News – Page 65 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

DOUBLE SILVER FOR CANADA ON OPENING DAY OF TRACK WORLD CUP #5

Cambridge, NZ (January 18, 2019) – Team Canada had a strong start to the fifth round of the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup on Friday in Cambridge, New Zealand, winning silver medals in both the men’s and women’s Team Pursuit. The men set a new national record for the fourth time this World Cup season with a time of 3:52.420.

The women’s competition saw Canada set the fastest time in the first round, with a 4:15.579 for 4000 metres – less than one second off the national record set at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. In the gold medal final, the Canadian squad of Allison Beveridge, Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey and Georgia Simmerling went up against host New Zealand, with neither team able to match Canada’s previous time. The New Zealand team won with a time of 4:16.028, with Canada finishing 1.242 seconds back.

“While we weren’t quite able to top the Kiwis in the final,” said Craig Griffin, Women’s Track Endurance coach, “I’m extremely pleased with the team’s performances today. Everyone has worked really hard in the last few months and it’s beginning to pay dividends. I think the 4:15 ridden in Round 1 is about a second off the national record set in Rio and the fastest time ridden by any team this World Cup season. Along with the men, we have some nice momentum heading into our final prep for Track Worlds.”

Canada’s men’s squad has shown remarkable improvement all season, breaking the Canadian record twice at the Milton World Cup, then again last month in Berlin (3:54.682), and now in New Zealand in the first round, with a time of 3:52.420 – less than three seconds off the current world record. The squad of Vincent de Haitre, Derek Gee, Adam Jamieson and Jay Lamoureux set the new record, with Aidan Caves replacing de Haitre for the gold medal race against New Zealand. Canada was not able to match its first round time in the final (3:53.156), however, the New Zealand squad was unstoppable before the home crowd, finishing only 0.355 seconds off the current world record.

“Today was a big step forward for the Men’s Team Pursuit programme,” said Jono Hailstone, Men’s Track Endurance coach. “The boys continued their steady progression and showed that they are becoming genuine contenders on the world stage. It was really pleasing to ‘blood’ a new rider at the international level, with Vince de Haitre riding the first round, and shows that we have great depth in the MTP [Men’s Team Pursuit] programme. We also gained crucial points towards Olympic qualifying and set things up for a really good final block leading into the world championships in Poland.”

Canada’s women’s Madison team suffered a blow in training when Steph Roorda crashed, breaking her collarbone. Designated alternate Kinley Gibson will step in to join Allison Beveridge for the competition on Sunday.

January 18, 2019/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES TEAMS FOR FINAL ROUNDS OF TRACK WORLD CUP

Ottawa, ON (January 11, 2019) – Cycling Canada has selected a team of 16 athletes to represent Canada at the fifth round of the Track World Cup, to take place in Cambridge, New Zealand on January 18-20. Nine riders will compete on the following weekend in Hong Kong, China, at the final round of the World Cup.

The Cambridge World Cup team will include members of Canada’s Elite squad for both Sprint and Endurance events, as they prepare for the Track World Championships at the end of February, and collect valuable Olympic qualifying points.

Hugo Barrette, who won a silver medal in the men’s Keirin at Round 2 of the World Cup, leads the Sprint squad. The women’s endurance team includes two members of the 2016 Olympic bronze medal Team Pursuit squad – Allison Beveridge and Georgia Simmerling. The men’s endurance team includes Derek Gee, who has finished in the top-10 twice in Omnium this season at World Cups.

“As one of the last two World Cups of the season, the Cambridge World Cup forms a critical part of World Championship and Olympic qualifying,” said Jono Hailstone, Men’s Track Endurance coach. “Cycling Canada is sending a strong contingent, and will be looking to take advantage of a slightly weaker field outside of Europe to put some top results on the board. Travelling to the Southern Hemisphere also provides the opportunity to log some training hours in a warm environment, which will greatly assist our preparation for the World Championships at the end of February.”

The Hong Kong event, to be held January 25-27, will offer a final opportunity for Barrette to gain points before the world championships, and is the site of his first World Cup silver medal, in 2016. Aidan Caves will be the only men’s endurance athlete attending, as he looks to ensure Canada qualifies for the Omnium at the world championships. The women’s endurance team will consist of NextGen athletes, as part of the development program.

“I am really excited to see what the NextGen group can do in Hong Kong,” said Jenny Trew, Women’s NextGen coach. “Last year in Minsk the development team put together a fantastic ride in the Team Pursuit. We are early in the preparation camp, but I look forward to seeing how they can push each other over the next month to pull together a strong team performance.”

