Mountain Bike – Page 8 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme
17/05/2019

SMITH & DISERA TAKE OPENING CANADA CUP WINS

Victoria, BC (March 31, 2019) – The Canadian mountain bike season opened on Saturday at the Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, BC, with the now traditional first round of the Canada Cup XCO series at the Bear Mountain Bike Festival. The Canada Cup has been the career starting point for many of Canada’s top professional and Olympic riders, and attracted most of Canada’s top pros for this edition.

Weather conditions were almost perfect, and a record number of entrants took part in both the UCI C1 sanctioned Canada Cup categories and in age group categories ranging from Under-13 to 50-plus.

The powerful Norco Factory Team took both the Elite titles, with Haley Smith winning the women’s race and Peter Disera the men’s. Both riders rode at the front of the race from the first lap, steadily opening a gap on the rest of the field to solo in to victory, with Smith beating three-time defending champion Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team), with Laurie Arseneault (ACQ) taking third.

“It has been a strong start to my season,” said Smith. “I didn’t really expect to go this well, but I’m racing as hard as I can and having fun. It’s a well-known rule that the first 20 minutes are the hardest, so if I could just stay away for the first couple of laps, hopefully the gap could grow, and that’s what happened.”

In the men’s race, Disera, the defending champion, quickly opened a gap on a chase group consisting of Raphael Gagne (Equipe du Quebec), Gunnar Holmgren (Hardwood Nextwave) and Leandre Bouchard (Pivot-OTE). Disera rode alone through the race to take the win, with Holmgren and Gagne chasing together until the final lap, when Gagne dropped his rival to take second. Holmgren faded in the last half lap and was overtaken by Bouchard for third.

In the Junior categories, Emilly Johnston (Pendrel Racing) and Carter Woods (Rocky Mountain Factory) completely dominated their races to win. The Under-17 event saw Nicole Bradbury (NCCH p/b MGCC) win the women’s title and Erik Ashton (Trail Bicycles) take the men’s.

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Staff

Staff

We work as a team

At Cycling Canada, we’re all passionate people who work collectively to make our organization an indispensable resource for all Canadians directly or indirectly involved with cycling.

senior leadership

Matthew Jeffries
Chief Executive Officer (On Parental Leave)
Matt_Jeffries
Mathieu Boucher
Chief Development Officer (Acting Chief Executive Officer)
Vanessa Desjardins
Director of Operations and Inclusion (Acting Chief Operations Officer)
Scott Kelly
Chief Sport Officer

coaching

Phil Abbott
National Team Coach
Laura Brown
National Team Coach
Franck Durivaux
National Team Coach
(Track Sprint Lead)
Nigel Ellsay
National Team Coach
(Road Lead)
Chad Hendren
National Team Coach
(Gravity Lead)
Adam Muys
National Team Coach
(BMX Race Lead)
Catharine Pendrel
National Team Coach
Sebastien Travers
National Team Coach
(Para-cycling Lead)
Dave Thomas
National Team Coach
(BMX Freestyle Lead)
Michael van den Ham
National Team Coach
(Cyclo-Cross Lead)

HIGH PERFORMANCE SERVICES

Kris Westwood
Director of High Performance Services
Geoff Brown
Functional Area Lead, Equipment

HIGH PERFORMANCE OPERATIONS

Shelley Milton
Director of High Performance Operations
Jayden Zylstra
Office and High Performance Project Coordinator

MARKETING & EVENTS

Josh Peacock
Director of Marketing & Events
Jen Eaton
Events and Officials Manager
Jacob Graper
Events & Officials Coordinator
Alex Joubert
Events & Officials Coordinator

COMMUNITY & GRASSROOTS

Robyn Skinner
Director of Community Growth and Engagement
Chris Tabri
Community & Grassroots Coordinator
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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.

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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 18th.

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 1st, 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.

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CYCLING CANADA STREAMLINES MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Ottawa, ON (September 18, 2018) – Canada’s national cycling governing body has revamped its organizational structure to better service its athletes and members.

After a thorough review process Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors has approved a streamlining of the organization that will see the roles and responsibilities of the vacant CEO and CTO positions distributed among the existing senior management team, while bringing in a highly respected sport advisor to help set the stage for future success.

“The Board recognized that we have tremendous expertise and leadership capacity within our existing team,” said Cycling Canada President John Tolkamp. “We have great faith in this team to work together to deliver on our collective vision for the sport of cycling in Canada. As an organization we need to be more agile, transparent and responsive to the needs of our members and stakeholders. We believe flattening and re-organizing our leadership structure goes a long way toward achieving that.”

Marketing Director Matthew Jeffries, who was appointed Interim CEO after Pierre Lafontaine’s departure in May, will continue as Executive Director. Jeffries will work closely with the Board of Directors and the other senior executives in leading the organization while continuing to manage and oversee commercial affairs.

As Head of Development & Operations, Mathieu Boucher will remain responsible for events and domestic development programs while taking on additional leadership responsibilities alongside Jeffries related to business operations and stakeholder relations.

