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FOUR BMX NATIONAL TITLES AWARDED

Etobicoke, ON (July 7, 2019) – Over 400 athletes came out for the premier event on the domestic BMX calendar, the Canadian BMX Championships, which were held at Centennial Park, in Etobicoke, the location of the 2015 Pan American Games. 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.

British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta dominated the titles, with each province taking national champions jerseys, including two for BC. The Elite women’s title was a battle between three World Cup riders, defending champion Daina Tuchscherer of Chestermere, AB, Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, and Avriana Hebert of Edmonton, AB, with Mechielsen ultimately taking her third title.

In the absence of Tory Nyhaug and Alex Tougas, who are both recovering from an injury, the Elite men’s title was a three-way battle between defending champion Gaby Malenfant of Drummondville, QC, James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, and Josh Samells of Milton, ON. World Cup rider James Palmer won all of his heats and went on to win his first title.

Drew Mechielsen, Elite Women: “It was a really good race day; it was long and hot and there were some really good battles but I’m happy to come out with the win. It was tough competition with Daina and Avriana, and it’s always a struggle racing them but it’s also always good because we train together.”

James Palmer, Elite Men: “Today was a great day, I’m happy to come away with the win. I’ve been injured for the past month or so with a wrist injury so I’m happy to be back racing in front of my Canadian fans and it’s great to win my first Elite title.”

Results
Junior Women: 1- Molly Simpson 2- Violet Cejalvo 3- Lauren Webber
Junior Men: 1- Curtis Krey 2- James Hedgcock 3- Mitchel Landry
Elite Women: 1- Drew Mechielsen 2-Daina Tuchscherer 3-Avriana Hebert
Elite Men: 1- James Palmer 2- Josh Samells 3- Gaby Malenfant

For full results and schedules, please click here.

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Staff

Staff

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At Cycling Canada, we’re all passionate people who work collectively to make our organization an indispensable resource for all Canadians directly or indirectly involved with cycling.

senior leadership

Matthew Jeffries
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Jeffries
Mathieu Boucher
Chief Development Officer
Scott Kelly
Chief Sport Officer
Dan Proulx
head coach
Kris Westwood
Director of High Performance Services
Josh Peacock
Director of Marketing & Events
Vanessa Desjardins
Director of Operations and Inclusion
Robyn Skinner
Director of Community Growth and Engagement
Shelley Milton
Director of High Performance Operations

coaching

Phil Abbott
National Team Coach
Laura Brown
National Team Coach
Franck Durivaux
National Team Coach
(Track Sprint Lead)
Nigel Ellsay
National Team Coach
(Road Lead)
Chad Hendren
National Team Coach
(Gravity Lead)
Stephen McMullan
National Team Coach
Adam Muys
National Team Coach
(BMX Race Lead)
Sebastien Travers
National Team Coach
(Para-cycling Lead)
Catharine Pendrel
National Team Coach
Dave Thomas
National Team Coach
(BMX Freestyle Lead)
Michael van den Ham
National Team Coach
(Cyclo-Cross Lead)

HIGH PERFORMANCE SERVICES

Geordie Moss
High Performance Services Manager
Sharleen Hoar
Functional Area Lead, Mental Performance/Mental Health
Nicole Springle
Functional Area Lead, Nutrition
Stephen McMullan
Functional Area Lead, Strength and Conditioning
Geoff Brown
Functional Area Lead, Equipment
Myriam Paquette
Functional Area Lead, Physiology and Performance Analyst
Andre Lui
Functional Area Lead, Medical

HIGH PERFORMANCE OPERATIONS

Jen Eaton
High Performance Project Coordinator
Heather Meadley
High Performance Project Coordinator

MARKETING & EVENTS

Jolène Dupuis
Events & Officials Manager
Ben Lyon
Fundraising and Partnerships Manager
Ariane Perron
Interim Communications Manager
Jacob Graper
Events & Officials Coordinator
Alex Joubert
Events & Officials Coordinator

COMMUNITY & GRASSROOTS

Jennifer Milligan
Community & Grassroots Manager
Chris Tabri
Community & Grassroots Coordinator
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CANADIAN BMX CHAMPION LOSES LIFE IN WORK ACCIDENT

Ottawa, ON (March 12, 2019) – It is with great sadness that the Canadian cycling community learned of the loss of one of its own late Sunday night. Aidan Webber, 18, was killed in a workplace accident at a fish farm in northern Vancouver Island.

