News – Page 10 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

DESJARDINS COMMITS TO CYCLING CANADA’S NATIONAL GRASSROOTS PROGRAM

Ottawa, ON (February 28, 2022) – Cycling Canada is thrilled to announce that Desjardins, the largest cooperative financial group in Canada, has partnered with the organization through a two-year donation to its HopOn national grassroots program. This donation comes as part of Desjardins’s $80M investment to support youth initiatives across Canada.

The donation will have a substantial impact on provinces’ ability to deliver the program successfully both in-school and in communities, with various provinces benefitting from the funding over the next two years. While the program has already launched in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, several other provinces will be implementing the program for the first time in 2022.

“We are pleased to be able to count on the commitment of Desjardins to support the implementation and development of our HopOn national grassroots program,” said Mathieu Boucher, Chief Development Officer at Cycling Canada. “Our goal is to deliver a high-quality program that is accessible and available across the country so that children can develop basic skills and bike safety awareness while having fun. We are excited to be investing in the next generation of cyclists and citizens together.”

“Desjardins is committed to supporting youth through initiatives that encourage healthy and active lifestyles,” said Matthieu Lamy, Team Leader, Donations and Sponsorships, at Desjardins. “HopOn is a great initiative that brings communities together to make cycling more accessible while also raising awareness of cycling safety. We’re proud to partner with Cycling Canada and to help expand the program to more provinces across Canada.”

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CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS FOR EVENT & COMMISSAIRE OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Ottawa, ON (February 3, 2022) – Cycling Canada is pleased to recognize the commissaires, organizers and events that have made significant contributions to the sport of cycling in Canada over the 2021 period. After a year plagued with event cancellations and postponements, Canadian organizers came back in full force and gave athletes the unique opportunity to develop their skills domestically across a variety of cycling disciplines.

The Event of the Year recipients were selected through a month-long public and internal voting process. Among the standout events hosted this year from coast-to-coast was the Dieppe Canada Cup XCO & XCC in New Brunswick (Mountain Bike), the Classique des Appalaches & Gran Fondo races (Road), 2021 Canadian Road Championships (Para) and 2021 Canadian XCO MTB Championships, hosted in various parts of Quebec, as well as the Calgary BMX Canada Cup in Alberta.

“Despite ongoing challenges, our wonderful organizers, dedicated officials, volunteers and staff worked relentlessly to put together and deliver world-class events for athletes across the country,” said Jolène Dupuis, Events & Officials Manager at Cycling Canada. “We would like to thank everyone who has played a crucial role in growing the passion for the sport in Canada and for their commitment and resilience. Congratulations to all of our award recipients!”

The Commissaire of the Year recipients were nominated by their peers and provincial cycling associations for their standout accomplishments and tireless work at local, national and international events. The International Commissaire of the Year was awarded to veteran Michael Drolet who has been in the business for almost 30 years and was the sole Canadian commissaire to be assigned to the Tokyo Olympic Games. The national title was awarded to newly recognized provincial instructor and Elite National Mountain Bike commissaire Christian Côté.

2021 Event of the Year
Mountain Bike – Dieppe Canada Cup XCO & XCC
Road – Classique des Appalaches
Para-cycling – 2021 Canadian Road Championships
BMX Racing – Calgary BMX Canada Cup
Canadian Championships – 2021 Canadian XCO & XCC MTB Championships

2021 Commissaire of the Year
International – Michael Drolet (QC)
National – Christian Côté (QC)

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CYCLING CANADA AND GARNEAU EXTEND PARTNERSHIP TO PARIS 2024 GAMES

Ottawa, ON (January 27, 2022) – Cycling Canada and Garneau are pleased to announce that their long-term collaboration will extend to the Paris Olympic & Paralympic Games in 2024, marking the partnership’s 40-year anniversary.

Over the next three years, both organizations will work collaboratively to develop premium competition clothing for Canadian athletes competing at the highest level of the sport across road, track, mountain bike, BMX, cyclo-cross and para-cycling. Garneau’s team of experts will also be tasked with creating world-class custom apparel for all Cycling Canada athletes competing at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, while also providing nutritional support in the lead up to the Games.

“We’re very happy about the extension of our partnership with Garneau, a company with deep Canadian roots and a rich history that is closely tied with Cycling Canada’s,” said Cycling Canada’s High Performance Director, Kris Westwood. “It is truly special to work with a partner as passionate about the sport as we are and we’re looking forward to collaborating to ensure our athletes have the fastest and most comfortable kit possible to support our performances leading into Paris 2024.”