Brett Stewart will continue to manage the organization’s finances, human resources and day-to-day operations as Head of Finance and Administration.

After two years leading Cycling Canada’s road programs, Kevin Field moves into a new role as Head of Performance Strategy. Field will be responsible for overall strategic development for the organization, working closely with the management team to harmonize business and sport. Key areas of focus for Field will be sport-system architecture, performance pathways and alignment within Cycling Canada’s high performance programs.

Head of Performance Operations Kris Westwood will continue to manage the delivery of national team programs, including coaches, managers and other high performance staff.

The High Performance department will be strengthened by the addition of a High Performance Advisor in Peter Keen. Well-respected in the cycling world as both former elite performance director at British Cycling and former UK Sport performance director, Keen will provide support on a short-term contract basis, working as a consultant to help guide performance strategy and provide technical expertise. Keen will work closely with Kris Westwood and Kevin Field in conducting a high performance review that will help set Cycling Canada on the path for sustained success in the future.

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2018 EVENT OF THE YEAR FAN VOTING NOW OPEN

Ottawa, ON (September 11, 2018) – After a very successful season of racing across the country, Cycling Canada invites all cycling fans to vote online over the next few weeks to determine the 2018 Cycling Canada Events of the Year. Fan vote will count for 50% of the overall consideration for Road, Track, Mountain Bike, BMX, Para-cycling and Cyclo-cross events of the year.

2018 Event of the Year winners will be determined by an equal proportion of public voting (this survey) and evaluation of the review of the following criteria by relevant staff & committees:

  • Communication with Stakeholders
  • Event Promotion
  • Event Presentation & Execution
  • Organizing & Planning

Cycling Canada would like to thank all the organizers & volunteers who have contributed to the success of these events throughout the season. Great Canadian events contribute to international success and to the growth of the sport in Canada. 

The survey will be live until September 30th at 11:59PM EST. Category winners will be announced at the 2018 Annual Congress, to be hosted in Ottawa from October 12th to 14th. Click here to access the survey.

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JAMIESON WINS DH BRONZE MEDAL FOR CANADA AT WORLDS

Lenzerheide, Switzerland (September 10, 2018) – Canada won its second medal of the 2018 Mountain Bike World Championships on Sunday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, when Elliot Jamieson took the bronze medal in the Junior men’s Downhill. In the Elite events, Finn Iles finished 14th, Mark Wallace 18th and Magnus Manson 19th for the men, while Miranda Miller was 18th in the women.

“I can’t really believe it,” admitted Jamieson. “This is my third Downhill race of the year, so I didn’t have any expectations; I just wanted to have fun and ride well. I was shaking when the top ten were dropping in and I was still on the Hot Seat. I’m so stoked, I can’t believe I am on the podium.”

Over 20,000 fans came out to watch Rachel Atherton of Great Britain win her fifth Elite title and Loic Bruni of France repeat as the Elite men’s champion, for his third title. Total attendance over the five days of the Championships reached 65,000 – a record for Mountain Bike.

Other Canadian results in the Elite men included Henry Fitzgerald in 45th, Forrest Riesco in 49th and Luke Stevens in 70th. In the Junior men’s category, other Canadian results were Lukas Cruz in 14th, Ben Wallace in 15th, Kendall McLean in 24th, Justin Clements in 27th, Ian Milley in 40th and Keegan Fry in 47th.

In the Junior categories, Valentia Holl of Austria completed a perfect season with her win in the women’s race, after winning every World Cup during the season. The men’s title went to Great Britain’s Kade Edwards.

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BATTY WINS BRONZE AT MTB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Lenzerheide, Switzerland (September 9, 2018) – Canada’s Emily Batty won the bronze medal in the Elite women’s cross-country on Saturday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. She was joined in the top ten by Haley Smith in sixth, with Catharine Pendrel finishing 14th after suffering a flat tire while in the top ten. In the Elite men’s competition, Leandre Bouchard was the top Canadian, in 26th place.

The women’s race began with an attack by 2016 world champion Annika Langvad of Denmark, who opened a gap on American Kate Courtney and Batty. However, Courtney dropped Batty on the fourth lap and caught Langvad, pulling away on the final lap to win by 47 seconds. Batty hung on for third behind a fast closing Jolanda Neff of Switzerland.

“I’m so proud,” said Batty. “When I was racing, I knew that there was no way I was going to walk away without a medal. I found my limit; I’ve never gone as hard as today. That was my goal: to turn myself inside out, and leave it all out there. We [Batty and Courtney] did get a good gap from behind early in the race, and I just tried to hold that. I feel like I’m just starting to grow into my potential.”

Smith moved up into 12th by the third lap and was tenth a lap later. By Lap 5 she was into sixth, and on the seventh and final lap moved past Maja Wloszczowska of Poland into fifth, before crashing and losing a spot.

