Mountain Bike – Page 5 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

THE RACE FOR THE MAPLE LEAF SLEEVE WRAPS IN BC AT THE CANADIAN DH CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 26, 2021) – The wait was finally over for Canadian downhill mountain bike athletes, after over eighteen months of waiting to race again on home soil. Athletes from across the country tackled a fast and technical course at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, British Columbia, competing for the coveted maple leaf sleeve, last awarded in 2019.

“It has been an amazing week here in B.C. with the return of the Canada Cup Downhill Series, followed by our first Canadian Championship event since 2019,” said Josh Peacock, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at Cycling Canada. “All three events broke recent participation records, with the bulk of new registrations in amateur categories – an exciting indication of where our sport is headed. The addition of adaptive racing to the event program was welcomed with overwhelming enthusiasm by the downhill community and is something we will look to develop further in coming years.”

The Championship weekend featured over 300 riders across all categories, including the adaptive riders as the newest category with Cole Bernier from Kelowna, B.C .taking the win.

Riders included familiar names such as Finn Iles, former overall World Cup Champion and Junior World Champion, who was the top seed after racing Saturday. Looking to defend his 2019 national Elite title, Iles was able to cross with the fastest time of 3:48.52 to earn Elite the national title over Mark Wallace, who is coming off the Downhill World Cup in Les Gets, France where he came in fifth.

On the women’s side, Casey Brown edged out former World Champion, Miranda Miller, by just over a second to take the Women’s Elite Canadian Champion title.

Jackson Goldstone won the Men’s Junior Expert category. Goldstone is coming off a successful World Cup tour, winning both gold and silver in Europe in the men’s junior category, before taking to the top of the podium in Canada. On the Women’s Junior side, Emmy Lan took the win by over 30 seconds to Lily Boucher.

Full results from the weekend can be found on Cycling Canada’s event page.

CANADIAN DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS MARKS RETURN OF THE MAPLE LEAF JERSEY

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 21, 2021) – Following a 2020 season-hiatus of events on home soil, the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships will mark the return of the maple leaf jersey on July 24-25 in Golden, British Columbia.

While taking all of the necessary health precautions from local organizing committees, resorts, provincial rules and regulations and following all necessary COVID-19 protocols, we are very excited to see athletes compete for the first time since 2019 at a championship level.

Having started the Downhill season on a high note with Canada Cup events in both Fernie and Panorama, riders will head to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC to compete for the most prestigious title on Canadian soil. The event will be a part of the longstanding Dunbar Summer Series, concluding a week of UCI downhill racing in BC’s interior. In addition to those athletes competing for the coveted maple leaf sleeve, the event will also welcome challenge-class racers in the Adaptive Mountain Bike (aMTB) category, a first in national calendar history.

“We are thrilled to return to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for the first Canadian Championships in nearly two years,” said Jolène Dupuis, Events & Officials Manager at Cycling Canada. “Heading into this event, we have already seen record-breaking pre-registration numbers, and expect world-class racing across all categories.”

The event will take place over two days on July 24th and July 25th with seeding runs to take place on Saturday, and race day on Sunday. Details and results can be found on the Cycling Canada event page.

GOLDSTONE & WALLACE PODIUM AT THE DH WORLD CUP IN FRANCE

Les Gets, France (July 3, 2021) — Two Canadians finished among the top-5 at the third round of the Downhill World Cup on Saturday in Les Gets, France. After placing second at his first-ever DH World Cup in Leogang, Austria, 17-year-old Jackson Goldstone (Miranda Factory Team) stood at the top of the podium this time, taking gold in the Junior men’s downhill final.

Goldstone, who initially qualified second, shaved 14 seconds off his qualifying time to finish with a time of 3:26.950, almost two seconds ahead of silver medalist Jordan Williams of Great Britain. “I had the run of my life today,” said Goldstone. “[It] was an amazing week all around, and I’m stoked that the rain held off and we had a dry track.”

On the Elite side, veteran Mark Wallace (Canyon Collective Factory Team), finished 5th in the Elite men’s downhill final. Wallace has earned several podium finishes throughout his career, including a 4th place at the DH World Championships in 2020.

