News – Page 37 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CANADA SETS TWO NEW NATIONAL RECORDS ON SECOND DAY OF TRACK CYCLING COMPETITIONS

TOKYO (August 3, 2021) – The women’s and men’s Team Pursuit squads made a comeback on the second day of track competition. Both teams set personal best times and smashed their respective Canadian records. After a difficult start for the women’s team during yesterday’s qualification round, the quartet came back with a renewed sense of focus in Round 1 against France with a time of 4:09.249, a new Canadian record.

On top of beating their opponents, the team of Allison Beveridge, Georgia Simmerling, Ariane Bonhomme and Annie Foreman-Mackey set a personal best time and moved on to the bronze medal round against the USA. The race was neck-in-neck for the first 3000 metres, with Canada ultimately finishing 4^th.

“To be able to come back from qualifying in last to riding for a bronze medal was pretty special,” said Bonhomme. “For me, having the chance to step up and show what I knew I could do was amazing. A few years ago, we said that we wanted to ride a 4:09 at the Olympics and to be honest, after the qualifying run I didn’t know if we could do it. To be able to regroup after a bad performance and to go out there and do the time that we set out to do, it’s very special.”

On the men’s side, the team of Vincent De Haître, Derek Gee, Michael Foley and Jay Lamoureux initially qualified in 6^th clocking in only a few hundredths of a second off the Rio 2016 Olympic record. They faced Germany in Round 1, where they shaved almost 4 seconds off their previous time to finish in national record time of 3:46.769.

“We knew it was going to be close with the German team just because of qualifying,” said Gee. “We have a really unique strategy with Vince just doing one long pull to start, so we knew with what he’s capable of doing in the Kilo that we could get a little bit up on them and the boys held it together really nicely.”

Tomorrow, the men’s team will tackle the 5-6 Team Pursuit finals while sprinters Hugo Barrette, Nick Wammes, Lauriane Genest and Kelsey Mitchell will be making their debut in the men’s Sprint and women’s Keirin events. All competitions can be streamed on CBC Olympics.

August 3, 2021/by Communications

DREW MECHIELSEN 8TH IN BMX RACING FINALS

TOKYO (July 30, 2021) – Drew Mechielsen and James Palmer both made their Olympic debut on July 29-30 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, where Mechielsen qualified for both the women’s BMX Racing semi-final and final rounds. She eventually crossed the finish line in 8^thplace, obtaining Canada’s second-best result in the women’s field since the event was introduced at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Drew finished among the top-5 in her three quarterfinal heats, earning her a spot in the semi-final round on Friday. Despite several crashes in the semi-finals, she remained unscathed and placed 3^rd, 7^th and 4^th to advance to the final round, where she ultimately finished 8^th.

“I am feeling really incredible,” said Mechielsen immediately after her race. “I would have liked to have a little bit of a better run in that last round but to make it to the finals was surreal. I’m happy with how I rode, obviously you want to win everything but my riding was the best that it could have been and that was my goal coming here.”

James Palmer unfortunately did not advance past the quarterfinal round despite finishing 4^th in his last heat on Thursday.

“I struggled with the track out there and it took me a couple of laps to get going and fortunately I was able to put down a solid one in the last round but at that point I was a little too far out of the running to qualify for through,” said Palmer. “I’m happy with how I put everything into it, that’s something I can take away from this and be proud of.”

Canadian cycling events are on a two-day hiatus and will resume at the Izu Velodrome from August 2-8, showcasing both endurance and sprint competitions. All events can be streamed on CBC Olympics.

July 30, 2021/by Communications

TEAM CANADA WRAPS UP ROAD RACES IN TOKYO WITH THREE TOP-15 PERFORMANCES

TOKYO (July 28, 2021) – Canada’s road cycling squad concluded its final day of racing on Wednesday at the Fuji International Speedway with the Individual Time Trial for both women and men. While part of the road team flew out following the road races, Leah Kirchmann, Karol-Ann Canuel and Hugo Houle stayed behind to give the Olympic podium one last shot.

