BRONZE FOR CANADA AT 2025 UCI CYCLO-CROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 3, 2025) – Canada showed its strength at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Liévin, FRA, with a bronze medal, a top-5 and several top-20 results.   

After winning the overall Junior Women’s UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup, Lac-Beauport, QC native Rafaëlle Carrier finished the race in third place, taking bronze just one minute and 43 seconds behind winner Lise Revol of France and her time of 45:25m. Czech athlete Barbara Bukovskà (+11s) took silver.   

Rafaëlle Carrier Photo Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix

Isabella Holmgren, from Orillia, ON, shone in the U23 women’s race, finishing in fifth place, two minutes 17 seconds behind the race leader, British Zoé Backstedt (45:42m), who was defending her title in the category. Marie Schreiber (+39s), from Luxembourg, and Leonie Bentveld (+1:20m), from the Netherlands, took second and third places.   

Isabella Holmgren Photo Credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix

Both athletes had been in action earlier in the week, taking part in the team relay on Jan.31 alongside Maxime St-Onge, Ian Ackert, Tyler Clark and Sidney McGill, where they finished seventh, one minute, 24 seconds behind Great Britain. Italy (+2s) and France (+5s) took silver and bronze respectively.   

 “I’ve been around the sport for a while a now,” said Michael Van den Ham, National Team Coach. “A decade ago, I could not have imagined the success we had at this year’s World Championships. A podium, a top-5 and multiple top-20s across multiple categories and from riders in different parts of the country is nothing but a success an something I’m excited to see build on moving forward.” 

Athletes represented the country over the weekend, with six reaching the top-20. Émilien Belzile (junior men – 11th), Ian Ackert (U23 men – 16th), Sidney McGill (elite women – 16th) and Tyler Clark (elite men – 38th) were the top performers in their respective categories. 

Full results from the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships can be found here.

Junior Women
3 – Rafaelle Carrier – Lac-Beauport, QC
13 – Nico Knoll – Calgary, AB
36 – Lily-Rose Marois – Lac-Beauport, QC
39 – Maya Tassé – Mendham, NJ 
DNS – Aislin Hallahan – Peterborough, ON  

Junior Men
11 – Emilien Belzile – Sherbrooke, QC
39 – Farland Lamont – Midland, ON
40 – Tristan Taillefer – Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
42 – Sagan Goertz – Waterloo, ON
54 – Monty Rigby – Vancouver, BC  

U23 Women
5 – Isabella Holmgren – Orillia, ON
39 – Marie-Fay St-Onge – St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC (39th)
40 – Mia De Martin – Saint-Colomban, QC
41 – Dorothée Perron – Gatineau, QC   

U23 Men
16 – Ian Ackert – Severn, ON
27 – Maxime St Onge – St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
43 – Alexander Woodford – Ottawa, ON  

Elite Women
16 – Sidney McGill – Edmonton, AB (16)
33 – Christiane Bilodeau – St. Albert, AB
DNS – Katelyn Walcroft – Collingwood, ON   

Elite Men
38 – Tyler Clark – Mono, ON
41 – Cody Scott – Courtenay, BC