second and third on the women’s podium.

UCI Cycling Esports World Championships

Two Canadian athletes, Thomas Thrall and Tiffany Penner, were geared up for the final round of the UCI Esports World Championships, after months of planning and several qualifying rounds. As one of the 20 finalists in their categories, Thrall and Penner finished 12th and 17th respectively.

In the men’s category, Germany’s Jason Osborne took top honours, while Belgium’s Lionel Vujasin and Finland’s Kasper Borremans finished second and third respectively. New Zealand’s Kat McCarthy took the women’s world title, ahead of Brazil’s Gabriela Guerra and Switzerland’s Kathrin Fuhren, who took silver and bronze respectively.

The complete list of results from the Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships is available here, and the list of results from the UCI Esports World Championships is available here.

The next national championships on the calendar are the Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships on Nov. 16 and 17 in Lévis, QC. The complete calendar of national events can be consulted on the Cycling Canada website.

October 28, 2024/by Communications

TWO CANADIANS LINING UP FOR 2024 UCI CYCLING ESPORTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Oct. 25, 2024) – Two Canadian athletes will compete in the fourth edition of the UCI Esports World Championships, to be held in person on Oct. 26, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, through the virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh.

After two rounds of qualifying where the competition proved fierce, Thomas Thrall, based in Nashville, TN, and Tiffany Penner, from Winnipeg, MB, both managed to secure a place among the 40 finalists, 20 for each of the men’s and women’s category. Sprinting, strategy and power will determine the winners at the end of the day’s competition.

Canadian Champion in the discipline in 2023 and 2024, Thrall will be participating in his third UCI Esports World Championships, having been part of the Canadian team in 2022 and 2023. Penner, meanwhile, will make her Esports World Championship debut.

Competitions kick off on Oct. 26 and will be broadcast online here. All information on the event is available here.

October 25, 2024/by Communications