BMX Archives

MECHIELSEN FINISHES BMX WORLD CUP 8TH OVERALL

Santiago del Estero, Argentina (October 1, 2018) – Canada’s Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, finished off the BMX World Cup season with a ninth place finish in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on Saturday in Elite women. Mechielsen’s result, combined with 11th on Sunday, moved her into eighth place overall for the Series. Avriana Hebert of Edmonton, Alberta, made it to the quarterfinal round of the Elite women at her first World Cup. In Elite men, Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, was 34th, and James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, was 36th.

“I’m happy that I was in position to possibly make the Finals [missing by one spot], said Mechielsen. I wish I could have pushed it a little bit further, but I’m looking forward to improving next year. I’m really happy with my top-8 ranking in the World Cup.”

“I’m happy with Drew’s ride here,” said Adam Muys, Head BMX Coach at Cycling Canada. “She was in position to qualify for the Finals, and contested against some of the major players in the sport; great improvements this season. Alex and James had some really fast rides, but tactically missed spots to move on in their races. Avriana’s first World Cup was a bit of an eyeopener for her, but she came back the second day, finishing in the quarterfinals, which is great for her first time.”

October 1, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA SENDS FIVE RIDERS TO FINAL BMX WORLD CUPS

Santiago del Estero, Argentina (September 20, 2018) – Cycling Canada has announced the team of athletes who will represent Canada in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, for the final two BMX World Cups of the 2018 season. Five riders will compete, with World Cup competitions taking place Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th.

“The Olympic qualifying period is officially on and we begin our quest with the World Cup finals in Santiago del Estero,” said Adam Muys, Head BMX Coach at Cycling Canada. “It has been a season of growth and our athletes have stepped up and will be ready to contend for some strong finishes at the finals. Our small group of five athletes all have the ability and speed and I’m really excited to see what they can do.”

The team includes Elite women Drew Mechielsen and Daina Tuchscherer, Elite men James Palmer and Alex Tougas, and Junior woman Avriana Hebert.

Avriana Hebert – Edmonton, AB
Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC
James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC
Alex Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Daina Tuchscherer – Chestermere, AB

September 20, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA STREAMLINES MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Ottawa, ON (September 18, 2018) – Canada’s national cycling governing body has revamped its organizational structure to better service its athletes and members.

After a thorough review process Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors has approved a streamlining of the organization that will see the roles and responsibilities of the vacant CEO and CTO positions distributed among the existing senior management team, while bringing in a highly respected sport advisor to help set the stage for future success.

“The Board recognized that we have tremendous expertise and leadership capacity within our existing team,” said Cycling Canada President John Tolkamp. “We have great faith in this team to work together to deliver on our collective vision for the sport of cycling in Canada. As an organization we need to be more agile, transparent and responsive to the needs of our members and stakeholders. We believe flattening and re-organizing our leadership structure goes a long way toward achieving that.”

Marketing Director Matthew Jeffries, who was appointed Interim CEO after Pierre Lafontaine’s departure in May, will continue as Executive Director. Jeffries will work closely with the Board of Directors and the other senior executives in leading the organization while continuing to manage and oversee commercial affairs.

As Head of Development & Operations, Mathieu Boucher will remain responsible for events and domestic development programs while taking on additional leadership responsibilities alongside Jeffries related to business operations and stakeholder relations.

Brett Stewart will continue to manage the organization’s finances, human resources and day-to-day operations as Head of Finance and Administration.

After two years leading Cycling Canada’s road programs, Kevin Field moves into a new role as Head of Performance Strategy. Field will be responsible for overall strategic development for the organization, working closely with the management team to harmonize business and sport. Key areas of focus for Field will be sport-system architecture, performance pathways and alignment within Cycling Canada’s high performance programs.

Head of Performance Operations Kris Westwood will continue to manage the delivery of national team programs, including coaches, managers and other high performance staff.

The High Performance department will be strengthened by the addition of a High Performance Advisor in Peter Keen. Well-respected in the cycling world as both former elite performance director at British Cycling and former UK Sport performance director, Keen will provide support on a short-term contract basis, working as a consultant to help guide performance strategy and provide technical expertise. Keen will work closely with Kris Westwood and Kevin Field in conducting a high performance review that will help set Cycling Canada on the path for sustained success in the future.

