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CYCLING CANADA NAMES 18 ATHLETES TO THE 2018 GOLD COAST TEAM

Ottawa, ON, January 24, 2018 – Commonwealth Games Canada and Cycling Canada announced today the nine women and nine men who will represent Canada in the cycling events at the XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, on April 5-14, 2018.

Canadian cyclists have a long tradition of medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth Games, including three medals at the Glasgow Games in 2014. At the Gold Coast Games, athletes will compete in Track, Mountain Bike and Road cycling events.

“The Commonwealth Games is a really special event,” said Team Leader for cycling Kris Westwood. “On the one hand it’s a highly competitive event that gives our veteran athletes a shot at career highlight performances; on the other hand it’s an opportunity to give valuable major Games experience to our future Olympians — this will be the first Games experience for nearly half our delegation. In track cycling, with Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand competing, the field will be world-class, so it’s really exciting to return to the Commonwealth Games and see the progress we’ve made since Glasgow in 2014. Four years ago, the men’s Team Pursuit program was just getting off the ground; now, we’re heading to the Games with a seasoned, competitive squad. Meanwhile, the addition of the women’s Team Pursuit to the program gives us an event to shine in, and we can expect strong results in Mountain Bike as well.”

The cycling competitions will begin with the Track events, where a total of 20 gold medals will be awarded. The Team Pursuit and Team Sprint are new additions to the Games program for women and for the first time in Games history there will be the same number of cycling medal events for men as for women. Canada is particularly strong in the women’s Team Pursuit, winning bronze medals at the past two Olympic Games, as well as a gold medal in World Cup competition this season. The team will be anchored by Calgary’s Allison Beveridge, a member of the World Cup winning squad, as well as the reigning national road champion. The men’s program, while much newer, finished second to the world champion New Zealand squad in World Cup competition this season.

“I’m really looking forward to my first Commonwealth Games,” said Beveridge. “The Games are quite close to the world championships, which are always a major goal and will provide some challenges, but preparation for both are coming along well and the team is getting closer on and off the bike. It’s a good mix of events with the Team Pursuit now in the Games for women, so it’ll be a lot of fun to prepare for. Hopefully, the team will also be able to have some individual strengths shine through in the various events.”

“I’m thrilled with our Games team line up,” said Women’s Track Endurance Coach Craig Griffin. “It’s a great balance of youth in Ariane [Bonhomme] and Kinley [Gibson], and experience with Steph [Roorda], Allison [Beveridge] and Annie [Foreman-Mackey]. These Games provide an important opportunity to embrace and experience a major Games environment as we continue to build and strengthen our squad for Tokyo. I’m confident we can deliver medal winning performances on the track and also be in the mix for the road events.”

The Sprint events on the track will see Canada boast two World Cup medalists; Hugo Barrette of Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, and Stefan Ritter of Edmonton.

Canada has been a dominant force in Mountain Biking at the Commonwealth Games since it was introduced at Manchester in 2002; having won every gold medal in the women’s competition and a total of 8 of 18 medals awarded. Three Canadian riders will represent Canada at the Gold Coast, led by Emily Batty of Brooklin, Ontario, the silver medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games champion in 2015 and fourth at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Batty will be joined by rising star Haley Smith of Uxbridge, Ontario, for the women’s race, and Rio Olympian Leandre Bouchard of Alma, Quebec, for the men’s competition.

Emily Batty, currently at a pre-season training camp with the national team, said “With the 2018 race season looming on the horizon, I come into the season with new motivation, and the Commonwealth Games will be a great race to begin with. I’ve made some major changes this year, and it will be interesting to see how some of those changes translate to racing and, in particular, a significant Games event. To represent Canada on the international stage is an absolute honour as always, and one I will never take for granted.”

The Road events will close out the cycling competition, with the track endurance athletes filling the roster for the women’s and men’s road races and time trials.