World Cup racing continues on Sunday for cross-country athletes of all categories. Live races will be available on RedBull TV.

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR CANADIAN PARA AND MOUNTAIN BIKE ATHLETES ON THE WORLD STAGE

Cascais, Portugal (June 12, 2021) — Canada is on a winning streak at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, with Marie-Claude Molnar securing her second world title of the week in the women’s C4 road race.

“Today’s road race was awesome, even though it was probably one of the most difficult races I’ve ever done,” said Molnar. “I’m proud of the fact that I was able to stick with the C5s for pretty much the entire race. I started racing in 2009, and I’ve been dreaming about being World Champion since I started. Now, the dream has become a reality and I’m super proud of my performance.”

In Leogang, Austria, first-year Junior Jackson Goldstone won silver in the Junior men’s Downhill event at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup after also qualifying second on Friday. This was the Squamish native’s world cup debut.

Mountain bike cross-country races for U23 and Elite athletes take place tomorrow, with results and livestream available here. The Para Road World Championships will conclude tomorrow with road races for T and H categories. Full results can be found here.

BACK-TO-BACK WORLD CUP WINS FOR CARTER WOODS

Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic (May 15, 2021) – After a gold medal finish last weekend at the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Norco Factory Team’s Carter Woods once again proved to be the strongest rider in the men’s U23 field, winning another gold in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic.

“Last weekend, I played a pretty conservative game because I didn’t really know any of the other riders,” said Woods. “I just wanted to gauge where everyone was at. But coming into this race, the goal was to go on the second or third lap. The course was super muddy, which played to my advantage, too.”

Taking the lead after the first lap of the wet and technical course, he was able to hold off American rider Riley Amos to clinch the win for a second straight weekend, crossing the finish line with a two-minute lead over his closest opponent.

Racing continues tomorrow for the Elite men and women’s fields. Click here to watch the races live and here for full results.

CARTER WOODS WINS U23 XCO MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP IN GERMANY

Altstadt, Germany (May 8, 2021) – It was a huge win for Norco Factory Team’s youngest rider, Carter Woods, at the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on Saturday in Altstadt.

Woods, who is part of Cycling Canada’s NextGen program, left it all on the course, propelling himself from fourth to cross the finish first in the U23 men’s category.

“It’s pretty special for sure,” said the BC athlete. “Last time in Altstadt, I had a rough one, so it felt good to get a clean race. It all unfolded on the second half of the last lap. It was myself and two others, and I laid everything down on the last climb and they weren’t able to stay with me. I just took it smooth down the descent and rolled into the finish. My goal going into the race was to take the win. I had it visualized, and I was prepared. But it still hasn’t really sunk in yet!”

His race tactics paid off as he stood top of the podium — the first Canadian to do so since 2013, when Norco Factory teammate Peter Disera won the 2013 World Cup in Mont-Ste-Anne in the Junior category.

Click here to watch the races live and here for full results.

CYCLING CANADA SENDS NATIONAL SQUAD TO XCO WORLD CUPS 1 & 2

Ottawa, ON (April 29, 2021) – A large Canadian contingent has made its way to Europe for the opening rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike XCO World Cup, set to take place in Albstadt, Germany, on May 8-9 and Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic, on May 15-16.

While six Elite and U23 athletes will be competing under Team Canada colors, other Canadian professional athletes will be competing with their respective teams, including Olympic hopefuls Haley Smith (Norco Factory Team), Emily Batty (Canyon MTB Racing), Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team), Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team) and Léandre Bouchard (Team Pivot Cycles – OTE).

“I’m really excited to get back to world cup racing,” said 2016 Olympic medallist Catharine Pendrel, who gave birth earlier this year. “My progress postpartum has been great with lots of room also to keep improving. I know some of that improvement can only come through racing, so I’m looking forward to getting to work and seeing what we can make happen!”

The two world cups will count as the final qualifying events prior to the Olympic Games, where Canada is expected to secure a quota of two women and one man. For the development squad, these events will be an opportunity to gain valuable experience while competing against some of the top names in the sport.