September 18, 2018/by Communications

2018 EVENT OF THE YEAR FAN VOTING NOW OPEN

Ottawa, ON (September 11, 2018) – After a very successful season of racing across the country, Cycling Canada invites all cycling fans to vote online over the next few weeks to determine the 2018 Cycling Canada Events of the Year. Fan vote will count for 50% of the overall consideration for Road, Track, Mountain Bike, BMX, Para-cycling and Cyclo-cross events of the year.

2018 Event of the Year winners will be determined by an equal proportion of public voting (this survey) and evaluation of the review of the following criteria by relevant staff & committees:

Communication with Stakeholders
Event Promotion
Event Presentation & Execution
Organizing & Planning

Cycling Canada would like to thank all the organizers & volunteers who have contributed to the success of these events throughout the season. Great Canadian events contribute to international success and to the growth of the sport in Canada.

The survey will be live until September 30^that 11:59PM EST. Category winners will be announced at the 2018 Annual Congress, to be hosted in Ottawa from October 12^th to 14^th. Click here to access the survey.

September 11, 2018/by Communications

BMX NATIONAL TITLES AWARDED IN DRUMMONDVILLE

Drummondville, QC (July 9, 2018) – Over 400 athletes came out for the premier event on the domestic BMX calendar, the Canadian BMX Championships, which returned to Drummondville after a two year absence. Titles and maple leaf jerseys were awarded in the women’s and men’s categories for Junior (17-18) and Elite (19+) categories, with medals awarded in the Challenge classes for age group racing from as young as 5 years old.

“As expected, Club BMX Drummond offered another first class Canadian Championship event,” said Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “We saw plenty of thrills and spills, and are thrilled to crown our new Canadian Champions. Congratulations to all of our N plate winners, and a big thank you to all of the dedicated volunteers and officials who contributed to the success of this event.”

British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta dominated the titles, with each province taking national champions jerseys, including two for Alberta. Aidan Webber of Nanaimo, BC, became the new national champion for Junior men, with Benjamin Ouellette taking the silver medal and Alex Grecht the bronze. In the Junior women, Avriana Hebert of Edmonton, Alberta defended her national title, finishing fourth among the Elite women, followed by Alison Grecht of Parksville, BC.

“Winning the national champion’s jersey really shows all the hard work I’ve put in,” said Webber, “because I was injured last year and missed out on national champs, so getting it in my last year as a Junior really means a lot to me. My final was really good right from the start; I had an amazing gate and was able to get to the inside of the straightaway right away and hold off the competition all the way to the line. It’s a huge confidence booster.”

The Elite women’s title was a battle between two World Cup riders, defending champion Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, and Daina Tuchscherer of Chestermere, Alberta, with Tuchscherer taking the title.

“The track was running really great today,” said Tuchscherer. “All these girls I raced against have trained super hard, so it was awesome to fight my way to the top. I haven’t won this before, so it will be an honour to wear the maple leaf for Canada.”

In the absence of defending champion Tory Nyhaug, who is recovering from an injury, the Elite men’s title was a three-way battle between World Cup riders James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, and local Drummondville favourite Gaby Malenfant. Malenfant managed to slip by Palmer and Tougas in the final corner to take a popular hometown win.

“It was awesome to win at home,” said Malenfant. “It’s a technical track, with not a lot of speed, so there are a lot of moves happening in the corners but I like technical tracks, so it is an advantage for me.”

July 9, 2018/by Communications

BMX NATIONALS RETURN TO DRUMMONDVILLE THIS WEEKEND

Drummondville, QC (July 5, 2018) – On Saturday and Sunday, the BMX Canadian Championships and the first round of the Canada Cup series will take place in Drummondville, Quebec. This will be Drummondville’s first time hosting the Championships since 2015.

Saturday will see riders competing for the maple leaf jersey in the Junior (17-18) and Elite (19+) categories for women and men, with medals awarded in the Challenge classes for age group racing from as young as 5 years old. Almost all of Canada’s top pros – fresh from racing the UCI BMX World Championships – will be in attendance, including defending Elite women’s champion Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, and 2017 silver medalist Daina Tuchscherer of Chestermere, AB. On the Elite men’s side, 2015 Pan Am Games champion and defending national champion Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, will miss the Championships as he recovers from injury, but 2017 silver medalist James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, and bronze medalist Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, will be competing for the national title.