“Whether it’s on the road, on the velodrome track, or down the mountain, the fast-paced sport of cycling is always captivating,” said Chef de Mission Claire Carver-Dias. “With three medals four years ago, and a returning medalist in Emily Batty on the team, our 18 Canadian athletes are bound to contend for top spots at the Commonwealth Games once again in Gold Coast.”

Women’s Track Endurance & Road
Allison Beveridge – Calgary, Alberta [Team Pursuit, Road Race]
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, Quebec [Team Pursuit, Road Race]
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, Ontario [Team Pursuit, Individual Time Trial, Road Race]
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton, Alberta [Team Pursuit, Road Race]
Stephanie Roorda – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit, Individual Time Trial, Road Race]
Alternate: Devaney Collier – Edmonton, Alberta

Men’s Track Endurance & Road
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit, Road Race]
Michael Foley – Milton, Ontario [Team Pursuit, Road Race]
Derek Gee – Ottawa, Ontario [Team Pursuit, Individual Time Trial, Road Race]
Adam Jamieson – Barrie, Ontario [Team Pursuit, Individual Time Trial, Road Race]
Jay Lamoureux – Victoria, BC [Team Pursuit, Individual Time Trial, Road Race]
Alternate: Bayley Simpson – Lindsay, Ontario

Women’s Sprint
Tegan Cochrane – Kelowna, BC
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, Ontario
Alternate: Lauriane Genest – Levis, Quebec

Men’s Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Stefan Ritter – Edmonton, Alberta
Patrice St-Louis Pivin – Sherbrooke, Quebec
Alternate: Joel Archambault – St-Christine, Quebec

Women’s Mountain Bike
Emily Batty – Brooklin, Ontario
Haley Smith – Uxbridge, Ontario
Alternate: Sandra Walter – Coquitlam, BC

Men’s Mountain Bike
Leandre Bouchard – Alma, Quebec
Alternate: Peter Disera – Horseshoe Valley, Ontario

January 24, 2018/by Communications

3rd ANNUAL BEAR MOUNTAIN BIKE FEST AND FIRST RACE OF THE 2018 CANADA CUP MTB SERIES COMING TO BC

Langford, BC, January 23, 2018 – The Westin Bear Mountain Resort will play host once again to the 3^rd annual Bear Mountain Bike Festival presented by the City of Langford from March 31 – April 1 2018. This year’s festival will expand on the successes of the inaugural event last year bringing world-class mountain bike racing to the Eastern Vancouver Island Region.

In collaboration with Cycling Canada, the City of Langford and Tourism Victoria, the event will showcase long distance and short track cross country racing, challenge events for enthusiasts, dedicated activities for kids and an on-site bike expo showcasing the top mountain bike brands in the industry. New for 2018 is the addition of a food truck concession area where participants and spectators will have an excellent selection of warm food and drinks.

Kicking off the festival will be the UCI Bear Mountain Canada Cup MTB Race powered by Powerade on March 31, featuring three-time world champion and 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist, Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team).

As the defending Bear Mountain Canada Cup event champion, Pendrel is very motivated to start the year on a high note. “I’m really looking forward to the Bear Mountain Canada Cup. I love having such high level racing in BC to start the season and really enjoy the riding and atmosphere at this race”.

Last year’s 2^nd place finisher, Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing), will be looking to make a strong first impression as reigning national champion for the 2018 season, and attempt to take her first Bear Mountain Canada Cup win. Defending Canada Cup champion, Soren Meeuwisse (Trek Canada), who showed consistency year-round during the 2017 season will also be looking to defend her title as well.

In the Elite Men’s race, Raphael Gagné has made it his routine to win the first Canada Cup of the season and is looking to make it three-for-three at Bear Mountain on March 31. Raph will have to compete against a tough men’s field, including 2017 Canada Cup winner Evan Guthrie and national champion, Peter Disera (Norco Factory Racing).