Pro cyclo-cross athlete and member of the Easton Giant/Liv Cyclo-cross Team, Michael van den Ham said: “Pulling on a Canadian jersey is always a special feeling and getting to do that while knowing it’s produced by a Canadian company makes it just that much more special. When I look at my own career, it’s pretty amazing to think that I’ve been riding Garneau kit both with my professional team and the National Team for the better part of a decade. Just that fact alone highlights how much Garneau has long been at the forefront of supporting cycling in Canada and it’s exciting to know that relationship is going to continue for years to come.”

Garneau has been Cycling Canada’s exclusive supplier of competition and training apparel since its owner, Louis Garneau, competed for Team Canada at the 1984 Olympics. Throughout the years, Garneau clothing has been a game-changer for Canadian athletes on the world stage, helping cyclists across all disciplines achieve international success.

“Our priority has always been to create quality products to support our best cyclists at the national and international level,” said founder Louis Garneau. “We have been working closely with Cycling Canada athletes for nearly 40 years and they are truly part of our company’s DNA.”

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CYCLING CANADA HIRES FOUR NEW NATIONAL TEAM COACHES

Ottawa, ON (December 8, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the addition of four world-class coaches to its National Team staff as the organization ramps up its investment and commitment to developing Canadian technical leadership and coaching expertise. No strangers to international competition, Catharine Pendrel, Laura Brown, Richard Wooles and Tanya Dubnicoff will bring a wealth of experience to their new roles.

Catharine Pendrel recently retired from a prolific mountain bike career which included world titles in 2011 and 2014; winning the 2010, 2012 and 2016 World Cup series; bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games; and gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games and 2014 Commonwealth Games. Pendrel will build on her years of experience in her new role of National Team Coach, working with endurance athletes. She also recently enrolled in the Commonwealth Women Coach Internship Program and will be at the Birmingham Games this summer alongside Team Canada athletes.

Laura Brown was a member of both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams and won a bronze in the Team Pursuit at the 2016 Olympic Games as well as gold medals at both the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games. Brown has spent the past several years in a part-time assistant coach role with the National Team, as well as working with Cycling BC and several road trade teams. Brown will join Cycling Canada in a full-time role as a National Team Coach based in Vancouver, working with endurance athletes.

Richard Wooles is one of Canada’s most experienced and accomplished cycling coaches. His career has included leadership roles with British Cycling, the UCI World Cycling Centre, Cycling Canada and Cycling BC. Wooles spent the past year working with Cycling Canada in a part-time capacity and played a key role in leading last summer’s Junior and U23 road programming in Europe. Wooles will officially join Cycling Canada as a full-time National Team Coach based in Vancouver and will be working with endurance athletes.

Tanya Dubnicoff will be returning to Cycling Canada in the newly created role of Advancement Camp Coach. The Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame inductee’s sprint career includes three Olympics as an athlete, a world title in 1993, four Pan American Games gold medals, and coaching the 2012 Olympic Team Pursuit squad to a bronze medal. Dubnicoff will be responsible for leading Cycling Canada’s Advancement Camp initiatives, contributing to coaching and athlete education programs, and leading talent identification efforts across the country, including through RBC Training Ground.

Led by Head Coach Dan Proulx, Cycling Canada’s National Team coaches will work together to provide a sustainable performance program across all cycling disciplines that can deliver champions to the world stage and lifelong ambassadors to the Canadian cycling community. Based primarily out of regional training centres and hubs across the country, the coaching team works collaboratively to cultivate aligned and integrated multi-discipline development and performance programming.

“The cohort of National Team coaches we have assembled is truly exceptional,” said Proulx. “When you bring good people together like this, it creates an x-factor that raises the bar for everyone. The aim is to continue developing great riders who compete alongside the best on the world stage. At the same time, we want to improve the athlete experience, empowering them to achieve success on the bike and beyond. The coaches we’ve brought together have a track record of bringing out the best in others and this will certainly help the entire system to improve.”

In addition to providing technical and tactical expertise within their respective focus areas, National Teach Coaches help lead, mentor and empower Canada’s network of provincial, club and affiliate coaches to build a robust athlete pipeline and provide racing and skill development opportunities for athletes while increasing coaching knowledge, expertise and capacity across the country.

“One of our goals is to increase the knowledge, expertise and capacity amongst coaches in the Canadian system,” said Cycling Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, Scott Kelly. “It’s important that we continue to invest in and develop Canadian coaches. These additions to our team reflect a commitment on the part of Cycling Canada to do just that.”

