News – Page 15 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA LAUNCHES NEW BRAND AND WEBSITE

Ottawa, ON (June 19, 2019) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the launch of its new brand and website, the end result of a process which was initiated in 2018 through funding support from the Canadian Olympic Committee’s National Sport Federation Enhancement Initiative.

The development of a new brand and digital home for Canada’s national cycling federation marks another important milestone for an organization striving to modernize as it leads and develops a growing array of cycling disciplines and communities from coast-to-coast.

“While the sport of cycling is complex and continues to evolve, we are an organization whose mission and purpose remain rather simple – to inspire Canadians through cycling,” said Cycling Canada Executive Director Matthew Jeffries. “Our sport is unique in its ability to enrich lives and build a happier and healthier nation. Cycling is a journey that unites us all. It is our shared passion and we want our brand to reflect this passion as well as our dedication towards developing the sport holistically and collaboratively across the country.”

Originally founded in 1882 as the Canadian Wheelmen’s Association, Cycling Canada is among Canada’s oldest National Sport Organizations. “While a key objective with this project was to develop something modern and contemporary, we are proud of our rich history and we wanted to ensure that was reflected and acknowledged in the new brand,” noted Head of Performance Strategy Kevin Field.

The development of the new Cycling Canada brand and website was achieved in collaboration with Toronto-based consulting and advertising agency theturnlab, who are known for their work with the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Adidas, Cannondale, as well as and many other high-profile sport and lifestyle brands. The website and logo were designed by Montreal-based Leonardo Studio, Cycling Canada’s agency of record for graphic design, while La Cursive assisted with the content creation in both official languages.

“Over the last few years, our marketing strategies have evolved to become more inclusive of all cycling disciplines and all levels of the sport,” said Cycling Canada Marketing & Communications Manager Karine Bedard. “With increasing focus on the development of consistent and quality content that reaches a broader audience, this new brand and website come at the right time.”

“I want to extend our most sincere thanks and gratitude to all the partners who contributed towards this project, and particularly the Canadian Olympic Committee for the resources and funding support to make it all happen,” added Jeffries.

While the new website is live as of today, the new brand will come to life gradually over the coming months across Cycling Canada event properties, programs, digital platforms and apparel.

June 18, 2019/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA TO PARTNER WITH GERMAIN HOTELS

Ottawa, ON (May 29, 2019) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that Germain Hotels has joined its family of partners with a commitment to provide support for the organization through its network of Le Germain Hotels and Alt Hotels properties across the country.

The partnership will provide Cycling Canada with access to complimentary hotel and conference facilities as well as discounts at select hotels across Canada. Germain Hotels owns properties in most major markets in Canada under several banners, including Le Germain Hotels, Alt Hotels and Alt+ Hotel.

Cycling Canada and Germain Hotels first partnered in the fall of 2018 to host Cycling Canada’s Annual Congress at the Alt Hotel in Ottawa. More recently, Alt Hotels in Calgary and Ottawa have played host to Officials Committee and Board meetings for Cycling Canada. In early June Cycling Canada and Lexus will partner with Germain Hotels to host a luxury cycling retreat at Le Germain in Charlevoix for winners of a 2018 year-long contest run by Lexus online and at cycling events across the country.

“We are thrilled to be working with Germain Hotels,” said Matthew Jeffries, Executive Director at Cycling Canada. “As a national organization with programs and events all across the country our athletes and staff spend a significant amount of time on the road. To have a partner like Germain Hotels who share our passion for cycling and put such an emphasis on quality and hospitality is invaluable — we couldn’t be happier to call their hotels our home away from home.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with Cycling Canada,” said Hugo Germain, Director of development at Germain Hotels and avid cyclist. “As a Canada-wide organization they do an exceptional job at promoting cycling and Canadian talent across the globe. Our presence in the main Canadian markets allows us to help them reach their objectives whilst strengthening our commitment to promote healthy lifestyles throughout the country.”

May 29, 2019/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA PARTNERS WITH TODAY’S PLAN

Ottawa, ON (May 22, 2019) – Cycling Canada has chosen Today’s Plan to be the national track team’s performance, training and analytics partner in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

This partnership provides Cycling Canada with the most advanced cloud based training ecosystem supported by mobile app environments. The platform allows coaches to apply advanced training prescription and use extensive data analytics tools to analyze and track their riders’ performances. Athletes use Today’s Plan as a daily touchpoint for recording ride data and can also log non-cycling activities into the platform.

In addition to the benefits for Cycling Canada’s national team, Cycling Canada members will be entitled to a 20% discount on any Today’s Plan subscription. A special discount code will be sent to any members signing up for the 7-day trial period.