Webber, of Nanaimo, BC, was the reigning Canadian junior BMX champion after winning the title in Drummondville, QC, last summer. He also represented Canada at the 2018 BMX World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

On behalf of all our members, Cycling Canada would like to extend its condolences to Webber’s family and loved ones.

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FIRST CANADIAN BMX FREESTYLE TITLES AWARDED

Markham, ON (March 1, 2019) – The first ever Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships took place on Wednesday, February 27th, at the Joyride 150 venue in Markham, Ontario. BMX Freestyle is the latest cycling discipline to be added to the Olympic program, and will take place in Tokyo for the first time in 2020.

“We are very excited to crown our first ever Canadian Champions in the BMX Freestyle discipline,” said Josh Peacock, Events Manager at Cycling Canada. “The crew at Joyride 150 organized a top quality event, attracting some of the World’s top riders amongst Canada’s best. We are looking forward to continuing our work within the discipline of freestyle BMX, and are already looking forward to our next UCI event this weekend at the Toronto XJam.”

Jaden Chipman of New Lowell, Ontario won the men’s title, while Stephanie Nychka of Calgary took the women’s. Chipman represented Canada at the inaugural world championships in Chengdu, China, in 2017, while Nychka is a newcomer to the sport, coming from mountain biking.

“It feels unreal,” said Chipman, “I’ve never been on the podium before with all these guys. I’ve been putting in a lot of work over the winter, and I guess it shows. It’s very special, such a huge honour to be the first Canadian Freestyle champion. I’ve been looking up to the riders I was on deck with ever since I started riding. I’m planning on going to all the FISE World Cup events and proudly wearing the jersey.”
“I started riding BMX about a year and a half ago, and looking back at my progression, I’m so happy with this result. We need to get more women riding, and Joyride itself is a great place for everyone to come,” said Nychka.

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CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER BMX FREESTYLE NATIONAL CALENDAR

Ottawa, ON (January 24, 2019) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that a total of three BMX Freestyle events will be held in Canada in 2019. These events represent an important landmark in the development of BMX Freestyle in Canada, as well as the development of professional Canadian athletes.

The season will officially kick off at the Joyride 150 indoor facility in Markham, Ontario, which will play host to the Joyride BMX Park International (UCI C1) on February 26, followed by the first-ever Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships the next day. The Canadian Championships represent the highest level of competition on the domestic calendar, and champions will be receiving the red and white maple leaf jersey in the Elite Men’s and Women’s categories.

“Hosting Canada’s first ever UCI C1 Freestyle BMX Event and Inaugural Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships is an exciting opportunity”, said event organizer and Joyride 150 Owner, Mark Summers. “These events will bring world class competition to Ontario. Joyride 150 has proven to be a hub for athletes and a perfect training ground for Canada’s best and hosting these very important events shows our commitment to supporting and growing the sport of BMX Freestyle.”

That same week, athletes will have the chance to compete in the Toronto XJam, organized as part of the well-established Toronto International Bicycle Show. The Toronto XJam will be sanctioned UCI C1, giving athletes the opportunity to compete in three events within one week, all located in the same region. Large international presence is anticipated, with several foreign national teams having already confirmed their attendance.

“We are thrilled to welcome the discipline of Freestyle BMX to our National events calendar with all eyes looking towards the sport’s introduction to the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020”, said Josh Peacock, Events Manager at Cycling Canada. “Our 2019 organizers come to us with a wealth of knowledge in the Freestyle BMX world, and we look forward to working together to help maximize UCI points-grabbing opportunities leading up to the Games, as well as increasing the overall exposure of the sport to participants of all ages and abilities.”

