CROTEAU AND GAUTIER MAINTAIN PERFECT SEASON; WELDON/BESSETTE AGAIN ON THE PODIUM

(Rome, ITA – May 27, 2012) Canada Para-cyclists Marie-Ève Croteau and Shelley Gautier both won their respective tricycle road races at the 2012 Para-cycling World Cup in Rome, Italy, and remain undefeated after six races this season.

Croteau, 33, who became two-time World Champion and World Cup winner in her first ever season as a competitive para-cyclist, has not lost a single race so far in two consecutive seasons at World Cups or World Championships, for both the road race and time trial. In 2011, the Québec city resident won all three races she participated in, as well as the World Championships. This season, she remains perfect in six races, including the P1 races Défi-sportif and Trofeo Internazionale Piacenza.

The same can be said for Gautier, 43, a pioneer in tricycle who has for many years been riding solo around the globe, advocating for more participants in her category. Gautier, who lives in Toronto, now has a Canadian partner in crime as she rolls along to international races

Gautier is also enjoying significant success on the international scene. In the last two World Cup season, she stood on the highest step of the podium in all races, winning both titles at the UCI World Championships.

In Rome, the Canadian tandem of Robbi Weldon, 36, and Lyne Bessette, 36, rode away to the third place in the women’s tandem race. The four-time gold medallist tandem at the 2011 Parapan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Robbi Weldon and Lyne Bessette sprinted to the third place, edged by the victorious tandem of Joleen Hakker and Samantha Van Steenis and second-place tandem from Poland, comprised of Iwona Podkoschielna and Aleksandra Wnuczek.

In the C categories, Jaye Milley was the highest ranked Canada rider, in the C1 category, taking fifth place.

COMPLETE RESULTS – 2012 CANADIAN PARA-CYCLING WORLD CUP (ROME, ITA)

WOMEN T2

1. CROTEAU, Marie-Eve [CANADA] 00:51:31

2. CARINUS, Madre [SOUTH AFRICA] 01:01:55 +10:24

3. DE HEIDE, Lisette [NETHERLANDS] 01:01:57 +10:26

WOMEN T1

1. GAUTIER, Shelley [CANADA] 00:55:31

2. MATICKOVA, Simona [SLOVAKIA] 01:10:52 +15:21

WOMEN B

1. HAKKER, Joleen / VAN STEENIS, Samantha [NETHERLANDS] 02:11:27

2. PODKOSCIELNA, Iwona / WNUCZEK, Aleksandra [POLAND] 02:11:27 ST

3. WELDON, Robbi / BESSETTE, Lyne [CANADA] 02:11:27 ST

8. OUELLET, Genevieve ROY, Emilie [CANADA] 02:14:54 +3:27

MEN B

1. KOSIKOWSKI, Krzystof / KORC, Artur [POLAND] 02:23:33

2. DONVAL, Olivier / SACCOMANDI, John [FRANCE] 02:23:33 ST

3. PIZZI, Ivano / PIZZI, Luca [ITALY] 02:24:52 +1:19

11. CHALIFOUR, Daniel / CLOUTIER, Alexandre [CANADA] 02:28:57 +5:24

WOMEN C4

1. MOLNAR, Marie-Claude [CANADA] 01:42:37

MEN C1

1. SENSKA, Pierre [GERMANY] 01:27:54

2. TEUBER, Michael [GERMANY] 01:27:54 ST

3. MENDEZ FERNANDEZ, Juan Jose [SPAIN] 01:32:32 +4:38

5. MILLEY, Jaye [CANADA] 01:34:50 +6:56

10. MCDOUGALL, Brayden [CANADA] @ 4 laps

MEN C2

1. ECKHARD TIO, Maurice Far [SPAIN] 01:27:34 ST

2. BATUKOV, Sergey [RUSSIA] 01:27:54 +0:20

3. KOBLASA, Ivo [CZECH REPUBLIC] 01:27:54 +0:20

16. BOLDT, Arnold [CANADA] @ 4 laps

17. PARENT, Matthieu [CANADA] @ 4 laps