“We are delighted to partner with Cycling Canada to help their coaches and athletes deliver the best performances possible over the next year in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic Games,” said Ben Bowley, CEO of Today’s Plan. “We’re also excited that Cycling Canada members will have the opportunity to use the same training tools as their national team.”

“Today’s Plan lets our coaches analyze and interpret data using their own coaching methods, rather than have that prescribed to them by their technology platform,” said High Performance Director Kris Westwood. “Many of the metrics and tools that we’re using in Today’s Plan simply cannot be found in other cloud-based training platforms.”

May 22, 2019/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Ottawa, Ontario (March 19, 2019) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors following a Cycling Canada Board meeting held on Tuesday, March 12^th.

The three appointments include Annie Foreman-Mackey, who was recommended by the Athlete Council as the National Team Athlete Representative and two Director positions which will be filled by Curt Harnett (Toronto, ON) and Shauna Finlay (Edmonton, AB.).

Annie Foreman-Mackey, who serves as a Road and Track representative on the Athlete Council, is a current member of Canada’s National track cycling team. She is a world championship and world cup medalist on the track and was the Canadian road champion in 2016.

No stranger to the Canadian cycling community, Curt Harnett is a three-time Olympian and one of Canada’s most decorated cyclists of all time. After retiring from cycling in 1996, Harnett was involved in sports marketing and business development, leading up to his current role as Senior Advisor at Deloitte Canada. Harnett is still heavily involved in the sport community, having served as Canada’s Chef de Mission at the 2016 Olympic Games as well as the 2015 PanAm Games. He is a member of the Toronto 2015 Legacy Fund Allocation Committee and currently sits on the board of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario.

Shauna Finlay has been practicing law for almost 20 years and is currently a Partner at the RMRF LLP law firm based in Edmonton. Throughout the years, she has developed an expertise in municipal, environmental and regulatory law and has provided independent counsel for different governing bodies.

“We are thrilled to welcome Annie, Shauna and Curt to our Board of Directors,” said Cycling Canada President Pierre Laflamme. “They will each bring unique skills and expertise to the table and I have no doubt they will be valuable contributors in moving our organization and our sport forward. I want to thank all the phenomenal candidates who put their names forward for these positions – it is a healthy sign to see so many new and qualified individuals interested in contributing.”

Current Board Members
Pierre Laflamme – President
Greg Cote – Director-at-Large
Paul DeVries – Director-at-Large
Shauna Finley – Director-at-Large
Curt Harnett – Director
Scott Kelly – Director-at-Large
Bill Kinash – Director-at-Large
Robin Porter – Director-at-Large
Annie Foreman-Mackey – National Team Athlete Representative

March 19, 2019/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT

Ottawa, ON (December 12, 2018) – Cycling Canada is pleased to welcome Pierre Laflamme as its new President following an election held at a Special Meeting today by the organization’s member Provinces and Territories.

Laflamme, a Quebec City-based investment advisor and accountant by trade, has a long history in cycling and has been a member of Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors since September 2017. A former racer on both the road and mountain bike, he has been the President of Club Élicycle in Quebec for three years. Laflamme is a CPA and CA and has worked with Desjardins Wealth Management in Quebec for the past 8 years.

“It’s exciting to come full circle, going from a passionate cyclist and club administrator to a Cycling Canada Board member and now President,” Laflamme said. “It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to give something back to the sport that I love. We’ve had great leaders in Canadian cycling and I’m looking forward to following in their footsteps. I want to thank our Provincial and Territorial partners for their confidence and I look forward to working with our Board, staff and all of our stakeholders to continue to build and grow the sport in an integrated way across the country.”

“I want to pass along my sincerest congratulations to Pierre as the newly elected President of Cycling Canada,” said Tolkamp. “Pierre has shown in his tenure as a Board member that he has a strong business sense as well as passion and knowledge of the sport. I am confident he will provide strong leadership going forward. My appreciation as well goes to Robin and Stefano for the interest and commitment to cycling they showed in putting their names forward.”

Cycling Canada announced on November 11^th that its former President John Tolkamp would officially step down from his position in December after ten years at the helm of the organization’s Board of Directors. A total of three nominations were submitted for the election, including current Board member Robin Porter (Toronto, ON), as well as Stefano Rover (Montreal, QC) who previously served on Cycling Canada’s Board between 2009 and 2012.

