News – Page 36 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

KEELY SHAW BECOMES CANADA’S FIRST PARALYMPIC GAMES MEDALIST

TOKYO (August 25, 2021) – Keely Shaw kicked off the first day of competition at the Paralympic Games with a stellar performance, winning a bronze medal in the women’s C4 Individual Pursuit with a time of 3:48.342 to become Canada’s first Paralympic Games medalist.

Shaw started the day by setting the third fastest qualifying time of 3:49.032, earning her place in the bronze medal final against Meg Lemon of Australia. In the end, she managed to shave off almost one second from her qualifying time to take the win against her competitor.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my performance after the qualifiers, I knew I had more in my legs than what I put on the track,” said Shaw. “I definitely left it all out there for the bronze medal race and that’s when it really mattered. I’m so excited to be able to show off all the work the entire team has done in the last five years and have that come out with a bronze medal for Canada.”

Tomorrow, Tristen Chernove will be competing in the men’s C1 Individual Pursuit with the goal of bringing home another medal. All competitions can be streamed on CBC Paralympics.

/by

TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

To the outside world, cycling may seem like an individual sport; athletes spend countless hours training solo on roads, trails and trainers and are alone when crossing the finish line. However, it takes a huge team of dedicated people to get them to the start line, whether it be coaches, team managers, mechanics, physios or doctors.

Meet the Tokyo 2020 para-cycling squad and the staff that will be with every step of the way:

Tristen Chernove (C1)

Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit & 1000m Time Trial

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

In 2015, Tristen Chernove burst onto the para-cycling scene and is showing no signs of slowing down. Competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games only one year after joining the National Team, Chernove won three medals in the men’s C2 Time Trial (gold), Individual Pursuit (silver) and Kilo (bronze). Five years and multiple world titles later, he’s ready to give everything he’s got at his second Paralympic Games in the C1 category.

Kate O’Brien (C4)

Track: 500m Time Trial

O’Brien joined the Canadian para-cycling team in 2020, where she competed at the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Milton. Although this was her first competition with the team, she did not go unnoticed, setting a new world record in the 500m Time Trial and earning the rainbow jersey. In her Paralympic Games debut this summer, Kate O’Brien will be looking to defend her world record and bring home a medal.

Keely Shaw (C4)

Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

Shaw first started competing internationally at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, where she finished 5th in the Individual Pursuit. One year later, she claimed a silver medal in the event, and has since earned several top-5s at various Track and Road World Championships.

Ross Wilson (C1)

Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit, 1000m Time Trial

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

Wilson is looking to bring home more hardware after winning countless medals at Road and Track Para-cycling World Championships over the last seven years, on top of winning two silver medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, He will be racing for the first time on both the road and the track in nearly two years.

Marie-Ève Croteau (T2)

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

It’s been over a decade of international racing for Marie-Ève Croteau as she takes on her second Paralympic Games this summer. Her accomplishments over the years include being a time trial and road race world champion, several world championships and world cup podiums, as well as a bronze medal at the 2011 Parapan American Games. The Tokyo Games will mark her second competition this year after she finished 4th at the Para-cycling Road World Championships in June.

Joey Desjardins (H3)

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

Desjardins first got into para-cycling simply because he loved the sport. In 2016 he started to turn heads, meeting with coaches and trainers who honed on his talent. Eventually, Desjardins made his way to the National Team, competing in 10 world cups and three world championships, earning his first medal at the 2019 Ostend World Cup in the road race.

Alex Hyndman (H3)

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

In just three years, Hyndman went from being new to the sport to becoming a world championship bronze medallist in the Time Trial. As he heads to Tokyo, Hyndman is aiming for a podium in the very competitive men’s H3 road competitions.

Charles Moreau (H3)

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

Charles Moreau has an impressive international race resume which includes winning two bronze medals in the Time Trial and Road Race at the 2016 Paralympic Games, along with two medals at the Parapan American Games in 2015. Hungry for more success, Moreau will lead the team as he eyes another Paralympic podium finish in Japan.

Shelley Gautier (T1)

Road: Time Trial & Road Race

Shelley Gautier is a seasoned athlete when it comes to competing on the world stage. She is a 17-time world champion and a Paralympic bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Games. After earning another world title earlier this year, Gautier will be aiming for a second medal at her third Games.