World Cup #5 – Cambridge, New Zealand

Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles de la Madeleine, QC [Sprint, Keirin]
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, ON [Team Sprint, Sprint (Keirin reserve)]
Lauriane Genest – Levis, QC [Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin]
Nick Wammes (P2M trade team) – Bothwell, ON [Sprint, Keirin]

Men’s Endurance
Derek Gee – Ottawa, ON [Team Pursuit]
Adam Jamieson – Barrie, ON [Team Pursuit]
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit (and Omnium reserve)]
Michael Foley – Milton, ON [Omnium]
Jay Lamoureux – Victoria, BC [Team Pursuit]
Vincent De Haitre – Ottawa, ON [Team Pursuit]

Women’s Endurance
Allison Beveridge – Calgary, AB [Omnium, Madison, Team Pursuit]
Steph Roorda – Vancouver, BC [Madison (Omnium reserve)]
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton, AB [Team Pursuit (Madison reserve)]
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, QC [Team Pursuit]
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, ON [Team Pursuit]
Georgia Simmerling – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit]

World Cup # 6 – Hong Kong, China

Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles de la Madeleine, QC [Sprint, Keirin]
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, ON [Team Sprint, Sprint (Keirin reserve)]
Kelsey Mitchell – Edmonton, AB [Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin]

Men’s Endurance
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Omnium (Reserve: Michael Foley)]

Women’s Endurance
A team of five NextGen riders will be selected at a later date to compete in Team Pursuit, Omnium, Scratch and Madison.

January 11, 2019/by Communications

4TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CROSS CAMP A SUCCESS

Ottawa, ON (January 9, 2019) – Between December 23rd and January 1^st, twelve athletes in the Elite, Under-23 and Junior categories went to Belgium to compete in five races in preparation for the Cyclo-cross World Championships to be held in Bogense, Denmark at the end of January.

Among the highlights were Elite woman Jenn Jackson finishing tenth at the GP Sven Nys, with Under-23 national champion Ruby West finishing 15th in the same race, as the second Under-23 aged rider. Canadian Junior woman Magdeleine Vallieres Mill was sixth in DVV Trofee Azencross, the first standalone cyclo-cross race at this level for Junior women. Canadian Under-23 men’s champion Gunnar Holmgren finished in the top-40 in both World Cup races, while Elite men’s champion Michael van den Ham was 24th at DVV Trofee Azencross.

“The Christmas Cross Camp this year was extremely successful on several different fronts,” said Scott Kelly, project manager. “We had a ton of interest from our top athletes and it was amazing to have, for the first time ever, both of our Elite national champions and both of our Under-23 national champions racing in Europe during the Kerstperiode. It shows a commitment to improving their craft, and I think it’s going to pay dividends this year at Worlds. We also had an amazing outpouring of financial support from the cycling community. That financial support allows a camp like this to take place and our program to continue to build. We’re really excited about the momentum the program is carrying right now, and we’re hoping to carry that momentum through to Worlds and into the next season.”

Jackson was extremely pleased with the project, saying “Christmas Cross has totally lived up to and exceeded all expectations I had coming into it. The team dynamic was positive and constructive; I learned so much in and out of racing. There was a great mix of experienced Elites with Michael van den Ham and Cam Jette, and sharp U23s like Gunnar Holmgren and Ruby West – it was awesome to have them and our staff for advice around race tactics, course nuances, and general bike-racing wisdom.”

National Under-23 women’s champion Ruby West echoed Jackson’s comments, saying “The Christmas cross project was an incredible trip, it was a great chance to do a bunch of races in a short amount of time. The racing in Europe is another level of challenging in every aspect, from the courses, to the competition, to just the logistics of even just getting to a race in a foreign country. This trip has been the perfect lead up to the World Championships coming up in February.”

January 9, 2019/by Communications

BEVERIDGE WINS BRONZE MEDAL AT LONDON TRACK WORLD CUP

London, England (December 17, 2018) – Canada finished the fourth round of the Tissot UCI Track World Cup on Sunday in London, England, with a bronze medal in the Women’s Omnium and two additional top-10 results.

Allison Beveridge won her second bronze medal in four World Cups on Saturday with a strong and consistent ride over the four events that make up the Omnium. The Calgary rider was fifth in the Scratch Race, fourth in the Tempo and seventh in the Elimination, to go into the final Points Race fourth overall. After gaining ten points, Beveridge moved up to third in the final standings, her first individual World Cup medal of the season after being part of the bronze medal winning Team Pursuit squad in a previous round. World champion Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands won with 124 points, 18 ahead of Beveridge.