Two-time Team Time Trial world champion Canuel kicked off the women’s 22.1-kilometer time trial, followed closely by three-time national ITT champion Kirchmann. Both women clocked a time of 33 minutes, with Kirchmann finishing in 12^th with a time of 33:01.64, while Canuel crossed the finish line in 33:07.97, earning her a 14^th place.

“I wanted to see how well I could prepare for this time trial and how I could execute on the day,” said Kirchmann. “I’m really happy with my effort, I think I rode technically really well, and I could take the corners and the technical parts of the course quite fast. I could mostly stick to the pacing plan that I wanted and really push to get the most out of myself. I wasn’t thinking about the end result, I really just wanted to execute my best race so overall I’m happy with how the day went.”

Houle was the last Canadian to compete, completing the 44.2-kilometer course in a time of 57:56.46 which kept him in the hot seat for well over 30 minutes. He eventually finished 13^th, less than three minutes down gold medallist Promoz Roglic of Slovenia.

“It was a good day; I started with a good pace and went really fast on the first lap, but I was surprised by the heat and struggled a bit in the second one,” said Houle. “When I crossed the line I was first of my wave which is pretty good because there were some strong guys. I was saying this morning if I can beat top-15 that would be awesome so I’m really happy with my ride.”

Tomorrow, cycling heads over to the Ariake Urban Sports Park for the BMX Racing quarterfinals where first-time Olympians James Palmer and Drew Mechielsen will be looking to qualify for the semi-finals. The event can be streamed on CBC Olympics.

July 28, 2021/by Communications

PENDREL FINISHES 18TH AT HER FOURTH AND FINAL OLYMPIC GAMES

TOKYO (July 27, 2021) – Three of the country’s top mountain bike stars competed at the Izu Mountain Bike course on July 26-27 on what was argued to be one of the toughest and most technical courses in the event’s history. Catharine Pendrel was Canada’s top finisher, crossing the line in 18^th place at her fourth and final Olympic Games.

The women’s race was shortened from six laps to five and included several course modifications due to the large amounts of rain that fell prior to the start. Pendrel, a Rio 2016 bronze medallist and two-time world champion, proved that she is still a force to be reckoned with as she made her way from 27^th to 18^th place in less than one hour and a half of racing.

“My race was good,” said Pendrel. “I wish I had made some different line choices on the first lap because I got too far back, but I rode steady and I was typically able to pick off a position per lap. I think I rode where my form is from what I’ve seen at world cups. I was hoping to find a little extra magic today but I rode where I am, so I have to be proud of that.”

Pendrel was joined by Haley Smith who capped off her Olympic schedule at her first Games with a 29^th position after being pulled from the last lap.

On the men’s side, Canada’s sole competitor Peter Disera had a strong start, but faded in the last half of the race to finish 26^th.

Tonight, women’s road racing will wrap up with two-time Olympians, Karol-Ann Canuel and Leah Kirchmann in the Individual Time Trial, starting at 11:30pm ET. Then, Hugo Houle will take on the men’s ITT event on July 28 at the Fuji International Speedway. Stream all the racing live on CBC Olympics.

July 27, 2021/by Communications

THE RACE FOR THE MAPLE LEAF SLEEVE WRAPS IN BC AT THE CANADIAN DH CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 26, 2021) – The wait was finally over for Canadian downhill mountain bike athletes, after over eighteen months of waiting to race again on home soil. Athletes from across the country tackled a fast and technical course at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, British Columbia, competing for the coveted maple leaf sleeve, last awarded in 2019.

“It has been an amazing week here in B.C. with the return of the Canada Cup Downhill Series, followed by our first Canadian Championship event since 2019,” said Josh Peacock, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at Cycling Canada. “All three events broke recent participation records, with the bulk of new registrations in amateur categories – an exciting indication of where our sport is headed. The addition of adaptive racing to the event program was welcomed with overwhelming enthusiasm by the downhill community and is something we will look to develop further in coming years.”

The Championship weekend featured over 300 riders across all categories, including the adaptive riders as the newest category with Cole Bernier from Kelowna, B.C .taking the win.