Alternates:

Marie-Claude Molnar

Kara Douville

Carla Shibley/Meghan Grant

Michael Sametz

Matthew Kinnie

Coaching Staff:

Leading the charge for the coaching staff is Sébastien Travers who has been a National Team coach for over 10 years and had a standout coaching experience at the 2016 Rio Games when Canadian para-cyclists earned a total of nine medals, the most of any sport. He will be joined by NextGen coaches Guillaume Plourde and Phil Abbott who both work individually with athletes across Canada and have extensive international race experience with the team.

Medical Staff:

Our Canadian team will be in good hands with a solid team of medical professionals and therapists who have been working with the team for numerous years. From team doctor Philippe Gariepy, and therapists including Delphine Leray (therapist), Richard Audet (track physiotherapist) and Philippe Maheau (road physiotherapist), athletes will be in peak form to perform at their best.

Mechanics:

While athletes focus on their performance, Cycling Canada’s mechanics will be on the ground in Tokyo to make sure that everything is running smoothly on the bike. Jamie Bissell (road mechanic) and James Stanfill (track mechanic) will be working with the nine athletes to make sure their bikes are ready to go on race day.

Team Leaders:

Last but not least, let’s not forget the dedicated staff who have been working on the Games logistics for years to book flights, accommodations, transportation and much more for all athletes and staff. Cycling Canada’s High Performance Director Kris Westwood will be assisting the team on the ground while our Para-Cycling Manager Emily O’Connor will be acting as Team Leader.

Don’t miss any of the action on the track from August 25-27 and on the road from August 31 – September 2 on CBC Paralympics.

Schedule:

*All days/times are in Japan Standard Time

August 25 (10:00am – 3:25pm)

Events: Women’s C4 3000m Individual Pursuit

Team Canada Athletes: Keely Shaw

 

August 26 (10:00am – 4:40pm)

Events: Men’s C1 3000m Individual Pursuit

Team Canada Athletes: Tristen Chernove & Ross Wilson

 

August 27 (10:00am – 4:30pm)

Events: Women’s 500m Time Trial, Men’s C1 1000m Time Trial

Team Canada Athletes: Kate O’Brien, Tristen Chernove & Ross Wilson

 

August 31 (8:00am – 5:15pm)

Event: Road Time Trial (All categories)

Team Canada Athletes: Tristen Chernove, Joey Desjardins, Alex Hyndman, Charles Moreau, Ross Wilson, Shelley Gautier, Marie-Éve Croteau, Kate O’Brien and Keely Shaw

 

September 1 (9:30am – 5:05pm)

Event: Men’s H3 Road Race

Team Canada Athletes: Joey Desjardins, Alex Hyndman and Charles Moreau

 

September 2 (9:30am – 4:45pm)

Event: Men’s C1 Road Race, Women’s T1, T2 & C4 Road Race

Team Canada Athletes: Ross Wilson, Tristen Chernove, Shelley Gautier, Keely Shaw and Marie-Ève Croteau

/by

TEIGEN PASCUAL WINS SILVER AT THE BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Papendal, Netherlands (August 22, 2021) – After winning the Russ Copeland Award for Best Junior Rider of the Year in 2020, Teigen Pascual proved once again that she is among the top Junior female riders in the world by clinching a silver medal at the BMX World Championships in Papendal, Netherlands on Sunday.

Pascual started the day by qualifying third in the motos to make her way directly to the semi-final round where she won her heat and moved on to the finals. In the final heat, she was just edged out by French rider, Mariane Beltrando who clinched the gold medal by only 0.725 of a second.

“It was nice to have the Canada jersey on again, and have it on the podium this time,” says Pascual. “This moment [winning the silver] means a lot. It’s been a hard two years, and it’s just nice seeing everything come together.”

Pascual was joined by Canadian teammates Max Ganakovskyy, Dylan Tremel and Jacob Shaw in the Junior men’s category, as well as Molly Simpson in the Elite women’s category. All four unfortunately did not advance to the next round.

“It was really refreshing to work with a young batch of junior and elite athletes,” says Canadian National BMX Coach, Adam Muys. “The day started out a little rough with a few crashes, but they got back on the bike and put in some great laps. It was really exciting at the end of the day with Teigen in the final and coming away with second place. I’m just really proud of all the athletes and seeing Teigen on the podium.”

Full results from the BMX World Championships can be found here. Next up on the BMX race calendar will be the Canadian BMX Championships and Canada Cup final which will be hosted in Calgary on August 28-29.