Joyride BMX Park International
Organizer: Joyride 150
Markham, ON
February 26, 2019

Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships
Organizer: Joyride 150
Markham, ON
February 27, 2019

Toronto XJam
Organizer: Canadian Shows and Special Events Inc.
Toronto, ON
March 1-3, 2019

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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

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CALL FOR ATHLETES COUNCIL CANDIDATES

Ottawa, ON (November 20, 2018) – Cycling Canada is presently looking for current or recent National Team members who are interested in being part of the Athletes Council. If you would like to play a part in decisions that affect the future of Cycling Canada’s national team programs, you can do this by becoming a member of the Council.

The terms of reference for the council can be found in Cycling Canada’s Policy on Organizational Structure. To summarize:

  • The Athletes Council is made up of one male and one female representative each from Road, Track, Mountain Bike, BMX and Para-cycling
  • Members serve two-year terms
  • The council chair sits on the Cycling Canada Board of Directors
  • The vice-chair sits on the Cycling Canada High Performance Committee
  • The current members are:
    • Lex Albrecht (Road female)
    • Meghan Grant (Track female)
    • Hugo Houle (Road male)
    • Geoff Kabush (MTB male)
    • James Palmer (BMX male)
    • Rémi Pelletier-Roy (Track male)
    • Catharine Pendrel (MTB female)
    • Amelia Walsh (BMX female)
    • Ross Wilson (Para male)
    • Para female position is vacant

If you are interested in being part of the Athletes Council, 

please complete the online form. The deadline is Dec. 2, 2018. If there are more candidates than positions available, the current national team members will be asked to vote for their preferred representatives before Dec. 9. The new AC composition will be announced on Dec. 10.

If you have any questions, please contact High Performance Committee Chair Kirsten Frattini, or Cycling Canada Head of Performance Operations Kris Westwood.

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CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2019 NATIONAL CALENDAR

Ottawa, ON (November 14, 2018) – Cycling Canada is pleased to release the national and international events competition schedule for 2019. Beginning in February and running through to December, the competitions calendar spans the country, with events ranging from the Atlantic provinces to the Pacific coast.

“We are very excited to announce our complete 2019 National and International race calendar,” said Josh Peacock, Events Manager at Cycling Canada. “Through the support of our provincial partners and event organizers – both new and returning – we are confident that this calendar will provide athletes in all disciplines every opportunity to perform at their best on Canadian soil. Our overall calendar continues to expand both in quantity and in quality of competition offered. We would like to extend a very special thank you to all of our dedicated organizers and host communities who continue to support the sport of cycling across the Nation, and look forward to another great year of racing.”

The Mountain Bike Canada Cup series opens the off-road calendar with what is becoming the traditional start to the XCO season at Bear Mountain in Victoria, BC, on March 31st. This year, the Series offers an expanded number of races, with eight taking place from coast to coast. The Canada Cup Series concludes in Kentville, Nova Scotia, on August 17-18; the second year for this venue.

Under-17 Men and Women were added as official Canada Cup Mountain Bike categories on the XCO side last year and will continue this year. Riders will be awarded the same points scale as the Juniors and will be required to race the same number of events as the Juniors to qualify for an overall Series ranking. The number of UCI-sanctioned Junior XCO events will be doubled to six – including four at the UCI Junior Series level – offering Juniors maximum opportunities to gain UCI points. After a five year absence, the XCO National Championships will return to Hardwood Ski & Bike in Ontario for 2019 and 2020. The domestic cross-country program concludes on September 7-8 with the Marathon National Championships in St-Felicien, Quebec.

The highlight of the season will be Mont-Ste-Anne, Quebec, which will play host for a record third time to the UCI World Championships for both Masters (August 21-23) and Elite/Under-23/Junior (August 28th – September 1st) in XCO and Downhill.