Riders included familiar names such as Finn Iles, former overall World Cup Champion and Junior World Champion, who was the top seed after racing Saturday. Looking to defend his 2019 national Elite title, Iles was able to cross with the fastest time of 3:48.52 to earn Elite the national title over Mark Wallace, who is coming off the Downhill World Cup in Les Gets, France where he came in fifth.

On the women’s side, Casey Brown edged out former World Champion, Miranda Miller, by just over a second to take the Women’s Elite Canadian Champion title.

Jackson Goldstone won the Men’s Junior Expert category. Goldstone is coming off a successful World Cup tour, winning both gold and silver in Europe in the men’s junior category, before taking to the top of the podium in Canada. On the Women’s Junior side, Emmy Lan took the win by over 30 seconds to Lily Boucher.

Full results from the weekend can be found on Cycling Canada’s event page.

July 26, 2021/by Communications

CANUEL FINISHES 16TH IN WOMEN’S ROAD RACE AT OLYMPIC GAMES

TOKYO (July 25, 2021) – It was another scorcher as the Canadian women raced the 137-kilometre road race that separated Musashinonomori Park and the Fuji International Speedway. The Canadian women fared well in the first half of the race but the peloton quickly became fragmented with Karol-Ann Canuel being the sole Canadian to hang on to the chase group until the very end. After over 4 hours of racing, she finished in 16^th position, 2:20 minutes down gold medallist Anna Kiesenhofer of Austria.

“The course was really, really hard,” said Canuel. “The plan was for the three of us to try and conserve our energy until the top of that first long climb and to see after that. I think I was feeling the best at that point so the girls started helping me more by bringing me food and other things. After that, we wanted to see if we had any opportunities but it was hard with no communication and we didn’t know exactly the time gaps. So for me, I tried to play it smart.”

Alison Jackson, who was added to Team Canada’s roster last week, capped off her Olympic schedule racing into 32^nd spot, while two-time Olympian Leah Kirchmann finished in 36^th.

Both Canuel and Kirchmann will compete in the women’s Individual Time Trial on July 28^th, while Hugo Houle will be representing Canada in the men’s race.

Tomorrow, racing moves to the Izu Mountain Bike course where Peter Disera will be competing in the men’s cross-country mountain bike event. The race will be streamed live on CBC Olympics.

July 25, 2021/by Communications

MIKE WOODS KICKS OFF DAY 1 OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES WITH 5TH PLACE IN MEN’S ROAD RACE

TOKYO (July 24, 2021) – Michael Woods continued to prove that he belongs in an Elite class of climbers on Saturday during the Olympic men’s road race, finishing the 234-kilometer race in 5^th after a nail-biting sprint finish.

After over six hours of racing in 35-degree temperatures, Woods was part of a group of eight cyclists fighting to bridge the gap with eventual Olympic champion Richard Carapaz. With just 300-metres left in the race, Mike positioned himself and sprinted to the finish line where he was edged out of a podium spot.

Despite his goal of winning an Olympic medal, his race was a great improvement from the Rio 2016 Games where he raced with a fractured hip and finished in 55^th. His performance also ranks as the second-best in Canadian men’s road cycling history after Steve Bauer’s silver medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

“My goal was to try and get separation and attack on the final circuit, but I just wasn’t strong enough to get away,” said Woods post-race. “I have no regrets. I did all I could.”

Seeking redemption with the goal of a medal, Woods is already thinking about the Paris 2024 Games. “The Olympics are one of those races that really motivated me as a cyclist, and if Paris is a challenging course, I think I’ll for sure keep it going until then. That’s going to be a big goal of mine for sure.”

Helping propel Woods into the top-five finish were Canadian teammates, Guillaume Boivin, who made his Olympic debut in the event finishing 65^th, and two-time Olympian Hugo Houle who finished the event in 85^th.

Tomorrow, two-time Olympians Leah Kirchmann and Karol-Ann Canuel, as well as Olympic newcomer Alison Jackson will race at 12:00 a.m. EST. The event can be streamed on CBC Olympics.