/by

CYCLING CANADA RESPONSE TO 2021 MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SELECTIONS

Ottawa, ON (August 15, 2021) – Cycling Canada recognizes that a healthy cycling nation offers support to athletes of all disciplines and has been working hard to diversify its revenue streams in order to be able to support programs outside of the publicly funded Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. These efforts have allowed additional support for development riders at this year’s Downhill World Championships and we expect this support to increase over time as we remain committed to better supporting Canadian downhill athletes.

As a result of not being able to traditionally support downhill athletes, Cycling Canada formed what is referred to as the ‘Downhill Working Group’; this advisory group is made up of representatives from the downhill community including Trade Teams, provincial sports organizations and both female and male athlete representatives. This group contributes to the creation of selection policies at the beginning of each year and advises on the selection of riders for both world cups and world championships. Selections made by the DH Working Group are then confirmed by our High Performance Committee, which consists of former athletes, a current athlete representative, and representatives from the cycling community. Overwhelmingly, the ask from athletes has been for clear and objective criteria and it is the High Performance Committee’s role is to ensure that selections are done in accordance with the posted criteria.

The selection criteria for the 2021 World Downhill Championships for both Elite men and women was clear and objective. Selection was based on 2020 World Championships results, 2021 world cups, UCI rankings and Nationals and all athletes had the same opportunities to enter races in 2021 and achieve results for selection. This year, three Elite women were selected to attend the World Championships, and unfortunately, all three declined their selection. The criteria clearly states that Cycling Canada is to only select the top three who are not already selected, provided that they finish in the top-8. If those athletes decline, the criteria does not state that selections should be rolled down the results list to pick additional athletes.

However, it is also very clear that there are extenuating circumstances. It is incredibly rare that every qualified athlete in a specific category would decline selection. Cycling Canada has a responsibility, above and beyond the confines of high performance sport, to both promote and encourage cycling in Canada. Canadian athletes’ success on the world stage inspires the next generation of Canadian athletes and fielding a team that does not include a single Elite female athlete does not move us closer to that goal.

In consideration of these extenuating circumstances, and with the goal of increasing female representation at this year’s World Championships, Cycling Canada has made the following decisions:

1. Cycling Canada will roll down selections to athletes finishing in the top-8 of the Canadian Downhill Championships in the Elite women’s category. This includes:

Vaea Verbeeck
Jennifer McHugh
Rachel Pageau

2. In consideration of her injury this season, Cycling Canada will also select Gracey Hemstreet as an additional Junior female athlete.

/by

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR CYCLING CANADA BOARD POSITIONS

OTTAWA, ON (August 13, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the opening of the annual nomination process for positions on its Board of Directors.

The Cycling Canada Board of Directors is elected by Cycling Canada’s members (Provincial & Territorial Cycling Associations) and is comprised of 7 Director-at-Large positions, a National Team Athlete representative plus one optional Director appointed at the discretion of the Board.

The role of Cycling Canada’s 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 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.

Board members meet by teleconference once per month, meet in-person twice per year and are also expected to participate on Board committees on a regular basis. Cycling Canada is looking to build upon the expertise within its existing Board and is seeking to include a range of diverse voices and skills that will enable the growth and development of our organization and our sport in Canada.

For the upcoming September 2021 elections, the Nominations Committee is seeking nominees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives who bring the following skill sets, competencies and considerations, as established as priorities for the organization:

· Financial Acumen / Accounting Expertise
· Business Development / Commercial Expertise
· Governance / Policy Expertise

Ideally, candidates will also have corporate or non-profit board experience.

In 2021 there are four (4) Director-at-Large positions open for nomination, each for two-year terms. Board elections will occur at the Cycling Canada Annual Meeting to be held by conference call on September 28, 2021. Nominations for these Board positions will close August 27th, 2021, one calendar month prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.

For additional details please refer to the Nomination Form available for download here and the Cycling Canada by-laws and governance policies, available here.

/by

CANADA SELECTS TEAM FOR THE UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (August 12, 2021) – Cycling Canada has announced the team selected to represent Canada at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, between August 25-29. Of the riders selected, 55 will be competing.

Both cross-country (XCO) and downhill (DH) athletes will be competing in the biggest event on the calendar, including Olympians Catharine Pendrel, Haley Smith and Peter Disera who recently returned from competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“We have a strong and ambitious team going to Worlds this year,” said Dan Proulx, Cycling Canada’s Head Mountain Bike Coach. “There are several riders on the verge of significant breakthroughs at the international level, particularly in the U23 category and we’re excited to see what they can do in Italy. Post-Olympics, development always becomes our primary focus. We’re taking a big team filled with many new and emerging young riders and we want them to compete fiercely, learn everything they can and come away with the best experience possible.”