Spectators can expect a strong field of young men and women in the UCI Canada Cup Junior series. The race will be wide open for the Junior Women as last year’s winner, Gwendalyn Gibson from Team USA and 2nd place winner Sidney McGill have moved on to the U23 category. For the first time ever, U17 men and women will be able to participate as an official Canada Cup category, and will be awarded a leader’s jersey as well as an official Canada Cup ranking.

“The Bear Mountain Canada Cup is an amazing event that brings together the local mountain bike community and some of the world’s best riders,” said Dan Proulx, head coach for the Canadian National Team. “It’s a fun atmosphere and a fast and challenging course. For our athletes, it’s a kick off to our North American race campaign and everyone looks forward to this one!”

On Sunday, spectators are invited to come out to watch the Russ Hay’s XC Short Track Race. Each race will be 20 minutes long and will take place on a fast and flowing 1.5 kilometer course. Lap prizes or “primes” will be awarded to heighten the excitement and keep the race pace high. Racing will be available for the following categories: beginner, intermediate, expert, masters, and youth cyclists.

Kid-friendly activities will also be offered on Sunday as part of the Kids Bike Day presented by Oak Bay Bikes Westshore. Families with kids aged between 6 and 10 are invited to take part in some fun skills training with former Canada Cup champion and certified coach Adam Walker from the Cycling Co. Children will learn the basics of mountain bike riding, try their skills on the obstacle course, and enjoy free snacks and prizes as a reward. Entry is free and is capped at 150 participants.

Complimenting the entire race weekend will be food trucks and free coffee/hot drinks courtesy of McDonalds McCafé®. In addition, North America’s top brands will be showcasing the latest and greatest mountain bike models. Demo rides will be available on Sunday, April 1^st.

January 23, 2018/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2018 NATIONAL CALENDAR

Ottawa, November 10, 2017 – Cycling Canada is pleased to release the national and international events competition schedule for 2018. Beginning in March and running through to December, the competitions calendar spans the country, with events ranging from the Atlantic provinces to the Pacific coast.

Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator at Cycling Canada, said, “We are very excited to announce our complete 2018 National and International race calendar. 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. 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 calendar with what is becoming the traditional start to the XCO season at Bear Mountain in Victoria, BC, on March 31st. The Canada Cup Series concludes after six events at a new venue in Kentville, Nova Scotia, on August 5th. Under-17 Men and Women have been added as official Canada Cup Mountain Bike categories on the XCO side. 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. There will be three XCO Junior Series events at Bear Mountain, Baie St. Paul, Quebec, and Trek Store in Oro Station, Ontario. The XCO National Championships will return to Canmore, Alberta, for a second year on July 21-22. And, of course, Mont-Ste-Anne will play host to the UCI World Cup for both XCO and Downhill, on August 11-12.

The Downhill Canada Cup Series has added two new events in British Columbia, at Fernie and SilverStar Resort. Fernie and Silverstar will create a July triple header western race schedule for Downhill, which will conclude with the Downhill National Championships at Panorama, BC, on July 28-29.

The national Road calendar begins at the end of May, with the Hayman Classic in Penticton, BC. Cycling Canada is working towards adding more road stage racing opportunity for Junior and Cadet riders, starting with the Hayman Classic. June is Road month, beginning 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. On June 21-24, the National Road Championships for Elite, Para and Junior riders will take place in Kamloops, BC.

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. Of special note is the 50th anniversary of the Tour de l’Abitibi, one of the premier stage races for Junior men in the world, which will take place on July 17-22. The Road calendar concludes in early September with three international events for pro men – the Tour of Alberta and the Quebec City and Montreal WorldTour races.

The BMX national calendar events will take place in July and August. Four Canada Cup events, all with a UCI C1 sanction, will be held in Toronto (July 7-8), Drummondville (July 14-15), Abbotsford (August 18-19), and St. Albert, Alberta (August 25-26). The National Championships will take place in Drummondville on the same weekend as the Canada Cup event. Finally, the FISE BMX Freestyle World Cup will return to Edmonton on August 26-27.