July 24, 2021/by Communications

MONTRÉAL CANDIDATE TO HOST THE 2026 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Montréal, QC (July 22, 2021) – Montréal is in contention to host the 2026 UCI Road World Championships. Événements GPCQM, promoter of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, is proud to have developed and submitted the bid document to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), in collaboration with Cycling Canada and the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC).The Championships would be held in September, just a week after the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal, the only two UCI WorldTour events in the Americas, with the world’s elite cyclists welcomed to Canada for three weeks of wall‐to‐wall cycling races.

The UCI Road World Championships have been held outside Europe only nine times since they were first presented in 1921. And it was Montréal that hosted the very first non‐European edition of the competition, in 1974, with the legendary Eddy Merckx winning on the Mount Royal circuit. This is the UCI’s flagship event, one of the world’s greatest sporting events, with the winner awarded the emblematic rainbow jersey, and represents an exceptional opportunity for Canada in terms of economic, social and tourism benefits as well as international exposure for Montréal. Hosting the UCI Road World Championships would also confirm Montréal as a cycling destination and leader in the development of cycling in all its forms.

Prestigious locations such as Park Avenue, Jeanne‐Mance Park, Mount Royal, Olympic Park, Jean‐Drapeau Park and the Old Port will feature on the circuit that will see cyclists proudly competing in their nations’ colours. In addition to routes along the St. Lawrence River and through the heart of Montréal, the race route could also take in the major cycling venues in the greater metropolitan area.

The UCI Road World Championships in numbers:

Program of competitions spread over 8 days
Free event for the public
1,000 athletes, men and women, in Junior, U23 and Elite categories
11 titles to defend: 6 time trials, 5 road races
75 countries represented
5,000 team members, officials, UCI members and guests
Hosting of the UCI Congress, the organization’s highest decision‐making body, with some 400 representatives from all continents expected to attend
More than 800 accredited media representatives
Broadcast to some 150 countries
250 million viewers
More than half a million spectators, over half of whom will travel from outside the region
Over $170 million in overall economic activity for the province of Québec and over $210 million for Canada**
Over 1,000 jobs supported locally
Tax revenues valued at $54M (Canada overall)

The project would be piloted by Événements GPCQM in close collaboration with the UCI and in partnership with Cycling Canada and the FQSC, with financial and technical support provided by the City of Montréal, the governments of Quebec and Canada, and Tourisme Montréal. The host city for the 2026 Road World Championships will be announced on September 24 at the UCI Congress in Belgium, held in conjunction with this year’s Championships, which run September 18 to 26.

Statement by Ms. Nathalie Goulet, City of Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for Social Inclusion, Sports and Recreation, the Status of Women, Homelessness and Youth:
“Montréal is recognized worldwide for the quality of its cycling facilities, enjoyed by growing numbers of cyclists here every year. This event is therefore the perfect accompaniment to the growth of this sport that we’ve been seeing, and will help promote adoption of healthy lifestyle habits along with environmental protection. Montréal is honoured to have been a stop on the UCI WorldTour, the world’s most prestigious road race calendar, for the past 10 years. We are therefore pleased and proud to support this bid to host the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, which will contribute to Montréal’s international reputation and visibility.”

Note that in 2020, for the third year running, Montréal was named Canadian Sport City of the Year by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.

Statement by Mr. Sébastien Arsenault, President and CEO, Événements GPCQM:
“Our organization has been producing the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal for more than 10 years, contributing significantly to the achievement of one of the UCI’s priority objectives, namely the globalization of cycling. In keeping with that vision, it was a logical step for us to propose to the UCI that Canada, Québec and Montréal should once again host this global sporting event. The world’s top cyclists are by now well acquainted with Montréal, the quality of our circuit and our top‐flight organization, not to mention the contagious energy of local supporters. We would be honoured to provide them with a new experience here in Montréal and welcome all the representatives and key players in global cycling as we crown the future world champions, both men and women, with the world watching. Together with our many partners in this project, we have set ourselves the goal of organizing a spectacular, must‐see sporting event, accessible to all, allowing athletes and fans alike to share a memorable experience with Montréal as the backdrop.”