Pendrel, Brown and Wooles have already begun their roles with Cycling Canada, while Dubnicoff will start on January 1st and will be based out of Calgary, Alberta.

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NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR CYCLING CANADA OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES

Ottawa, Ontario (November 5, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to welcome nominations for volunteer positions on the two following operational committees:

  • Events Committee
  • Officials Committee

Detailed terms of reference and desired committee member skills matrix can be found here. Committee size is flexible and will range from four to six people, depending on our ability to find a competent cross-section of skills. The term of each appointment is two years, with approximately half of the committee members selected each year. Expected time commitment for committee members is a few hours per month, mainly for teleconference meetings, with one or two face-to-face meetings required per year.

Individuals interested in submitting their nomination for either committee are kindly asked to complete the Events Candidate Self-Evaluation Form or the Officials Candidate Self-Evaluation Form and to submit their expression of interest via email by November 24, 2021. The email should identify which committee candidates are applying for and may include any relevant supporting information.

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CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF ITS 2021 ANNUAL AWARDS

Ottawa, Ontario (November 3, 2021) – Following the conclusion of its Annual Conference last weekend, Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 Annual Awards in the following categories: Best Junior Rider of the Year, Best Performance in Competition at the World Championships or Olympic and Paralympic Games and Provincial / Territorial Association of the Year.

Cycling Canada’s Athletes’ Council submitted nominations and in conjunction with the Athletes’ Council Annual Survey, winners were chosen by their peers through a vote, for both the Russ Copeland and President’s Trophy Awards. A similar process with developed for the Torchy Peden Award, where Provincial and Territorial Associations submitted their application and the winner was chosen by the Inter Provincial Council.

“Congratulations to Kelsey and Jackson on their awards,” said Andrew L’Esperance, Chair of Cycling Canada’s Athlete Council. “It is such an honour to be recognized by your peers for your accomplishments. This is the first year that the Athletes’ Council was involved in the process of these annual awards and we hope this continues for years to come.”

The Russ Copeland Award for Best Junior Rider of the Year was awarded to Squamish’s Jackson Goldstone who had a breakthrough first professional season, winning three Downhill World Cups and placing second in an additional three to take the World Cup overall title. He went on to claim the rainbow jersey at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in August, finishing the season on a high note.

The President’s Trophy for Best Performance in Competition at the World Championships went to Olympic Sprint champion Kelsey Mitchell, who recently won her first medal at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in the women’s Sprint after beating teammate Lauriane Genest in the bronze medal final. Mitchell is also a world record holder and a Pan American Games gold medallist in the event.

Finally, the Torchy Peden Award for Provincial Association of the Year was awarded to Saskatchewan, who took tremendous initiatives throughout the year to help development riders continue to progress in their respective disciplines. The Saskatchewan Cycling Association kicked off the year by organizing the Canadian Junior Virtual Racing Series on the RGT platform and went on to host track, road and BMX development camps in collaboration with Cycling BC, Cycling Canada and 94Forward, as well as several National Team athletes.

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CANADIAN CYCLING HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT FIVE NEW MEMBERS

Ottawa, Ontario (October 25, 2021) – Five new members will be inducted into the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame next weekend at the Chateau Bromont as part of Cycling Canada’s Annual Conference. Robbi Weldon, Pierre Gachon and Cindy Devine will be inducted as athletes, while Patrice Drouin and Chantal Lachance will be recognized for their tremendous achievements as builders.

The Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame was created in 2015 to recognize outstanding achievement and contribution to the sport of cycling by both athletes and builders. With this induction, the Hall of Fame will count twenty-seven members, including twenty-two athletes and five builders.

No stranger to high performance competition, Robbi Weldon is a dual Paralympian and Paralympic medallist, having competed in both para-Nordic skiing and para-cycling from 2010 to 2016. After discovering cycling in 2010, Weldon quickly started to make a name for herself in the sport, becoming a World Champion at both the 2010 and 2011 Para-cycling Road World Championships. Later that year, she swept all four cycling events at the 2011 Parapan American Games alongside her pilot Lyne Bessette and the duo went on to win gold at the London 2012 Paralympics.

Pierre Gachon (1909-2004) rose to prominence as the first Canadian to ever compete at the Tour de France in 1937 and remained the only Quebecer to do so until David Veilleux in 2013. Throughout the 30s, Gachon distinguished himself at Six Day races, and set new Canadian records by completing the road connecting several cities in record time.

The name Cindy Devine is well known within the mountain biking community and with good reason; Devine became the first female downhill World Champion in 1990 after also placing first at the unofficial Mountain Bike World Championships in 1989. She went on to podium four more times at the biggest international race on the calendar before retiring and dedicating her time to helping at the West Coast School of Mountain Biking and the Shimano Dirt series.