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. In the coming months, Cycling Canada will continue to work with organizers in the east and west to finalize dates and locations for 2018 Eastern and Western Track Challenges, building on the success from 2017. These will lead into the National Championships at Milton on April 12-15 for U17, Junior and Para athletes. During that same weekend, Para athletes will participate in a C1 Challenge event open to international competitors. The Elite and Masters riders will have their Championships in Milton on September 28-30, and the UCI Track World Cup will return to Milton in December, although final dates are still to be confirmed.

Cyclo-cross (CX) continues to grow, with eight days of UCI-sanctioned races on the schedule for the Fall of 2018. UCI cyclo-cross racing will return to Toronto with two days of racing on September 1-2, with Sherbrooke following up two years of hosting the Championships with UCI events on October 20-21. Peterborough, Ontario, will host a C2 event in conjunction with the first year of a two year sanction for the Canadian Championships on November 10-11, and the Silver Goose in Midland, Ontario, finishes out the CX season on November 17-18.

Finally, the Para national schedule consists of four events, all on the UCI calendar. On April 14-15 the Para Track Nationals and UCI C1 Challenge event will take place in Milton, followed two weeks later by the Défi sportif AlterGo road event in Montreal. The Para Road Nationals will take place in Kamloops, BC, on June 21-24.

November 10, 2017/by Communications

CLASS OF 2017 INDUCTED INTO CYCLING HALL OF FAME

Milton, October 3, 2017 – The third annual induction to the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame took place on Sunday at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ontario, with over 150 people attending the luncheon that saw Gary Longhi, Albert Schelstraete-Coulier, Karen Strong and Steve Smith become the newest members of the Hall of Fame.

“To create our history, we need to recognize and celebrate our greats of yesterday,” stated Pierre Lafontaine, CEO of Cycling Canada. “Today was one of those days in life that makes you so proud to be associated with cycling and the quality people it has helped shape. We are about creating world-class people and this day we were surrounded with some of the best of the best that Canada has ever produced. Humbling!”

Prior to the induction ceremony, over 100 cyclists participated in the Lexus-sponsored Ride with Legends event, where they had the opportunity to ride with current members of Canada’s national team, as well as cycling legends Steve Bauer, Curt Harnett, Gordon Singleton and Karen Strong.

At the luncheon, Eleanor McMahon, Ontario Minister for Sport and founder of the Share the Road advocacy group, spoke about the benefits of cycling and how government is improving safety and access for cyclists.

An introduction to the accomplishments of each inductee preceded remarks by each of the new members or their representatives. The class of 2017 includes three athletes and one builder.

Gary Longhi, para-cyclist and multi-time Paralympian led Canadian cyclists at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, winning a gold medal in the Individual Time Trial (ITT) and a bronze in the Road Race. He was a silver medalist in the ITT at the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games and was the flag bearer for the Canadian Paralympic Team at the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Albert Schelstraete-Coulier’s cycling career covered many facets including racing but his recognition as a builder comes about due to his leading role in two specific areas. He served as the President of the Canadian Wheelmen’s Association (1952-1957) and later as the President of the Canadian Cycling Association (1972-1974). In addition to this, he built the Delhi, Ontario, velodrome in 1939 and the first portable track in 1948 and went on to build numerous tracks in North America from 1948 to 1975, as well as designing the 1976 Olympic track in Montreal. Albert Schelstraete-Coulier passed away in 2011 and his award was accepted by his son, Bob Schelstraete.

Karen Strong is a recognized forerunner for many of Canada’s top road and track athletes. As the first Canadian woman to win medals at the Track World Championships her bronze medal in 1977 and silver in 1980 paved the way for future Canadian successes in the discipline. In addition to several international podiums, Karen dominated the Canadian Road Cycling Championships from 1975 to 1982. Following her incredible competitive career she served as the first full-time women’s coach for the national body.