Statement by Mr. Pierre Laflamme, President, Cycling Canada:
“We are pleased to propose to the Union Cycliste Internationale that Canada and the city of Montréal host the UCI Road World Championships. Canada and Québec have a rich history of hosting international cycling events and we would be honoured to host the UCI Road World Championships and UCI World Congress in 2026, on the 50th anniversary of the Montréal Summer Olympic Games. We believe that, along with the Événements GPCQM team, the FQSC, the City of Montréal and our government partners, we have assembled the winning conditions for a prestigious bid to the UCI to host what is one of the world’s biggest single‐sport competitions, in any discipline.”

Statement by Mr. Louis Barbeau, General Manager, FQSC:
“For over a decade now, the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal have not only helped several Québec cyclists in their development by providing them with a chance to compete against the world’s best; they have also inspired many people to take up the sport. Hosting the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal would be an exceptional vehicle for helping develop the next generation of Québec cyclists, boys and girls alike. There is no doubt that the coming years will see the emergence of new talents who will follow in the footsteps (or should I say pedal strokes) of our current elite cyclists and enjoy success on the international stage. And, because we can always dare to dream, the ultimate reward would be to see a Québec‐born man and woman bring home world titles and don their rainbow jerseys right here in Québec.”

Statement by Mr. Yves Lalumière, President and CEO, Tourisme Montréal:
“Tourisme Montréal is thrilled that our city has submitted this bid to host the 2026 UCI Road World Championships. This is one of the most important sporting events in the world and Montréal is a destination tailor‐made to host it. We are a world‐class sports city and the 2026 UCI Road World Championships are the perfect fit with the city’s cycling culture. This event would attract a tremendous number of visitors and provide an extraordinary showcase for Montréal as a destination. It is only natural that Tourisme Montréal should support and collaborate with its partners to submit a strong bid.”

July 22, 2021/by Communications

CANADIAN DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS MARKS RETURN OF THE MAPLE LEAF JERSEY

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 21, 2021) – Following a 2020 season-hiatus of events on home soil, the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships will mark the return of the maple leaf jersey on July 24-25 in Golden, British Columbia.

While taking all of the necessary health precautions from local organizing committees, resorts, provincial rules and regulations and following all necessary COVID-19 protocols, we are very excited to see athletes compete for the first time since 2019 at a championship level.

Having started the Downhill season on a high note with Canada Cup events in both Fernie and Panorama, riders will head to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC to compete for the most prestigious title on Canadian soil. The event will be a part of the longstanding Dunbar Summer Series, concluding a week of UCI downhill racing in BC’s interior. In addition to those athletes competing for the coveted maple leaf sleeve, the event will also welcome challenge-class racers in the Adaptive Mountain Bike (aMTB) category, a first in national calendar history.

“We are thrilled to return to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for the first Canadian Championships in nearly two years,” said Jolène Dupuis, Events & Officials Manager at Cycling Canada. “Heading into this event, we have already seen record-breaking pre-registration numbers, and expect world-class racing across all categories.”

The event will take place over two days on July 24^th and July 25^th with seeding runs to take place on Saturday, and race day on Sunday. Details and results can be found on the Cycling Canada event page.

July 20, 2021/by Communications

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO SUPPORT OLYMPIC ATHLETES

Athletes have been training their entire lives for a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games. On July 23, this dream will become reality for 23 Canadian cyclists who will be representing the maple leaf in Tokyo.

To get to this moment was no easy feat. It took thousands of hours, hard work, frustration, celebration and support to make it this far. While fans will get to see athletes perform on the world stage, what they won’t see is the team of Cycling Canada staff working behind the scenes to assist and support the athletes and make the experience as seamless as possible. From mechanics to coaches, physiotherapists and team doctors, a total of 27 staff members will be on site to assist our cycling team during 14 days of competition across 4 different venues and cities.

Here is a bit more information on each discipline, where to watch, and who will be part of the support team.

