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.”

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

Zolder, Belgium, May 15, 2018 – For the second weekend in a row, Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, was Canada’s top rider at the BMX World Cup. Mechielsen made the semi-finals in both the fifth and sixth rounds of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Zolder, Belgium, on May 12-13. A total of six Canadian riders – four men and two women – raced.

At the previous rounds in Papendal, Netherlands, Mechielsen finished tenth, and improved on that in Zolder with a ninth place result in Saturday’s race, followed by 14th on Sunday. Daina Tuchscherer of Chestermere, Alberta, made it to the quarterfinals on both days.

“I’m happy to come away from the weekend with two semi-final finishes,” said Mechielsen. “I had solid laps and I’m proud of the way I rode.”

In the men’s competition, Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, was the top performer, with a quarterfinal result of 20th on Sunday. Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, made it to the quarter-finals of Saturday’s competition, finishing 22nd. James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, was coming back from injury and finished 44th on Saturday.

“Racing this weekend in Zolder was fast paced and exciting!” said Palmer. “Coming off a shoulder injury just a few weeks before, I felt a little off the back physically and, more importantly mentally, but I was happy that with the little time I got in on the bike I was still able to put together some good starts over the weekend, which is what we focused time on over this past winter. Looking forward to some time to recover and getting ready for the World Championships in Baku next month!”

National BMX coach Adam Muys, said, “The Zolder track is compact, which creates tight racing. The track itself is very similar to the Abbotsford track, but with a more technical third and fourth straight. We had some really good moments this weekend and some learning opportunities. Again, our speed and technical abilities are there and were able to complete with the World. Our riders are gaining confidence and being more aggressive, which is leading to better results.  ‘m really happy with the way Drew rode this weekend, really putting herself in the mix.”