News – Page 20 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA HIRES NEW HEAD MEN’S TRACK ENDURANCE COACH

Milton, November 21, 2017 – It is with great pleasure that Cycling Canada announces the anticipated appointment of Jono Hailstone to the position of Head Men’s Track Endurance Coach. Hailstone is expected to start work at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in early January.

Hailstone will work closely with Luc Arseneau, Men’s Track Endurance NextGen coach, and sports science and medicine support staff to optimize the performances of our men’s track endurance pool of riders in the hunt for a medal in the Men’s Team Pursuit event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The New Zealand native comes to Cycling Canada’s high performance track program after several years as a track endurance coach for Cycling New Zealand and para-cycling coach for the New Zealand Paralympic Committee. In addition to the experience acquired in working at the top level of coaching in New Zealand, Hailstone also has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and the highest levels of coaching certification offered in the Oceania region.

“I’m really looking forward to coming on board with Cycling Canada. I’m excited at the opportunity to work with a group of talented young athletes, and help them develop on the road to Tokyo 2020,” said Hailstone. “Canada is a rapidly developing nation on the international track cycling scene, and I’m looking forward to contributing to that momentum going forward. I would like to thank Cycling New Zealand for their support, and for the opportunities they have provided me over the last 12 months, and wish them well in the future”.

“We are thrilled to have Jono on board to take the helm of our rapidly growing men’s track endurance program,” said Jacques Landry, Cycling Canada’s Chief Technical Officer – Head Coach. “Through our extensive debrief process we were able to identify gaps that our riders had in the team pursuit event; Jono has the skills to bridge those gaps. With the help of our talented support staff, I am confident he will continue to add to the already strong foundation that [previous men’s endurance coach] Ian Melvin had started building.”

Hailstone will be on site during the Milton Track World Cup (Dec. 1-3, 2017) to meet and observe the athletes during their respective competitions.

November 21, 2017/by Communications

TRACK WORLD CUP IN MILTON BOASTS WORLD-CLASS FIELD

Milton, November 20, 2017 – With two weeks to go, preliminary athlete registration for the inaugural edition of the Tissot UCI Track World Cup at the Mattamy Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario, point to one of the strongest international fields of the season for the third round of the 2017-18 World Cup.

More than 30 nations plus additional UCI teams have registered squads for the December 1-3 event, with approximately 225 riders listed. Canada is bringing its A team, including Rio Olympians Hugo Barrette, Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Duehring and Kirsti Lay.

Top international track nations, including Great Britain, Germany, France and the Netherlands will also have top-ranked athletes on their squads. Of particular note is Germany’s Kristina Vogel, the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s sprint and world champion in the Keirin; Vogel is undefeated in World Cup competition this season for all sprint events – Team Sprint, Sprint and Keirin.

“It’s a real privilege for us to play host to our international competitors,” commented Kris Westwood, High Performance Director at Cycling Canada, “and we’re looking forward to seeing how our athletes stack up against the best in the world while enjoying home-field advantage – we definitely hope to make multiple trips to the podium. World Cups can be unpredictable because teams often use them to experiment with new tactics and unfamiliar combinations of riders, so you never know what to expect. One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a great show and Canada will be in the thick of the action.”

There is still time to get tickets for all sessions, including the sought-after evening sessions when medals will be awarded. You can choose between single tickets for each session in either general or premium seats, an event pass for all sessions or a family pack (2 adults, 2 youth). For exclusive access, act quickly to obtain one of 50 VIP passes for evening sessions only – these will give access to the infield, premium seats, parking at the velodrome, plus food and beverages.

All prices and links can be found at https://www.twcmilton.com/tickets/.
For information on detailed event schedules, please visit https://www.twcmilton.com/event-info.

November 20, 2017/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

CANADA BEGINS TRACK WORLD CUP SEASON WITH SILVER MEDAL

Pruszkow, Poland, November 6, 2017 – Canada won a silver medal over the weekend at the opening round of the 2017-2018 UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Pruszkow, Poland. In addition to the silver medal won in the Women’s Team Pursuit, Canadian riders had three other top-10 results.

The women’s Team Pursuit squad of Allison Beveridge, Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey and Kinley Gibson qualified second and won their next heat to make it to the gold medal final against top qualifier Italy. In the 4000 metre final, Canada took the lead for much of the first half of the race. Italy then took the lead as the Canadian team faded in the second half, to win by 2.028 seconds.

In other results, Beveridge and Gibson teamed up to finish fifth in the Madison, Foreman-Mackey was seventh in the Individual Pursuit and Beveridge was ninth in the Scratch Race. Maggie Coles-Lyster, who won the world title in the Points Race as a Junior earlier in the year, finished 19th in her first international Points Race competition as an Elite-aged rider.