BMX Racing

Both James Palmer and Drew Mechielsen are set to make their Olympic debut in Tokyo. Palmer has been racing on the world stage since he was 14 years old and is no stranger to high pressure situations, most notably competing at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru alongside Mechielsen.

Mechielsen, who has been racing since she was three years old, will be the second Canadian woman to ever represent Canada in the discipline.

The duo will be supported by:

Adam Muys — BMX Head Coach
Jenn Turner — Chiropractor

Both Palmer and Mechielsen will have their Olympic Games berths on July 29-30 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo.

Mountain Bike

Representing Canada is Olympic veteran and Rio 2016 bronze medallist Catharine Pendrel who will be racing in her fourth Games. She will be joined by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Haley Smith, and Canadian champion Peter Disera.

All three athletes are coming off the world cup circuit with plenty of racing under their belt and ready to perform at the Izu Mountain Bike Course on July 26-27.

The trio will be supported by:

Dan Proulx — MTB Head Coach
Tara Lazarski — Mountain Bike Therapy Lead
Adam Trotter — Mechanic

Road

Set to be the longest race in the Olympics, Canadians will bring a wealth of experience with Leah Kirchmann, Karol-Ann Canuel, Mike Woods and Hugo Houle all competing at their second Games. They will be joined by Woods’ Israel Start-Up Nation teammate, Guillaume Boivin, who has been racing on the professional circuit for close to a decade.

The men’s squad will be the first to race on July 24^th, only four days after finishing the Tour de France, where they will complete a distance of 234 kilometres with 4,865 metres of elevation around Mount Fuji. Kirchmann and Canuel will tackle the 137-kilometre women’s road race the following day, making their way from Musashinonomori Park to the Fuji International Speedway. The Fuji International Speedway will also play host to the Individual Time Trials for both men and women on July 28^th.

Over the course of three days, their support team will include:

Shawn Clarke — Road Manager
Steve Bauer — Road DS
Jon Adams — Road Therapist
Goretti Font Mas — Road Therapist
Luc Mahler — Road Chiropractor
Andreas Beck Watt — Road Mechanic

Zane Freebairn — Road Mechanic

Track

The women’s track endurance team is aiming for a third consecutive podium in the women’s team pursuit with four-time dual Olympian Georgia Simmerling, double Olympic medallist Jasmin Duehring and Rio 2016 Olympian Allison Beveridge leading the way. The Rio 2016 bronze medallists will be joined by first-time Olympians, Annie Foreman-Mackey and Ariane Bonhomme.

The men’s track endurance squad will be comprised of two-time winter Olympian Vincent de Haitre, Jay Lamoureux, Michael Foley and Derek Gee. All four men will be racing in the Team Pursuit, while Foley and Gee will also team up in the Madison.

The sprinters are also coming into the Games in peak form, with Hugo Barrette, Nick Wammes and RBC Training Ground recruits Kelsey Mitchell and Lauriane Genest all competing in the Sprint and Keirin events. Racing will kick off at the Izu Velodrome on August 2 until August 8^th.

The track team is the largest to be nominated in Canadian history and will be supported by:

Brendon Cameron — Track Head Coach
Matt Shallcrass — Women’s Team Endurance Coach
Jono Hailstone — Men’s Track Endurance Coach
Franck Durivaux — Track Sprint Coach
Dan Peters — Track Mechanic
Ryan Finch — Track Mechanic
Remo Bucci — Track Therapist
Osvaldo Medinas — Track Therapist
Stephen McMullan — Track S&C/Analyst
Emily Wood — Track Physiologist

The cycling team also includes crucial Cycling Canada staff members who have been working behind the scenes for years to organize travel, accommodation, media, visas, COVID tests and much more. This team includes:

Kris Westwood — Team Leader
Jennifer Mahoney — Olympic Village Manager
Jessika Grand Bois — Izu Satellite Village Manager
Karine Bedard — Media Attaché

With cycling races taking place every day, here is when to watch:

July 24-25-28	Road
July 26-27	Mountain Bike
July 29-30	BMX Racing
August 2-8	Track

All races can be streamed on CBC Sports.

July 12, 2021/by Communications