Steve Smith, Canada’s greatest downhill mountain biker, tragically lost his life in May of 2016 as the result of a motocross accident. From 2004 to 2013 Stevie’s legend grew, culminating in being the 2013 World Cup Champion. Included in his three win’s in 2013 was a memorable gold medal run on home soil at Mont-Ste-Anne, QC which contributed to him being named Cyclist of the Year for 2013. After two injury-plagued seasons in 2014 and 2015 he came back in early 2016 with a World Cup podium at Lourdes, FRA to start his final season. Steve Smith’s award was accepted by Mathieu Dupelle – friend and former team mechanic.

October 3, 2017/by Communications

EVENT OF THE YEAR VOTE NOW OPEN

Ottawa, September 26, 2017 – After a very exciting season of racing throughout the country, Cycling Canada invites all cycling fans to vote online over the next few weeks to determine the 2017 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.

2017 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 take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the organizers with whom we have collaborated this season. Great Canadian events contribute to international success and to the growth of the sport in Canada.

The survey will be live until October 10^that 11:59PM EST. Category winners will be announced at the 2017 Cycling Canada Annual General Meeting.

Click here to access the survey.

September 26, 2017/by Communications

CYCLING CANADA MOUNTAIN BIKE NEXTGEN PROGRAM APPLICATION NOW OPEN

Ottawa, September 22, 2017 – The Cycling Canada Mountain Bike NextGen Program is now accepting athlete applications for the 2018 season. This program is focused on providing targeted athletes with an elevated level of support to deliver international podium performances and transition seamlessly into the elite ranks.

Selected athletes will receive a world class Daily Training Environment with personalized and periodized coaching from the National NextGen coach, and integrated support services such as nutrition, mental performance, physiology and strength & conditioning.

“We have all the tools set up for Canadian mountain bike athletes to progress through their development years towards elite competition,” says NextGen Coach Jeff Ain. “It’s an exciting time for Canadian mountain biking with growing provincial programs feeding athletes into the National Program stream.”

Pathway Development Manager Jesse Korf added: “The NextGen programs are an important part within our High Performance Pathway, providing world class services that are aimed to help our athletes make those final steps towards the worlds elite. We are excited to launch a new cycle of programming this upcoming season and are looking forward to help shape the future of Canadian elite mountain biking together with our continuing and prospective athletes”

Applications can be completed online HERE.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 17:00 PDT, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, 2017.

Any questions can be directed to NextGen Coach Jeff Ain at jeff.ain@cyclingcanada.ca

September 22, 2017/by Communications

CANADA’S MIRANDA MILLER WINS WORLD DOWNHILL TITLE

Cairns, AUS, September 10, 2017 – Canada concluded the Mountain Bike World Championships in Cairns, Australia, on Sunday, with a world championship title for Miranda Miller of Squamish, BC, in the Elite women’s category. It is the first Elite Downhill world title for Canada since Cindy Devine won in 1990, the first year of the mountain bike world championships (and the year Miller was born).

The Elite women’s field suffered a blow when defending champion Rachel Atherton of Great Britain broke her collarbone in training. However, this left the door open to a new world champion to be crowned, and it was Miranda Miller, having the ride of her career, who took the rainbow jersey. Starting eighth from last, Miller had a clean run, and that proved to be the key when the favourites ran into problems. World Cup champion Myriam Nicole of France won the silver medal and Tracey Hannah of Australia the bronze. Vaea Verbeeck, Canada’s only other entrant in Elite women, finished 16th.

“It’s pretty crazy,” admitted Miller. “I don’t think it has sunk in yet. I feel like I had some luck on my side, but I’ll take it. It’s pretty cool. I’m sure in a couple days it will feel a bit different. I thought Tahnee (Seagrave) was going to knock me out. But I had some luck on my side for sure. When Myriam (Nicole) came down I thought ‘Oh, this is real’. For Canada, we haven’t had a [downhill] medal since Stevie [Smith, 2013] and Claire [Buchar, 2011], so it is cool. We got a medal in the Junior XC as well, so it’s great for Canada.”