“We have a solid team of development riders that have been selected to represent Canada at these world cups,” said Dan Proulx, Head Mountain Bike Coach at Cycling Canada. “We have a lot of strong riders in our system. This is a new beginning of sorts – a chance to help our athletes learn what it takes to be successful on the world stage. We’re very excited to be back in Europe and racing on the world cup circuit again!”

Team Canada

Quinton Disera – Barrie, ON [Elite Men]

Jenn Jackson – Barrie, ON [Elite Women]

Mackenzie Myatt – Musquodoboit Harbour, NS [Under-23 Women]

Tyler Orschel – Uxbridge, ON [Elite Men]

Julianne Sarrazin – Prévost, QC [Under-23 Women]

Roxane Vermette – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC [Under-23 Women]

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2021 NEXTGEN ATHLETES

Ottawa, ON (November 18, 2020) Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 47 athletes who were selected to join the BMX, Mountain Bike, Para-cycling and Track NextGen programs for the 2021 season. Selected athletes will be working with Cycling Canada’s NextGen coaches, as well as coaches from across the country including former Olympians Tory Nyhaug, Joe Veloce and Tanya Dubnicoff.

“I am excited by the depth of talent we have across all cycling disciplines looking to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond,” said Jenny Trew, Cycling Canada’s NextGen Lead Coach. “As we start this quad with enhanced NextGen programs, we are already setting considerable goals with the aim of achieving medal success in Paris. Our athletes, coaches and staff are excited and motivated for the opportunities that lie ahead.”

In addition to its NextGen programs, Cycling Canada will be launching a new coaching program for road athletes, providing them with the opportunity to be trained by National Team coaches. Four athletes will be entering the pilot version of the program, with the goal of expanding the program in the coming years.

BMX

James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Milton BMX]
Curtis Krey – Etobicoke, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Milton BMX]
Carson Kowaski – Red Deer, AB [Coach – Tory Nyhaug, Team – Red Deer BMX]
Riley Lavorato – Lethbridge, AB [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Lethbridge BMX]
Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC [Coach – Arielle Martin, Team – Squamish BMX]
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB [Coach – Adam Muys, Team – Red Deer BMX]
Ryan Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC [Coach – Adam Muys, Team – Ridge Meadows BMX]

Mountain Bike

Raphaël Auclair – Lac-Beauport, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Pivot Cycles – OTE]
Quinton Disera – Barrie, ON [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Norco Factory Team]
Emilly Johnston – Comox, BC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Pendrel Racing]
Dylan Kerr – Barrie, ON [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Angry Johnny’s]
Jérémie La Grenade – Gatineau, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Ride with Rendall]
Juliette Tétreault – Val-des-Monts, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Ride with Rendall]
Roxane Vermette – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Vélo Club MSA]
Carter Woods – Cumberland, BC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Norco Factory Team]

Para-cycling

Louis-Albert Corriveau-Jolin – Quebec City, QC [Coach – Eric Van Den Eynde]
Joey Desjardins – Hawkesbury, ON [Coach – Sébastien Travers]
Kara Douville – Calgary, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]
Matthew Kinnie – Moncton, NB [Coach – Guillaume Plourde]
Michael Shetler – Kirkland, QC [Coach – James Jacek-Côté]
Carla Shibley & Meghan Brown (pilot) – Calgary, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]
Lowell Taylor & Ed Veal (pilot) – Lethbridge, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]

Track – Sprint

Jackie Boyle – Toronto, ON [Coach – Dave Jack]
Madison Dempster – Milton, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Midweek Cycling]
Ryan Dodyk – Edmonton, ON [Coach – Alex Ongaro, Team – Juventus Cycling Club]
James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Madonna Wheelers Cycling Club]
Andrew Scott – Oakville, ON [Coach – Joe Veloce]
Gavin Thomas – Calgary, AB [Coach – Tanya Dubnicoff, Team – Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle]

