CANADA TO HOST THE PAN AMERICAN CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Midland, ON (November 6, 2019) – The Pan American Cyclocross Championships will be returning to Canada this weekend at Little Lake Park in Midland, Ontario. The town on Georgian Bay will host the continental championships for the second year in a row on November 9 and 10 after a successful 2018 edition in which Canadian Maghalie Rochette and American Curtis White won the Elite Pan Am titles.
The Silver Goose kicks off on Saturday with the Pan Am Championships for Masters racers followed by UCI C2 races for elites and Junior men, followed by the Junior, Under-23 and Elite Pan Am races on Sunday. The popular venue has it all with a fly over, tough stone stair run ups and undulating terrain that promises to be muddy if the weather is wet.
Defending her second title in two weekends, Canadian Elite women’s champion Rochette was excited for the racing to commence at the venue where she won her first career elite Pan Am title.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Midland for the Pan Am Championships,” said Rochette. “A championship race is always special because there is something on the line. It’s the one race where the winner takes all, so those races always bring a fierce competition. Everyone brings their A game. It’s been a good season for me so far, I’ve been enjoying racing and working hard, so I’m excited for more racing this coming weekend.”
The event returning to Canada is a testament to the enthusiasm for cyclocross in Canada. After debuting Pan Am titles in the Masters category last year, the Silver Goose will host the first Junior women’s Pan Am championship race a week after the same event debuted at the Canadian Championships in Peterborough.
“This will be only the second time in history that the event has been held on Canadian soil, and organizers have done a great job to build an event that will showcase some of the best cyclocross racing that this country has to offer,” said Josh Peacock, Events Manager at Cycling Canada. “We are expecting some tight racing as riders look to don the Pan Am champion’s jersey for the remainder of the season. Once again, there will be a full offering of Masters titles as well – a new and welcomed addition to the Pan Am Championship category offering at last year’s event. This will also be the first time in history that a Junior Women’s title will be awarded at the Pan American Championships, a positive step forward towards women’s parity in the sport.”