“This result puts us in a really solid position for Olympic qualifying,” said Beveridge. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on a World Cup podium – Wild and [American Jennifer] Valente were on another level, but this was a pretty deep field so I’m really happy.”

On the final day of competition, Canada took two more top-10 results, with Aidan Caves finishing eighth in the Men’s Omnium, and Beveridge joining Steph Roorda for tenth in the Women’s Madison.

“Going into the Points Race I was trying to keep in the top ten,” explained Caves. “I had a good buffer on the next guy, so the tactic was to ride defensively and only do the work I needed to do. In the last 20 laps I opened it up and went for the last 10-point sprint. I’m super happy with the result, [and] now I’m looking forward to my next World Cup Omnium in Hong Kong.”

Kris Westwood, Head of Performance Operations at Cycling Canada, said “We had some mixed results here in London, which just shows how competitive things are getting now that Olympic qualification is underway; you will pay for any mistakes you make. We made some big steps forward in the women’s and men’s Omnium – Allison’s podium was awesome, and Aidan’s ride was one of the highlights of the weekend.”

December 17, 2018/by Communications

BMX PROGRAM ATHLETES SELECTED FOR 2019

Ottawa, ON (December 13, 2018) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the team of athletes who have been selected to the BMX National Team and NextGen programs for 2019.

Athletes within the programs will benefit from a Daily Training Environment, including personalized and periodized coaching and integrated support services, with a focus on performances on the international competition schedule. The NextGen Program will continue as West and East programs based at the SX tracks in Abbotsford, BC, and Toronto, ON.

“Despite some injuries within our National Team, the progression was strong in 2018 and we saw several personal best results. With Olympic qualifying in full swing, we are confident we have the right group of athletes in the program to contend for Olympic spots. 2019 will be an important year in the chase for points, including a very important Europe project in the spring. This year is also an opportunity for BMX athletes to achieve medals at the PanAm Games in Lima,” said Adam Muys, BMX National and NextGen Coach.

“2018 was an extremely successful year for NextGen BMX riders, with Cole Zufelt and Britney Hovencamp both making a World Championship final and Ryan Tougas setting a new Canadian record with 11 straight US wins,” said Brendan Arnold, National NextGen Coach. “The opportunity to represent the maple leaf in Baku was an extremely important opportunity for this group and will only help boost the confidence going into the 2019 Worlds.”

The 2019 squad consists of:

National Program

Alex Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Avriana Hebert – Edmonton, AB
Daina Tuchscherer – Calgary, AB
Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC
Gaby Malenfant – Drummondville, QC
James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC
Tory Nyhaug – Coquitlam, BC

NextGen East Program (Toronto)

Britney Hovencamp – Amherstview, ON
Cole Zufelt – Trenton, ON
Colson Bates – Pickering, ON
Curtis Krey – Etobicoke, ON
Edouard Proulx – Saint-Valerien-de-Milton, QC
Emma Robbescheuten – Brooklin, ON
Felix Maltais – Drummondville, QC
James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON
Josh Samells – Milton, ON
Lauren Webber – Ottawa, ON

NextGen West Program (Abbotsford)

Aidan Webber – Comox, BC
Alex Grecht – Parksville, BC
Ben Leslie – Nanaimo, BC
Billy Ratcliff – Abbotsford, BC
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB
Nick Berarducci – Airdrie, AB
Riley Lavarato – Lethbridge, AB
Ryan Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC
Violet Cejalvo – Surrey, BC

December 13, 2018/by Communications

CHRISTMAS CROSS TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Ottawa, ON (December 13, 2018) – 12 athletes are set to take part in the 2018 Christmas Cross Camp, an annual European project that will help riders prepare for the Cyclo-cross World Championships at the end of January 2019, in Bogense, Denmark.

This will be the project’s fourth year, and riders will have the opportunity to race five times, including in two World Cups. The Camp will run from December 18th to January 2nd, with the team based at the usual Cycling Canada base in Tielt-Winge, Belgium.

Racing includes the Namur [December 23rd] and Zolder [December 26th] World Cups, plus DVV Trofee races Azencross Loenhout [December 28th], Telenet Superprestige Diegem [December 30th] and GP Sven Nys [January 1st].

The team includes riders from every category, and is led by national champions Michael Van den Ham [Elite Men], Ruby West [Under-23 Women] and Gunnar Holmgren [Under-23 Men].

“This is our fourth annual Christmas Cross Camp and we’re really excited about how it’s shaping up,” said Scott Kelly, Program Manager for the Canadian National Cyclo-cross Team. “We have a great group of athletes attending the camp this year and a really great block of racing lined up. For our younger athletes, we’re going to place a big emphasis on learning and acclimating to European racing. I know for some of our returning athletes, they really want to be in the thick of the races, making the moves and seeing how well they can do, and we want to be there to support them in their goal.”