“I don’t really know what to say,” admitted Smith. “This kind of thing doesn’t feel real until it happens. I’m just really excited and grateful for the whole journey this year, and I’m excited to keep working for more. I got a by few people on the first lap, and then I was just picking them off one at a time. I got up to fifth with a good gap, and then I tried to rail a section hard and clipped a stake, and crashed. It’s my own fault from a silly mistake, but I’m still happy with sixth.”

Catharine Pendrel, starting back on the fourth row, had a strong start and was in the top ten by the second lap. She was joined by Smith on Lap 4, who passed her, but Pendrel was still in good shape for a top ten until a lap and a half to go, when she suffered a flat tire. Pendrel is still coming back from a mid-season broken arm.

In other Canadian results, Sandra Walter finished 21st, after riding in the top-20 for most of the race, Cindy Montambault was 31st, Elyse Nieuwold was 38th, and Catherine Fleury was 42nd.

Dan Proulx, National Mountain Bike Coach, said, “I’m very pleased with the Team’s performances this week. Our goal is to create an environment where champions are inevitable and each year we’re moving closer to that. Without a doubt the ride of the week was Emily’s Bronze medal. Her ride capped an amazing season – her best so far. I know she’ll be hungrier than ever to win this one next year.”

“Haley Smith deserves a huge congrats on her sixth place ride. Two years ago, her best finish in Elite was 42nd. She’s come through the ranks quickly and consistently – starting 2018 with a Bronze at Commonwealth Games. Her work ethic and determination are incredible and I’m confident that this is just a stepping stone to future success.”

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SEAN FINCHAM FINISHES 14TH AT MTB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Lenzerheide, Switzerland (September 8, 2018) – Sean Fincham of Squamish, BC, was Canada’s top rider on day 3 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, currently taking place in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Fincham finished 14th in the Under-23 men’s competition. In the Under-23 women’s competition, Emily Unterberger of Revelstoke, BC, finished 20th and Laurie Arseneault of Terrebonne, Quebec, was 21st.

The women’s race was dominated by the Swiss, who finished 1-2. Unterberger moved up steadily through the race, from the mid-30s in the first lap, to the high 20s and then into 20th place with one lap to go. Arseneault, the Canadian national champion, had a stronger start, but faded slightly in the final laps. Other Canadian results include Mackenzie Myatt in 27th and Juliette Tetreault in 42nd.

The men’s race was won by last year’s silver medalist, Alan Hatherly of South Africa. Fincham, the Canadian men’s Under-23 champion, started on the fifth row, but had made his way to the mid-20s by the end of the first lap. His second lap was the fastest of the entire field, moving him into 16th, and a lap later he was up to 11th. However, the effort took a toll, and he faded slightly in the second half of the race.

Fincham, who was a member of the Team Relay squad that finished eight on Wednesday, said “It’s been a pretty awesome Worlds, I’m stoked. The start is always hectic, but I managed to sneak by a few people before the singletrack, and I hit there to move up. I was in there fighting for the top ten, but fell apart a little bit at the end. It’s been an eye-opening year … I know it’s possible now, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

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TOP-10 FOR CANADIAN JUNIORS AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS

Lenzerheide, Switzerland (September 7, 2018) – Canada had top-10 finishes in both the Junior women’s and men’s cross-country races on Thursday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Marianne Theberge took eighth in the Junior women’s race, while Holden Jones was ninth in the men’s. Laura Stigger of Austria repeated as the women’s champion, while Alexandre Balmer brought Switzerland their second gold medal, after the Swiss won the Team Relay on Wednesday with Balmer on that team also.

Theberge moved up on the first lap into the top 12, and then slowly began to reel in other riders. Other Canadian results were Roxane Vermette in 22nd, Mireille Larose Gingras in 28th, and Eva Poidevin in 43rd.

“On the start climb I was in the 20s,” explained Theberge, who is at her first world championships, “and on the descent I was able to catch some girls, and after that it was just full gas all race. For a while I was up to seventh, but then I had problems on the roots, and she [Schneebeli of Switzerland] passed, and I didn’t have time to catch her before the finish. I didn’t know what to expect, so I’m really happy.”

The Junior men began in rain, making the track slick and treacherous, although it gradually dried out in the second half of the six lap race. Jones, who won the bronze medal last year, had a strong start, and was in the top five after the first lap. Mid-race he faded a bit, losing a few spots before the finish. Other Canadian results were Carter Woods in 12th, Charles Antoine St-Onge in 25th, Tyler Clark in 56th, and Colton Woods in 61st.

“I was watching the forecast all week and it showed that it was going to start raining just before our race,” said Jones. “So, I was messing around with tires, and I think I chose the right ones. I ride in the rain quite a bit in Squamish, so I’m pretty used to it. The start was pretty hard, going right uphill on a paved climb and I didn’t want to burn all my matches, so I held back a little bit. I moved up a few spots on the first couple of laps and then I faded a bit, but it was a pretty perfect race.”

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