Men’s Track Endurance

Evan Burtnik – Edmonton, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – XSpeed United]
Chris Ernst – Kitchener, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – XSpeed United]
Amiel Flett-Brown – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Houshang Amiri, Team – Red Truck Racing]
Mathias Guillemette – Trois-Rivières, QC [Coach – Pascal Morin, Team – XSpeed United]
Jackson Kinniburgh – Calgary, ON [Coach – Tanya Dubnicoff, Team – Digital Commerce Bank]
Ethan Ogrodniczuk – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Glotman Simpson]
Sean Richardson – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Tim Sherstobitoff, Team – TAG Cycling]

Women’s Track Endurance

Erin Attwell – Victoria, BC [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Ngaire Barraclough – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Alex Ongaro, Team – InstaFund La Prima]
Hayley Basterash – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Kevin Clark]
Miriam Brouwer – Cambridge, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Devaney Collier – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Adèle Desgagnés – Montreal, QC [Coach – Yannick Bédard, Team – Équipe Cycliste Québecor Stingray]
Lily Plante – Sutton, QC [Coach – Yannick Bédard, Team – Équipe Cycliste Desjardins-Ford]
Kaitlyn Rauwerda – Hamilton, ON [Coach – Chris Rozdilsky, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Callie Swan – Prince George, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Macogep-Tornatech-Girondins de Bordeaux]
Sarah Van Dam – Victoria, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Red Truck Racing]
Ruby West – Dundas, ON [Coach – Jeremy Powers, Team – Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolticini CT]

MARK WALLACE FINISHES JUST OFF THE PODIUM AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS

Leogang, Austria (October 12, 2020) – The 2020 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships concluded in Leogang, Austria, on Sunday with world cup medalist Mark Wallace placing fourth in the Elite men’s downhill final, only 0.712 seconds short of the podium.

Wallace, who qualified 22nd on Friday, did not let the slippery conditions slow him down, setting the third fastest time in his final run before being dislodged by Austrian David Trummer. Finn Iles, who had initially set the third fastest qualifying time, slid out and finished 34th.

Overall, Canada had solid showings in E-MTB, XCO and DH over the five days of competition, with three riders finishing in the top-5. Maghalie Rochette, who was the first Canadian to compete, took fifth in the women’s E-MTB competition on Wednesday, followed by Sean Fincham on Friday who also placed fifth in the men’s U23 XCO competition. Wallace tops off the championships with the best Canadian result of the week.

While this marks the end of the cross-country season, the downhill season is just getting started with upcoming world cups scheduled to take place in Slovenia and Portugal.

For full results, click here.

SEAN FINCHAM FINISHES TOP-5 AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS

Leogang, Austria (October 10, 2020) – After finishing 11th at last year’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Sean Fincham came closer to the podium on Friday in Leogang, Austria, where he placed fifth in the U23 XCO category. The 22-year-old from Squamish, BC, had posted two top-10 placings in Round 1 and Round 2 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Nove Mesto Na Morave.

“It was a hectic day out there for my last U23 Worlds,” said Fincham. “I am stoked to finish with my best ever Worlds result. It was exciting fighting for third place for most of the race. The conditions were super sloppy, there was nowhere to hide and it was always full-on.”

With a field of over 70 riders, all five Canadian riders managed to finish in the top-25, with Carter Woods finishing 15th, Gunnar Holmgren 20th, Quinton Disera 22nd and Tyler Orschel 23rd.

On Saturday, Canadian riders tackled the U23 women’s and Elite men’s and women’s cross-country races, finishing just outside of the top-25. Léandre Bouchard and Marianne Théberge finished 26th in the Elite men’s and U23 women’s race respectively. In the Elite women’s field, Emily Batty finished 27th, Jenn Jackson 28th and Haley Smith 29th.

“It was pretty neat to finish the world championships with my best result of the year,” said Bouchard. “The conditions were super rough and muddy, but I was feeling great on the course. I rode pretty consistently and gained a few positions every lap. I knew by the last lap I was below 30th and I was able to see the top-25 group in front of me. I’m very grateful to have a racing season this year; it could have been nothing, but we had five races in two weeks.”

Tomorrow, Canadians will be in action in the Downhill finals, where Finn Iles is expected to be a top contender after qualifying third in the Elite field, only just 4.783 off the leader.