“We are very excited to return to Drummondville for the Canadian Championships in 2018, as well as the opening round of our Canada Cup BMX series,” said Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “Club BMX Drummond has been hard at work to build on the success of their most recent Canadian Championships hosted in 2015, and are no strangers to hosting Canada’s best. We are expecting strong representation from all provinces, making for stiff competition as riders set their sights on the coveted N plate.”

On Sunday, riders will compete in the first round of the five event Canada Cup national series.

July 5, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2019 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS CALENDAR

Ottawa, Ontario, June 28, 2018 – Cycling Canada is pleased to confirm the 2019 calendar for national championships across Road, Track, Mountain Bike, Para-Cycling, BMX and Cyclo-cross. The national championships represent the highest level of competition on the domestic calendar, with champions receiving the red and white maple leaf jersey, which they get to wear to compete around the world.

“Cycling Canada is excited to release the preliminary dates and locations of the 2019 Canadian Championships,” said Mathieu Boucher, Performance Development Director at Cycling Canada. “We have the privilege to partner with an amazing group of organizers, public and corporate partners who are fully dedicated to hosting the best possible events to showcase our sport to the public and to support the development of our athletes across the country.”

The first national championships of 2019 will be the Canadian Track Championships for Under-17, Junior and Para cyclists, to be held at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, in April.

The Global Relay Canadian Road Championships will begin with the Masters categories, to take place in Victoria, B.C., on June 7-9, and will be organized by the Russ Hays Racing Cycling Society. The Elite, Junior and Para Global Relay Canadian Road Championships will return, after a few years absence, to the Quebec City region on June 27-30, organized by the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce. The specific location will be announced shortly.

In July, attention turns to BMX and Mountain Bike, with the BMX Canadian Championships scheduled for Toronto, ON, on July 6th. Also taking place in 2019 will be the first-ever BMX Freestyle Canadian Championships, as this sport prepares for its Olympic debut in 2020. More details regarding the date and location of Canada’s first Freestyle BMX championships will be confirmed in the coming months. Mountain Bike will be split across four championships for the first time, beginning with the XCO MTB Canadian Championships at Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro Station, ON, on July 20-21. A week later, the Downhill MTB Canadian Championships will take place at Panorama Mountain Resort in Invermere, BC, on July 27-28. The DH Championships will be joined by the new Enduro MTB Canadian Championships on July 26-27, creating a Gravity Championships Weekend. The Mountain Bike Championships will conclude on September 7-8 in St-Felicien, QC, with the XCM (Marathon) MTB Canadian Championships.

“We are thrilled to add the Canadian Enduro Championships to our calendar for the first time in 2019,” said Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “In light of the recent announcement of the UCI to work with the Enduro World Series beginning 2019, we remain committed to work with organizations such as CNES to ensure the smoothest possible integration onto our national calendar.”

The final two championships of the year, to be held in the Fall, are the Canadian Track Championships for Elite and Masters categories at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, in Milton, ON, and the Cyclo-cross Canadian Championships, which will return to Peterborough, ON, for a second year. Schedules for these events will be announced at a later date.

Canadian Track Championships (U17/Junior/Para)
Organizer: Cycling Canada
Milton, ON
April 2019

Global Relay Canadian Road Championships (Masters)
Organizer: Russ Hays Racing Cycling Society
Victoria, BC
June 7-9, 2019

Global Relay Canadian Road Championships (Elite/Para/Junior)
Organizer: Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce
Location TBC
June 27-30, 2019

BMX Canadian Championships
Organizer: Cycling Canada
Toronto, ON
July 6, 2019

XCO MTB Canadian Championships
Organizer: Pulse Racing
Hardwood Ski & Bike, Oro Medonte, ON
July 20-21, 2019

Enduro MTB Canadian Championships
Organizer: Canadian National Enduro Series
Panorama Mountain Resort, Invermere, BC
July 26-27, 2019

Downhill MTB Canadian Championships
Organizer: Panorama Mountain Resort
Panorama Mountain Resort, Invermere, BC
July 27-28, 2019