Cycling Canada is also proud to be sending a fully supported downhill team for the first time in several years. “We’re super excited to be able to field a large team at this year’s World Championships!” said Downhill Team Manager, Adam Walker. “We’re hoping for big results from our Elite riders, and we’re excited to be able to provide development opportunities for our Junior athletes at both the World Championships and the following weekend at the Lenzerheide World Cup.”

Decisions to the team were made in the selection criteria as set forward in the DH Working group, along with the criteria outlined on our website.

Junior XCO Women
Nicole Bradbury – Hamilton, ON
Ella Myers – Calgary, AB
Mara Roldan – Whitehorse, YK
Marie-Fay St.Onge – Fleurimont, ON

Junior XCO Men
Owen Clark – Mono, ON
Zorak Paille – Laval, QC
Cole Punchard – Huntsville, ON
Lief Rodgers – Port Moody, BC

U23 XCO Women
Dana Gilligan – Oro Medonte, ON
Emilly Johnston – Comox, BC
Juliette Larose-Gingras – Lac-Beauport, QC
Sidney McGill – Edmonton, AB
Jocelyn Stel – Burlington, ON
Marianne Théberge – Lévis, QC
Roxanne Vermette – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC

U23 XCO Men
Tyler Clarke – Mono, ON
William Côté – Sherbrooke, QC
Gunnar Holmgren – Orillia, ON
Noah Ramsey – Toronto, ON
Xavier Roy – Amos, QC
Vincent Thiboutot – Quebec City, QC
Carter Woods – Cumberland, BC

Elite XCO Women
Laurie Arsenault – Terrebonne, QC
Emily Batty – Brooklin, ON
Jennifer Jackson – Oro Medonte, ON
Cindy Montambault – Val-David, QC
Catharine Pendrel – Kamloops, BC
Haley Smith – Uxbridge, ON
Sandra Walter – Coquitlam, BC

Elite XCO Men
Léandre Bouchard – Alma, QC
Peter Disera – Horseshoe Valley, ON
Quinton Disera – Horseshoe Valley, ON
Sean Fincham – Squamish, BC
Marc-André Fortier – Victoriaville, QC
Andrew L’Esperance – Halifax, NS
Tyler Orschel – Uxbridge, ON

Junior DH Women
Lily Boucher – Squamish, BC
Vanessa Bruneau – North Vancouver, BC
Gracey Hemstreet
Emmy Lan – Comox, BC

Junior DH Men
Marcus Goguen – Whistler, BC
Jackson Goldstone – Squamish, BC
Jakob Jewett
Tristan Lemire – Montreal, QC
Coen Skrypnek ­– Calgary, AB
Cole Stinson – Comox, BC
Wei Tien Ho – Whistler, BC

Elite DH Women
Jennifer McHugh – Fernie, BC
Rachel Pageau – Chicoutimi, QC
Vaea Verbeeck – Vernon, BC

Elite DH Men
Lucas Cruz – Pemberton, BC
Finn Iles – Whistler, BC
Elliot Jamieson – White Rock, BC
Gabriel Neron – Alma, QC
Mark Wallace – Duncan, BC

/by

CANADIAN ATHLETES HEADING TO FIRST BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TWO YEARS

Ottawa, ON (August 11, 2021) – Cycling Canada is excited to send a team of five athletes to the first UCI BMX World Championships in nearly two years, which will be held from August 17-22 in Papendal, Netherlands.

The squad will be led by first-year Elite Molly Simpson and Junior rider, Teigen Pascual, who have both had success on the international stage, with Pascual winning the Russ Copeland Award for Best Junior Rider of the Year in 2020. Unfortunately, Olympians Drew Mechielsen and James Palmer both had to withdraw only a few weeks after racing in their first Olympics due to injuries.

“We have a young group of athletes ready to have some breakout performances at the World Championships,” said Adam Muys, Cycling Canada’s Head BMX Coach. “We’re focusing on our development pathway for the athletes and providing them with a stage to compete and learn from competing with the best in the world. We’re looking forward to a great experience in Papendal.”

Elite Women
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB

Junior Women
Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC

Junior Men
Max Ganakovski – Calgary, AB
Jacob Shaw – Kelowna, BC
Dylan Tremel – Calgary, AB

/by

KELSEY MITCHELL WINS CANADA’S SECOND-EVER GOLD MEDAL IN THE WOMEN’S SPRINT

TOKYO (August 8, 2021) – In an unbelievable finish to her first Olympic Games, Kelsey Mitchell won Canada’s 24th medal and second-ever gold medal in the women’s Sprint on the final day of track competitions.