“It’s always humbling to see how the Canadian Cyclo-cross community comes together each year to support this program. In order to make this camp a reality ever year, we rely on our sponsors like Paris to Ancaster, the numerous donations from clubs and individuals throughout Canada, and the professional coaches and mechanics that step up every year to volunteer for this camp. We couldn’t do it without them.”

Paul Mysko – Junior Men
Ryan Maclean – Junior Men
Gunnar Holmgren – U23 Men
Tyler Orschel – U23 Men
Nicholas Diniz – U23 Men
Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill – U23 Women
Ruby West – U23 Women
Sidney McGill – U23 Women
Dana Gilligan – U23 Women
Jenn Jackson – Elite Women
Michael Van den Ham – Elite Men
Cameron Jette – Elite Men

*Cycling Canada does not receive government funding for Cyclo-cross programs, which means all projects are funded through sponsorships, private donations or by the athletes themselves. Any amount donated has a direct impact on the development of this sport in Canada. Make your donation at https://hoponcanada.ca/product/cyclo-cross-donation/.

December 13, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT

Ottawa, ON (December 12, 2018) – Cycling Canada is pleased to welcome Pierre Laflamme as its new President following an election held at a Special Meeting today by the organization’s member Provinces and Territories.

Laflamme, a Quebec City-based investment advisor and accountant by trade, has a long history in cycling and has been a member of Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors since September 2017. A former racer on both the road and mountain bike, he has been the President of Club Élicycle in Quebec for three years. Laflamme is a CPA and CA and has worked with Desjardins Wealth Management in Quebec for the past 8 years.

“It’s exciting to come full circle, going from a passionate cyclist and club administrator to a Cycling Canada Board member and now President,” Laflamme said. “It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to give something back to the sport that I love. We’ve had great leaders in Canadian cycling and I’m looking forward to following in their footsteps. I want to thank our Provincial and Territorial partners for their confidence and I look forward to working with our Board, staff and all of our stakeholders to continue to build and grow the sport in an integrated way across the country.”

“I want to pass along my sincerest congratulations to Pierre as the newly elected President of Cycling Canada,” said Tolkamp. “Pierre has shown in his tenure as a Board member that he has a strong business sense as well as passion and knowledge of the sport. I am confident he will provide strong leadership going forward. My appreciation as well goes to Robin and Stefano for the interest and commitment to cycling they showed in putting their names forward.”

Cycling Canada announced on November 11^th that its former President John Tolkamp would officially step down from his position in December after ten years at the helm of the organization’s Board of Directors. A total of three nominations were submitted for the election, including current Board member Robin Porter (Toronto, ON), as well as Stefano Rover (Montreal, QC) who previously served on Cycling Canada’s Board between 2009 and 2012.

“We want to thank John for his dedication and hard work as President over the last ten years,” said Matthew Jeffries, Executive Director of Cycling Canada. “He has been a tremendous ambassador and champion for our organization and our athletes. We’re looking forward to working with Pierre in his new capacity and we’re confident that he will bring the same level of passion and leadership to the position as John.”

Cycling Canada’s Inter-Provincial Council conducted candidate interviews during the week of December 3^rd in advance of the Special Meeting. The newly-elected President will serve for the balance of the current 4-year term, which will conclude in October of 2021.

December 12, 2018/by Communications

CANADA WINS 10 MEDALS AT TROFEU INTERNACIONAL MUNICIPIO ANADIA

Anadia, Portugal (December 10, 2018) – Team Canada dominated the Trofeu Internacional Municipio Anadia track competition in Portugal over the weekend, winning five gold medals, plus two silver and three bronze medals, at this UCI C1 sanctioned event. Following the Track World Cup in Berlin, Germany, the previous weekend, Cycling Canada held a training camp in Portugal, bringing in some NextGen riders to join the World Cup riders already in Europe.

“The racing here in Portugal has been intense,” said Kris Westwood, Head of Performance Operations at Cycling Canada. “UCI points are so valuable in track now that a lot of nations are targeting these C1 events. There are a lot of good riders here, so the level is pretty close to a World Cup. It was great to see two of our newest sprinters, Kelsey Mitchell and Nick Wammes, win their first international event, and Allison Beveridge and Derek Gee both won their Omniums in commanding fashion, which puts us on really solid footing to qualify for Worlds this year. That’s a crucial part of our Olympic qualification plan, so it’s good to see it coming together.”