“We want to thank John for his dedication and hard work as President over the last ten years,” said Matthew Jeffries, Executive Director of Cycling Canada. “He has been a tremendous ambassador and champion for our organization and our athletes. We’re looking forward to working with Pierre in his new capacity and we’re confident that he will bring the same level of passion and leadership to the position as John.”

Cycling Canada’s Inter-Provincial Council conducted candidate interviews during the week of December 3^rd in advance of the Special Meeting. The newly-elected President will serve for the balance of the current 4-year term, which will conclude in October of 2021.

December 12, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA PRESIDENT NOMINATIONS NOW CLOSED

Ottawa, ON (November 29, 2018) – After announcing earlier this month that Cycling Canada’s current President John Tolkamp will officially step down from his position this December after 10 years at the helm of the organization’s Board of Directors, the nominations for this position have officially closed. A special meeting will be held December 12^th where the new President will be elected by Cycling Canada’s Provincial and Territorial organizations.

A total of three nominations were submitted, including current Board members Pierre Laflamme (Quebec, QC) and Robin Porter (Toronto, ON), as well as Stefano Rover (Montreal, QC) who previously served on Cycling Canada’s Board between 2009 and 2012.

Cycling Canada’s Inter-Provincial Council will conduct candidate interviews during the week of December 3^rd in advance of the special election meeting. The newly-elected President will serve for the balance of the current 4-year term, which will conclude in October of 2021.

More information about Cycling Canada’s Policy on Organization Structure and the three nominees can be found at https://cyclingcanada.ca/governance/.

November 29, 2018/by Communications

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.

November 20, 2018/by Communications

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 18^th.

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 1^st, 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.

November 14, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA PRESIDENT JOHN TOLKAMP TO OFFICIALLY STEP DOWN IN DECEMBER

Ottawa, ON (November 9, 2018) – Cycling Canada announced today that its President John Tolkamp will officially step down from his position this December after 10 years at the helm of the organization’s Board of Directors. A special meeting has been called for December 12^th where a new President will be elected by the organization’s Provincial and Territorial members.

Tolkamp served as a director-at-large for 6 years on Cycling Canada’s Board before moving into the position of President in October of 2008. The organization has seen a period of tremendous growth over this period, with total revenues nearly tripling from $3.1 million to over $9.0 million, driven primarily through increases in enhanced excellence funding to support the organization’s high performance programs. Tolkamp was instrumental in Cycling Canada adopting a stronger stance in the fight against doping and during his tenure the Mattamy National Cycling Center in Milton, Ontario, was constructed, which helped increase the number of international cycling events hosted in the country.

“This was certainly a difficult decision, and one made after serious thought and consideration which included input from stakeholders, senior staff and the Board,” said Tolkamp. “With the recent changes in our senior management team it is also time for fresh leadership at the Board level to ensure the staff and entire organization is best positioned for success going forward.”

“I want to thank the entire Canadian cycling community for their support and collaboration over my term as President. It has been an absolute privilege to serve in this role and these 10 years have been immensely fulfilling, rewarding and one of the highlights of my life. We have accomplished much to improve and grow our sport in Canada and I have full confidence that my successor will continue this great momentum. While I am stepping down as President, my passion for the sport of cycling remains and I look forward to exploring other ways to grow the sport and continuing to support our athletes and the long term goals and objectives of Cycling Canada.”

The nomination process for Cycling Canada’s new President will officially open on November 12^th with all nominations due by close of business (5:00 p.m. ET) on November 28^th, 10 working days prior to the special election meeting. The newly-elected President will serve for the balance of the current 4-year term, which will conclude in October of 2021.

For additional details please refer to the Nomination Form and the Cycling Canada Policy on Organization Structure.

November 9, 2018/by Communications

CANNABIS WILL REMAIN BANNED IN SPORT

Ottawa, ON (October 31, 2018) – Cycling Canada would like to remind all national and provincial athletes, clubs, and the public, that cannabis remains prohibited in sport.

As of October 17^th, 2018, the Canadian government legalized the use of marijuana for those aged 19 and over. With this legalization, the rules that are applied by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and found within the Prohibited List, and which are governed by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), are still enforced. The THC drug is what is prohibited, but CBD oil is to be used at the athletes own risk.

There will be a continued threshold that will be tested for, as they have tested for previously. It continues to be the responsibility of the athlete, to be aware and understand what they are consuming and/or putting in to their body. Athletes who have a prescription for medical marijuana should consider submission of a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), as it has been so in the past.

Additional information can be found on the CCES website, or by clicking on the links provided. ENG/FR. For any questions or inquiries, please contact Andy Wilson at Cycling Canada.

October 31, 2018/by Communications