After going head-to-head in the quarterfinals with teammate Lauriane Genest—who won a bronze medal in the women’s Keirin earlier in the week—Mitchell advanced to the semi-final round to face World Champion, Emma Hinze, of Germany. Mitchell would go on to win the first race of three before being defeated in the second only to win the third. The Canadian advanced to the gold medal final to overtake Ukraine’s Olena Starikova, winning the first two races and becoming the Olympic Champion.

“I really, really wanted to get it done in two, and I got it done in two, which is a really rare since I usually end up going to three,” said Mitchell describing her gold medal final. “Canada’s a threat, and I think we proved that here. We’re strong and we’re some of the best in the world.”

Mitchell’s medal marks the first cycling gold medal since Lori-Ann Muenzer won the event at the Athens Games in 2004. The Olympic Champion took up the sport in 2017 through the RBC Training Ground program and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually winning the 2019 Pan American Games and becoming a World Record holder in her pursuit to making the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team.

Allison Beveridge and Lauriane Genest also completed their final day of racing at the Izu Velodrome, with Genest taking 8th in the women’s Sprint 5-8 finals. Meanwhile, Beveridge was back on the track after breaking the Canadian record in the women’s Team Pursuit to race in the Omnium where she finished in ninth with 78 points.

/by

LAURIANE GENEST WINS CANADA’S FIRST EVER MEDAL IN THE KEIRIN

TOKYO (August 5, 2021) – Lauriane Genest and Kelsey Mitchell had a spectacular Olympic debut, securing their place in the Keirin final after breezing through three heats over two days of racing. Genest was physically and tactically strong in the final, sprinting to third place in the last lap to secure a bronze medal for Canada.

“I’m pretty stoked,” said Genest. “I’m just very happy with the outcome and I don’t quite realize it yet. In the moment when I crossed the finish line, I didn’t really know what I had done. It’s a life accomplishment honestly, we work so hard every day, we train so hard and it’s dedication and it’s amazing to see that work pay off.”

Genest and Mitchell kicked off the event yesterday by winning their respective heats in the 1/16 finals. They went on to compete in the ¼ finals, where Mitchell won her heat and Genest finished in the top-4 to secure her place in the next round. Competing in the same semi-final race, both women managed to finish in the top-3 and made their way to the finals against a stacked international field.

In the end, the Canadian women raced strong, with Mitchell fading in the last lap and being passed by eventual gold medallist Shanne Braspennincx of the Netherlands, followed by Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand and Genest in third. Mitchell finished the event in 5th place.

Both Mitchell and Genest will have another shot at the podium in the women’s Sprint event which starts tomorrow. All rounds can be streamed live on CBC Olympics.

/by

HISTORIC FINISH FOR CANADIAN MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT

TOKYO (August 4, 2021) – After setting a new Canadian record in Round 1 of the men’s Team Pursuit on Tuesday, Vincent De Haître, Jay Lamoureux, Michael Foley and Derek Gee bettered their record in the 5-6 final clocking in at 3:46.324. Their time would edge out the German team for fifth spot and be the best performance for Canadian men in the event in 89 years.

“Yesterday we were super happy with our time and we didn’t think we had any chance of surpassing it again,” said Foley. “We were just focused on winning the ride but the best way to do that was to go as fast as we could, so we just went after it again. We were cracking hard at the end but we brought it around and just to see the time was even better was crazy.”

Sprint competitions also kicked off with Lauriane Genest and Kelsey Mitchell making their Games debut in the women’s Keirin. The duo won their respective heats and automatically advanced to tomorrow’s quarterfinals, with semis and finals also taking place on the same day.

“We’ve trained so hard, for so long and we tried to simulate racing to the best of our abilities, but nothing comes close to this in the Olympics. Adrenaline is a magical thing and I’m just so happy with how the race went,” said Mitchell.

In the men’s Sprint, Wammes posted the best Canadian time in qualifying and set a new personal best of 9.587, while Hugo Barrette posted a time of 9.596 seconds. They both advanced to the 1/32 finals, where Nick Wammes beat former world champion, Stefan Boetticher, to advance to the 1/16 rounds. Both men did not advance to the 1/8 finals.

Racing resumes tomorrow with Genest and Mitchell both competing in the women’s Keirin quarterfinals. All competitions can be streamed live on CBC Olympics.

/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