Canadian riders won both the men’s and women’s Sprint competitions, with NextGen riders Nick Wammes and Kelsey Mitchell doing the honours. In the Omniums, Allison Beveridge won the women’s and Derek Gee the men’s, while Jay Lamoureux took the fifth gold medal in the men’s Individual Pursuit. Annie Foreman-Mackey [women’s Points Race] and Mitchell [women’s Keirin] each added silver medals to the tally, while three riders won bronze – Je’land Sydney [men’s Sprint], Amelia Walsh [women’s Keirin] and Lamoureux [men’s Points Race].

This was a tremendous start to Mitchell’s first international campaign. “It felt great! It was my first time racing under the Canadian colours, so I am glad I was able to represent Canada well and walk away with two medals!”

December 10, 2018/by Communications

TOP-10 RESULTS FOR CANADA AT THE BERLIN TRACK WORLD CUP

Berlin, Germany (December 3, 2018) – Team Canada finished off the third round of the Track World Cup in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, with top-10 performances in the women’s Madison and men’s Omnium. Over the course of the three day event, Canada won two bronze medals in the women’s and men’s Team Pursuit, plus additional top-10 results on Saturday in the women’s Omnium and men’s 1000m time trial.

“Our endurance squad delivered great performances this weekend,” said Jessika Grand Bois, Track Program Manager at Cycling Canada. “The double bronze medal in the Team Pursuit on the first day was the highlight of this World Cup and we’ve seen great form in other events as well. It was a bit of a difficult weekend for our sprinters but we’re looking forward to London [World Cup], where they’ll be determined to make up for this event.”

On Saturday, Beveridge took second in the opening event of the four-race Omnium, the Scratch Race. The Calgary rider faltered in the Tempo Race, finishing 16th, before recovering with a sixth place in the Elimination and then 11th in the final Points Race. Aidan Caves recorded a time of one minute and 1.978 seconds for the 1000 metre time trial for tenth place, less than one second out of the top five.

“I had a few ups and downs,” said Beveridge. “I had a decent Scratch Race, and then had to reset after the Tempo, but given the time we are in the season, there are some good points that I can use to move forward for the rest of the season.”

Beveridge and Steph Roorda teamed up on Sunday for the women’s Madison, finishing seventh with five points, three points out of the top five. Derek Gee had his second top-10 World Cup Omnium performance of the season, finishing ninth overall, and highlighted by his third place in the Points Race.

The Canadian sprint team struggled over the weekend, with both Hugo Barrette (men’s Sprint) and Lauriane Genest (women’s Sprint) relegated during their first round races for entering the sprint lane while someone else was already there or leaving it during the sprint. However, both riders had strong performances in the 200m time trial, with Genest seventh and Barrette 16th.

“They had better performances in the 200m than in Milton [World Cup],” said Franck Durivaux, national Sprint coach, “but they also did a lot of technical and tactical mistakes that prevented them going further in the Keirin and Sprint tournaments. They are physically at the level, but there are definitely things that need to be corrected, and it was also the result of a lack of experience for some. We need to take what we have learned here and do the work for future competitions.”

December 3, 2018/by Communications

DOUBLE BRONZE FOR CANADA AT BERLIN TRACK WORLD CUP

Berlin, Germany (December 1, 2018) – Team Canada opened the third round of the Track World Cup with two bronze medals and a new national record on Friday in Berlin, Germany. Both the women’s and men’s Team Pursuit squads won bronze medals, while the men’s team also set a new Canadian record in one of their rides.

The women’s team of Allison Beveridge, Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey, Kinley Gibson and Steph Roorda qualified fourth and raced the Italian team in the bronze medal final, catching their rivals to win the medal. Great Britain beat Australia in the gold medal final.

“We were pretty disappointed in our first ride,” said Foreman-Mackey. “We didn’t execute in the way that we knew we could. We mixed things up a bit for the next round and the Finals, gaining five seconds. That’s the fastest that we have gone since Rio [Olympics], and I think that we can be encouraged with how things are trending. There’s still lots of work to do, heading towards Worlds, but I think we can be encouraged to be on the podium.”

In the men’s competition, the Canadian team comprised of Aidan Caves, Michael Foley, Derek Gee, Adam Jamieson and Jay Lamoureux qualified fifth, but set a new national record of 3:54.682 in the next round to qualify for the bronze medal race. In the medal race, the Canadian team beat the British trade team Huub Wattbike to win the medal. Australia beat Denmark for the gold medal.

“This was a really big achievement for our program,” said Jay Lamoureux. “I think it’s a huge stepping stone for what we need to do over the next few years. We are all really excited over what’s to come.”

December 1, 2018/by Communications