The Downhill Canada Cup Series will cap off in Mont Tremblant as a part of the Crossroads event weekend, before returning to British Columbia, at SilverStar Resort and then Fernie for the second and third rounds. Silverstar and Fernie will create a July triple header western race schedule for Downhill, which will conclude with both the Downhill and new Enduro National Championships at Panorama, BC, on July 27-28. The domestic downhill program will conclude with the Canadian Open in Whistler on August 18th.

The national Road calendar begins in June, starting with the Masters Nationals in Victoria, BC, followed by four UCI-sanctioned events in Quebec – GP Cycliste Gatineau and Chrono de Gatineau for women, and the GP Cycliste de Saguenay and Tour de Beauce for men. From June 28 to July 1st, the National Road Championships for Elite, Under-23, Junior and Para riders will take place in Beauce.

Road racing continues through the summer, with the Tour de la Relève Rimouski in Quebec at the beginning of July, followed by the UCI-sanctioned Delta Road Race and Global Relay Gastown GP in BC’s Lower Mainland. The Tour de l’Abitibi, one of the premier stage races for Junior men in the world, returns for its 51st edition from July 15-21. The Road calendar concludes in early September with the Quebec City and Montreal WorldTour races on September 13th and 15th.

The BMX national calendar events will take place in July and August. Three Canada Cup events, all with a UCI C1 sanction, will take place in Toronto (July 6-7), Drummondville, Quebec (July 13-14) and Calgary (August 17-18), the host of the 2016-2017 national championships. The National Championships will take place in Toronto on the same weekend as the Canada Cup event, and will be the primary qualifying event for the 2020 BMX world championships in Houston, USA.

Canada’s national track program will be centered around the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, with four of five events on the calendar taking place there. For Junior and Under-17 riders, there will be a Western Challenge (January 18-20) in Burnaby, BC, and an Eastern Challenge (February 9-10) in Milton. These will lead into the National Championships at Milton on April 12-14 for U17, Junior and Para athletes. The Elite and Masters riders will have their National Championships in Milton in the Fall, and the UCI Track World Cup will return to Milton for the 2019-20 season.

Peterborough, Ontario will once again play host to the 2019 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships following a successful season-closing event in 2018. Cyclo-cross enthusiasts should expect another exciting season in 2019, with finalized details of the upcoming calendar to be released in the coming weeks. 

Finally, the Para national schedule consists of four events, all on the UCI calendar.  On April 12-14 the Para Track Nationals will take place in Milton, followed by the Défi sportif AlterGo road event in Montreal on May 4-5. The Para Road Nationals will take place in Beauce, on June 28-29, and the UCI Para Road World Cup returns to Baie Comeau, Quebec, on August 8-11.

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FOUR ATHLETES WILL REPRESENT CANADA AT THE URBAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Chengdu, China (November 8, 2018) – Four athletes will be representing Canada at the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships this weekend, in Chengdu, China. This is the second edition of these world championships, and includes three disciplines: Freestyle BMX, Trials and Mountain Bike Eliminator.

Freestyle BMX will makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in 2020, and three Canadian athletes will participate in these world championships to work towards qualifying Canada for the Games. The Freestyle team is led by Drew Bezanson of Truro, Nova Scotia, a former X Games silver medallist. He will be joined in the Elite men’s category by Joel Bondu of Montreal, who finished 21st overall in the Elite men’s UCI World Cup rankings.  In the Elite women’s category, Sarah Dinel of Mississauga, Ontario, will be the only Canadian competitor. 

In the Trials competition, Canada will be represented by Jeff Anderson of Coquitlam, BC. Anderson will compete in the Elite men’s 26″ category.

“The 2019 Urban Worlds is an important event in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics for BMX Park,” said Brendan Arnold, National NextGen BMX Coach. “The qualifying period began November 1st, and Canada will have solid representation in the men’s and women’s competition, with former World Cup winner Drew Bezanson leading the Canadian team to Chengdu. It’s an exciting time for Freestyle BMX, as the sport begins its chase to the first Olympics. Canada has athletes that have proved they can compete on the International stage, so it’s going to be an exciting journey.”

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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.”

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