Patrice Drouin and Chantal Lachance are also very prominent within the mountain biking community, the two having been involved with the sport since its very beginning in the 80s. After consulting with the UCI to help create this new cycling discipline, Drouin partnered with his good friend Chantal Lachance to organize a Mountain World Cup in 1991. The duo founded GESTEV in 1992 and the rest is history, with their company organizing a World Cup or World Championships every year since then and putting Canada on the map as one of the world’s top destinations for the sport.

Tickets for the event are available at the cost of $150 and all proceeds will be donated to the HopOn program in Quebec.

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CYCLING CANADA WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Ottawa, ON (October 14, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the results of its 2021 Board of Directors Election from its Annual Meeting held via video conference on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. This year, Cycling Canada’s provincial and territorial member associations voted to elect four directors-at-large from a slate of 15 total nominees. Each of these directors will serve 2-year terms in the role of director-at-large.

Cycling Canada directors, elected September 28, 2021:

  1. Mark Gilligan (Toronto, ON)
  2. Pierre LaFlamme (Quebec City, QC)
  3. Peter Lawless (Victoria, BC)
  4. Kelly Murray (Fredericton, NB)

In a meeting of the Board of Directors subsequent to the Annual Meeting, the Board of Cycling Canada re-appointed Pierre LaFlamme as Chair of the Board for a term of one year and also appointed Curt Harnett (Toronto, ON) to the Board as an additional director-at-large, also for a term of one year.

Cycling Canada would like to extend a warm welcome to its new and returning directors as well as a sincere thank you to all of the candidates who put their names forward as nominees in the election. A very special thank you also goes to outgoing director Bill Kinash (Regina, SK) for his immense contributions and commitment to the organization over his time on the board, which included a term as President of Cycling Canada from 2002 to 2005 as well as a ten-year term as President of the Saskatchewan Cycling Association from 1992 to 2002.

Continuing their ongoing terms on the Cycling Canada Board of Directors are Mark Collins (Georgetown, ON), Louizandre Dauphin (Markham, ON) and Shauna Finlay (Edmonton, AB).

The role of Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors is to provide overall strategic direction, leadership and stability for the organization. The Board establishes the overall mission and purpose for the organization and it is responsible for a number of key governance-related activities including approving the appointment of (and providing direction to) the CEO and senior management team, the development and adoption of organizational policies, financial oversight and approval of the annual budget.

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CYCLING CANADA UNVEILS 2022 NATIONAL CALENDAR

Ottawa, ON (September 28, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce an extensive 2022 national calendar, adding some exciting new events to an already substantial list of national and international races in Canada.

“Following an enthusiastic return to competition in 2021, we are very eager to see our organizers back for more as we announce a complete calendar of national and international events for 2022,” said Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager, Jolène Dupuis. “Through the ongoing support of our provincial partners and dedicated event organizers, we are seeing bigger and better offerings in all disciplines that will give our athletes every opportunity to shine on Canadian soil.”

The 2022 season will officially kick off on the track with the U17 & Junior Canadian Championships in Milton, ON on April 8-10. Dates for Eastern and Western Track Challenge events will be confirmed following the October 1st National Calendar bidding deadline.

After a two-season hiatus, the Crossroads Festival in Mont-Tremblant, QC will mark the first event of the Canada Cup mountain bike calendar on May 27-29 in both the DH and XC disciplines. The XC series will then continue with stops in Quebec, Alberta, and Nova Scotia before the final event taking place in Dieppe, NB. With the popularity of the cross-country Short Track discipline on the rise, athletes can expect to see more XCC racing on the 2022 calendar, with UCI Short Track stops added to 3 Canada Cup events, in addition to the Canadian Championships. All Junior events within the XC series will be sanctioned at a minimum level of UCI C2 including four stops on the UCI Junior Series. Following the Crossroads Festival, the DH Canada Cup series will make its way to Silverstar Mountain Resort to resume the season before heading to Fernie and Panorama for back to back races in the interior. The fan-favourite XCO & DH World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC has found its place back on the UCI calendar on August 5-7, while the Crankworx Festival is also planning to return in 2022 as the exciting finale to Cycling Canada’s national DH calendar.

Both Canadian Mountain Bike Championships for XCO and DH will be organized on the weekend of July 23-24. Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro Station, ON will host the XCO event while DH returns to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort after a successful inaugural 2021 Championship. The previously postponed Canada Summer Games are confirmed for 2022 in Ontario’s Niagara Region and will highlight Canada’s top developing talent in the mountain bike discipline on the week of August 8th, directly followed by road cycling in the final week of the Games.