XCM MTB Canadian Championships
Organizer: Compétition Vélo2Max
St-Félicien, QC
September 7-8, 2019

Cyclo-cross Canadian Championships
Organizer: Peterborough Cycling Club
Peterborough, ON
Date TBC (to be announced Fall 2018)

Canadian Track Championships (Elite/Masters)
Organizer: Cycling Canada
Milton, ON
Date TBC (to be announced Fall 2018)

June 28, 2018/by Communications

HEBERT MAKES FINALS AT BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 11, 2018 – Avriana Hebert was Canada’s top performer at the UCI BMX World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in the Junior women’s competition, finishing eighth overall after crashing while in the lead of the medal race. In the amateur Challenge competition, Canadian rider Cole Zufelt finished third in the Boys Cruiser 15-16 category.

High winds on Friday forced organizers to schedule both the preliminary rounds and the medal finals on Saturday for Junior and Elite categories.

Hebert, from Edmonton, Alberta, missed the two months of competition leading up to the world championships, but battled back to make it to the Final. After the first turn she moved into first place, but was then taken down in a crash on the last turn.

“I’m super happy to make it into the Final at World Champs,” said Hebert, “and a big thanks to my medical team for getting me here.”

In other competition, Daina Tuchscherer (Calgary, AB) made it through the qualifying motos for Elite women, but was knocked out in the quarter-finals. In the Elite men, Tory Nyhaug (Coquitlam, BC) and James Palmer (North Vancouver, BC) were knocked out in the eighth-finals.

“We had a solid group of athletes here,” said Adam Muys, BMX National Coach. “We had some really strong races, but also some crashes that kept a few of our top riders out of the Finals. I’m extremely happy with Avriana’s performance; coming back from injury earlier in the year and leading the Junior women’s Final coming into the last corner. She is going to be really good in the future.”

June 11, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2018 BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24, 2018 – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the team of athletes who have been selected to represent Canada at the 2018 BMX World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 1-9. Twelve riders will represent Canada in the Elite and Junior classes and six riders have been selected to compete in the Challenge classes as part of the NextGen program. The team will be joined by a number of additional Challenge class athletes.

Adam Muys, National BMX Coach, said “We have a very strong team heading into the 2018 Championships, with a group of riders in the Elite class that can achieve a Finals appearance. The team is led by Tory Nyhaug and Drew Michielsen, but Alex Tougas, James Palmer and Daina Tuschsherer have shown over the past 12 months that they are capable of making the Semi-finals at the World Cup level, so anything can happen once that gate drops.”

Brendan Arnold, National NextGen coach, said “The selected Challenge team currently boasts two riders that are top three in the world, and two others that have achieved Semi-final success at the 2017 World Championships. This trip will be a valuable development opportunity for the riders, since five of the six will be moving up to the Junior category in 2019.”

2018 World Championships BMX Team – Elite and Junior

Elite Men
Tory Nyhaug – Coquitlam, BC
James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC
Alex Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Gaby Malenfant – Drummondville, QC
Josh Samells – Milton, ON
Ben Leslie – Nanaimo, BC

Elite Women
Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC
Daina Tuchscherer – Calgary, AB

Junior Women
Avriana Hebert -Edmonton, AB

Junior Men
Aidan Webber – Comox, BC
Felix Maltais – Drummondville, QC
James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON

NextGen Challenge Team Selections

Ryan Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Nick Berarducci – Airdrie, AB
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB
Curtis Krey – Etobicoke, ON
Britney Hovencamp – Amherstview, ON
Cole Zufelt – Trenton, ON

May 24, 2018/by Communications

EVENT CANCELLATION NOTICE – ABBOTSFORD BMX CANADA CUP

Ottawa, Ontario, May 16, 2018 – In consultation with the host organizers, it is our regret to inform the BMX Community that the Abbotsford BMX Canada Cup scheduled for August 18-19, 2018 has been cancelled.

We are hopeful to come back to Abbotsford in the 2019 calendar year, although this year wasn’t possible. We continuously strive to deliver great event experiences to all our members and are looking forward to hosting events that will contribute to Canada’s Olympic qualification process starting next year.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and we look forward to seeing all of you at the 2018 Canada Cup events. For the full list of events, click here.

May 16, 2018/by Communications