Canada got off to a disappointing start for the day when defending Junior men’s champion and number one ranked Finnley Iles of Whistler, BC, crashed twice on his run to finish tenth. Matt Walker of Great Britain became the Junior men’s champion. Other Canadian Junior results were Kendall Mclean in 23rd, Ben Wallace in 25th, Jacob Stefiuk in 37th, Joshua Fultz-Veinotte in 41st, Anthony Poulson in 46th and Cole Mooney in 47th.

In the Elite men’s category, Canada’s top finisher was Samuel Thibault in 53rd, followed by Mark Wallace, ranked ninth but finishing a disappointing 54th after crashing near the bottom of the course.

Canada finished the world championships with two medals – Miller’s gold and Holden Jones’ bronze in the Junior men’s cross-country.

September 10, 2017/by Communications

BATTY 7TH AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Cairns, AUS, September 9, 2017 – Cross-country competition at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Cairns, Australia, concluded on Saturday with the final three titles awarded. Canada’s top result was by Emily Batty of Brooklin, Ontario, in seventh place in the Elite women’s competition.

Team Canada Head Coach Dan Proulx, summarized the project positively: “We had a great Worlds team this year – new energy and enthusiasm! The highlight was Holden Jones’s bronze medal! The team really impressed me with their effort level. They gave everything. Amongst our team there were several massive improvements in performance – Haley Smith, Marc Andre Fortier, Quinton Disera, Soren Meeuwisse, Andrew L’Esperance. Overall, it was a race where at least one Canadian in every category was strong and competitive. That bodes well for the future. The ones who performed best are just getting started in their careers as high performance athletes.”

Batty and Pendrel were part of the initial lead group in the Elite women’s race, which was eventually won by Jolanda Neff of Switzerland. Batty settled into seventh, which she held to the finish, although a crash on the final descent led to a sprint finish with Corina Gantenbein of Switzerland. Haley Smith continued her strong season since joining the Elite ranks, with a steady climb from the mid-30s to finish 16th. Catharine Pendrel was 27^th, Sandra Walter was 30th, Cindy Montambault 37th and Rebecca Beaumont 41st.

“I don’t know what to think,” admitted Smith. “I’ve never been inside the top-20 before and to do a top-20 … I know it’s not a podium result, but it’s absolutely huge for me, so I don’t know how to process it. But I’m really happy! I had a crappy start loop and actually crashed in the first couple of laps, but I just stayed focussed and moved through people. I couldn’t have hoped for a season this good; this is a big jump for me, and I’m very happy to end the year on this note.”

Leandre Bouchard was Canada’s top performer in the Elite men’s race, finishing 24th. Andrew L’Esperance was 44th, Derek Zandstra 45th, Evan McNeely 46th and Raphael Gagne 52nd.

“I was pretty lucky on the start,” said Bouchard, “I had some space to move up and the start was really important. So I was able to move up quickly and then protect my place. I’m really happy with this race because I had almost no errors; it was the most dusty race of my life! You are just eating dust by the first lap. I did my first top-20 in the World Cup here last year, so I knew I could do well, and so I was looking for a top-25. It’s good to end the season like this.”

In the Under-23 women’s race, Soren Meeuwisse was the top Canadian, in 16th place after moving up steadily all race. Anne Julie Tremblay suffered mechanical problems on the start loop and finished 23rd.

September 9, 2017/by Communications

FORTIER 12TH IN U23 MEN AT MTB WORLDS

Cairns, AUS, September 8, 2017 – Canada had two riders in the top-20 in the U23 men’s cross-country race on Friday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Cairns, Australia, with Marc-Andre Fortier of Victoriaville, Quebec, finishing 12th and Quinton Disera of Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, finishing 17th. Sam Gaze of New Zealand successfully defended his title, with Alan Hatherly of South Africa taking the silver medal and Maximilian Brandl of Germany the bronze.