Elite road racing will be back on June 2nd with the UCI women’s Chrono Féminin de la Gatineau, followed by the Tour de Gatineau on June 3rd. Up next will be the Elite men’s events at the Tour de Beauce on June 15-19 before the domestic road calendar heads West. The national road calendar’s first western stop will be in Edmonton, AB, for what promises to be an exciting edition of the Canadian Elite/Junior/Para Road Championships on June 21-26, followed by BC Superweek looking to make its return in July. The UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifying event, Classique des Appalaches, held in conjunction with the Canadian Masters Road Championships in Victoriaville, QC, will be held June 30-July 2 after an outstanding debut on the national calendar in 2021. Another exciting staple marking its return for the 2022 season is the Tour de l’Abitibi on July 12-17. The road season will then cap off with the highest level of racing with UCI WorldTour stops in Quebec City and Montreal on September 9 and 11 for the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal.

The BMX Canada Cup series will welcome a few exciting new stops in 2022, starting with Vaudreuil-Solanges, QC on July 9-10, followed by Drummondville, QC, on July 16-17. On August 6-7, the series will stop in Saskatchewan for the first time at the Diamond BMX track in Warman, before heading to Okotoks, AB on August 20-21. The BMX season concludes with the Canadian BMX Championships & Canada Cup finale at Calgary BMX on August 27-28.

The para-cycling calendar will once again kick off in Montreal, QC on April 30 to May 1 for the Challenge Gary Longhi as part of the Défi Sportif AlterGo Paralympic Festival. The road season will continue with the Canadian Championships in Edmonton, AB on June 21-26 before some thrilling international racing on Canadian soil. The 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships will take place on August 10-14 in Baie-Comeau, QC after successfully delivering World Cups in both 2018 and 2019. The para-cycling national calendar will conclude with the Canadian Track Championships at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, ON, joining the Elite and Masters athletes on September 1-3.

Noticeably vacant from the current calendar are the remaining events in the cyclo-cross and track disciplines. Cycling Canada is currently working with organizers in both disciplines towards an event application deadline of October 1st. Following review of all relevant applications, Cycling Canada will publish a release with complete event details in late 2021. The 2022 Canadian Championships for Mountain Bike Marathon, Enduro, and BMX Freestyle disciplines currently remain open for bid. For details on bidding process and competition requirements, contact Jolène Dupuis. The full events calendar will be available on the Cycling Canada website in November.

“We would like to take this opportunity to extend a very special thank you to all of our devoted organizers and host communities across the country who endlessly support the sport of cycling,” said Dupuis. “The return of events this year has shown how resilient and passionate our nation is, and we look forward to great racing and development through our domestic racing calendar in 2022.”

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NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR CYCLING CANADA BOARD POSITIONS

OTTAWA, ON (August 13, 2021) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the opening of the annual nomination process for positions on its Board of Directors.

The Cycling Canada Board of Directors is elected by Cycling Canada’s members (Provincial & Territorial Cycling Associations) and is comprised of 7 Director-at-Large positions, a National Team Athlete representative plus one optional Director appointed at the discretion of the Board.

The role of Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors is to provide overall strategic direction, leadership and stability for the organization. The Board establishes the overall mission and purpose for the organization and is responsible for a number of key governance-related activities including approving the appointment of (and providing direction to) the CEO and senior management team, the development and adoption of organizational policies, financial oversight and approval of the annual budget.

Board members meet by teleconference once per month, meet in-person twice per year and are also expected to participate on Board committees on a regular basis. Cycling Canada is looking to build upon the expertise within its existing Board and is seeking to include a range of diverse voices and skills that will enable the growth and development of our organization and our sport in Canada.

For the upcoming September 2021 elections, the Nominations Committee is seeking nominees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives who bring the following skill sets, competencies and considerations, as established as priorities for the organization:

· Financial Acumen / Accounting Expertise
· Business Development / Commercial Expertise
· Governance / Policy Expertise

Ideally, candidates will also have corporate or non-profit board experience.

In 2021 there are four (4) Director-at-Large positions open for nomination, each for two-year terms. Board elections will occur at the Cycling Canada Annual Meeting to be held by conference call on September 28, 2021. Nominations for these Board positions will close August 27th, 2021, one calendar month prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.

For additional details please refer to the Nomination Form available for download here and the Cycling Canada by-laws and governance policies, available here.

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