RIDERS BRAVE THE ELEMENTS AT CANADIAN XCO & XCC MTB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ottawa, ON (July 22, 2024) – Mountain bike athletes were treated to all kinds of conditions at the Canadian Cross-Country Championships, held July 18-21 in Kentville, Nova Scotia.
It was in pouring rain that most of the athletes took to the start line of the short circuit cross-country (XCC) on Thursday, July 18, crowning Rafaëlle Carrier (Pivot Cycle OTE) for a second year running, this time in the junior category. Jacob Roy (Ponsse MTB Racing) took top honours in the junior men’s category.
In the combined elite and U23 categories, it was Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) – who had won silver in-extremis at the 2023 edition – who finally got to savor the victory, taking it early in the race. In the men’s race, U23 rider Cole Punchard (Pivot Cycle OTE), who has scored several top-five finishes in World Cups, shone in front of some of the sport’s biggest names. “Throughout the race, I could see that some of the guys were a little tired,” said Punchard. “I got a bit of a lead, then managed to pull away on the last lap and break away solo on the last bend to sprint my heart out and take the win.”
Elly Moore (Team Ontario) and Émilien Belzile (Stimulus Orbea) were able to don the unified U17 jersey, both after a tight sprint.
The July 20 XCO competition saw a number of athletes win back-to-back Canadian titles under a scorching sun, including Jackson (elite women), Punchard (U23 men), Carrier (junior women), Roy (junior men) and Belzile (U17 men), all of whom were able to open up a significant gap on their rivals.
“It’s not something I really imagined (doubling the number of wins),” said Jackson. “A few years ago, I had no idea this is where I’d end up a few years down the line, and I’m really excited to be wearing the maple leaf in the upcoming World Cups.
On the U17 women’s side, it was Éliane Blais (Équipe du Québec) who stood out, with no looking back. Ava Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) claimed her first-ever Canadian U23 women’s mountain bike title. “It was a very good day,” said Holmgren. “The fact that the elites started out in front was extra motivation to be able to catch as many as possible.”
Leading from the start of the race, Léandre Bouchard (Foresco Holding Proco-RL Pro Team) earned himself an eighth career title, having won at elite level in 2021 and donned the jersey on several occasions at U23 level.
Masters athletes were also in action in Nova Scotia, where Peter Glassford (Trek Barrie Aurora – men 35-44), Aroussen Laflamme (Ponsse MTB Racing – men 45-54) and Sue Haviland (Durham Shredders – women 45-54) were once again crowned champions. They were joined by John Westdal (Ontario Bicycle Club – men 55+), Alessandro Polloni (Stimulus Next Wave – men 19-34), Meghan Todd (Crazy Creek Cycling Club 35-44) and Penn Hart (AVMBA – women 55+).
The team relay, presented on Sunday, July 21, saw Cole Punchard and Rafaëlle Carrier, teamed for Pivot-OTE with Zorak Paillé and Simon Ruelland, add a third champion’s jersey to their already impressive collection.
The complete list of results can be found here.
The Canadian Masters Road Championships, held in Victoria, B.C., are still underway. The next Canadian Championships on the calendar will be the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships, to be held in Sun Peaks, B.C. on August 10 and 11. The complete calendar of national events can be found on the Events page of the Cycling Canada website.