A group of 14 riders had split from the main field by the end of the start loop, as the riders headed out for six laps of the 4.3 kilometre circuit through the rainforest at Smithfield Park. The group included Quinton Disera, with Fortier eight seconds behind, along with Peter Disera.

Quinton Disera, a first year Under-23 rider, held onto a top-12 place through the first four laps before fading slightly in the final two laps. Fortier worked his way up from a start position on the sixth row to top-20 by the end of the start loop and into the top-15 by the end of the third lap. For the final two laps he was in a three-way battle for tenth.

“It was amazing, I didn’t have any problems all race,” said Fortier. “I started 48th and by the end of the start loop I had moved up a lot; an amazing day for me. Usually I prefer courses with shorter punchy climbs like Mont Ste-Anne, and here it was a long climb. So it was not the perfect course for me, but today it was perfect! It’s a good way to end the season, so for the winter I will have lots of motivation to train.”

Peter Disera was in the top-15 as the race entered the third lap, but suffered a flat, dropping him back to the mid-20s, where he finished in 24th place. Canadian Under-23 champion Sean Fincham of Squamish, BC, starting near the back of the field, moved up steadily in the first half of the race and then maintained 33rd place for the finish. Raphael Auclair of Haute-Saint-Charles, Quebec, had moved up to the mid-30s before a twisted chain forced him into the pits on Lap 2, and he finished 60th.

September 8, 2017/by Communications

CANADA WINS FIRST MEDAL AT MTB WORLDS

Cairns, AUS, September 7, 2017 – Canada won its first medal of the 2017 Mountain Bike Championships on Thursday in Cairns, Australia, with Holden Jones of Squamish, BC, finishing third in the Junior Men’s competition. Roxane Vermette of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Quebec, was the top Canadian in the Junior women’s race, finishing 16th.

The men’s five lap race saw Australia’s Cameron Wright ride away from the rest of the field on the start loop to give the host nation their first title. Behind, the chase quickly came down to two riders – Holden Jones and Joel Roth of Switzerland, a member of the Team Relay world champion squad. The pair had dropped the rest of the chasers by the end of the first lap and rode together until the final half lap, when Roth attacked to open a nine second gap on Jones and win the silver medal.

In other Canadian results, Tyler Clark of King City, Ontario, was 27th and Gunnar Holmgren of Orillia, Ontario, 29th. National champion Brody Sanderson (Oro Medonte, Ontario) pulled out after a crash.

“I think after riding the Relay yesterday and looking at the lap times, that I was there with the faster Juniors,” said Jones. “That really gave me some confidence. That removed from stress from under me and I just did what I knew I could do, and it all worked out. It caught everyone off guard when [Wright] went so quick. The rest of the race was us just trying to hunt him down, but he was on fire today. It’s pretty unbelievable, this is my best race of the year, maybe of my life. I couldn’t be more proud to show the world that Canada is on the map.”

In the Junior women’s category, Canadian champion Vermette rode consistently in the mid-teens throughout the four lap race, finishing five minutes and 32 seconds behind winner Laura Stigger of Austria. In other Canadian results, Dana Gilligan of Oro Medonte, Ontario, was 20th and Leya Masson of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Quebec, was 23rd. Sidney McGill of Edmonton, Alberta, was unable to start after injuring her wrist in training.

“It’s my first year as a Junior and my first world championships, so I’m very proud of what I did today,” said Vermette. “I had no idea what I could do, so my plan was to just go hard on the hill and smooth on the technical section. But I didn’t have a lot of energy in the last lap, so I just did my best. My season has been awesome, so when I came to Australia it has been a dream already and I just tried to do my best.”

September 7, 2017/by Communications