“It was only two months ago that I raced at Junior Track Worlds,” said Coles-Lyster, “and I felt ready to make the jump. It was time to move on to this level and it was definitely a challenge. It felt surreal to be racing against multiple world champions, and just racing with them I learned so much. I just need more experience elite racing and harder training over the next couple of years to be able to get to the front and factor in the points. I feel I have a good tactical sense of the race to get in proper position, but I just need a bit more strength to be in the sprints for points.”

Craig Griffin, Women’s Track Endurance Coach at Cycling Canada, said “This first World Cup in Poland was extremely successful in terms of performances and overall objectives. The team was a blend of existing and young talent, specifically the addition of NextGen athletes Kinley Gibson and Ariane Bonhomme in the team pursuit line up, and Junior World points race champion Maggie Coles-Lyster.”

“Catching our breath to race in the middle of a hard training block wasn’t the ideal prep, so we set top-five performances in the Team Pursuit and Madison as primary goals, along with grabbing valuable UCI points and gaining experience. We checked all of these boxes and I’m very encouraged with our performances and the athlete development process we have in place. We now head back to training camp in Milton with some great momentum for our home World Cup at the end of the month.”

November 6, 2017/by Communications

TOP-10 FINISHES FOR BEVERIDGE & DUEHRING AT LONDON SIX DAY

London, November 1, 2017 – Prior to the start of the UCI Track World Cup season, two of Canada’s Olympic bronze medalists participated in the women’s competition at the Six Day London, held at the 2012 Olympic velodrome in Great Britain. The women raced for the final three of the six days of competition, with Allison Beveridge finishing fifth overall and Jasmin Duehring seventh.

The competition consisted of three or four mass start races each day, with riders competing in Scratch, Elimination, Tempo, Points and Madison events, accumulating points for their results in each event.

“We had a few ups and downs through the three days,” admitted Beveridge, “but that’s the great thing about the Six Day London, with three or four races a night you get to go out and try a few different things. We [the women] only got to do three days, but it would be interesting to do all six days; it would be hard, but it would be fun to do all six.”

“We both used it as a learning opportunity, since we haven’t been in a bunch race situation in a long time. The more we get out there and do group racing, the more comfortable and tactically savvy we will become.”

On Friday, October 27th, Duehring won a Scratch Race, while Beveridge finished second in an Elimination Race. Neither Canadian was on the podium for the second night, but had a strong finish on Sunday, the final day, with Duehring winning another Scratch Race, and the duo combining to finish fourth in the Madison, an event that will be added to the 2020 Olympic program.

British riders swept the top four spots in the final overall standings, with Katie Archibald winning the overall title with 310 points. Beveridge finished with 202 points and Duehring had 190.

November 1, 2017/by Communications

CANADA ANNOUNCES TEAM FOR TRACK WORLD CUP #1

Pruszków, Poland, October 27, 2017 – Canada is sending a strong women’s squad to the opening round of the 2017-18 Track World Cup in Pruszkow, Poland, as the national team begins its build-up to the Milton World Cup and the world championships. Two riders will also attend the Six Day London competition prior to the World Cup.

On Oct. 27-29, Rio Olympic bronze medalists Jasmin Duehring and Allison Beveridge will participate in the mass start events at the six-day, held on the 2012 Olympic velodrome at the Lee Valley Velopark. Duehring and Beveridge will compete in the Scratch Race, Elimination, Tempo, Points Race and Madison.

“Our focus for the upcoming international events is to give some of our women track endurance riders opportunities to gain experience in international competition,” said Jacques Landry, Chief Technical Officer and Head Coach at Cycling Canada. “We will also be attempting to pick up as many points as possible in some individual events where our international ranking has dipped slightly. In both the Six Day London events and the Poland World Cup, we will have a mixed bag of seasoned international performing riders like Jasmin and Allison, as well as some riders newly graduated into the Olympic Performance Pool, such as Kinley Gibson and Ariane Bonhomme.”

Following the six-day, Beveridge will join Annie Foreman-Mackey, Ariane Bonhomme, Kinley Gibson and Maggie Coles-Lyster in in Pruszkow, Poland, for Round 1 of the UCI Track World Cup, on Nov. 4-5. Beveridge and Foreman-Mackey are members of Canada’s elite women’s track endurance program, while Gibson and Bonhomme have moved up from the NextGen program. Coles-Lyster has just moved into the elite ranks after becoming the Junior Points Race world champion earlier this year.

Coles-Lyster will act as an alternate to the other four riders for the Team Pursuit, as well as competing in the Points Race. Beveridge will compete in the Scratch Race and the Madison with Gibson, while Foreman-Mackey will race in the Individual Pursuit.

“As we have one more season before the Olympic qualification period starts, we want to be able to fire on all cylinders come October 2018, so it is important to continue giving development opportunities this season to riders that we feel are up for it,” said Landry.

Allison Beveridge – Calgary, AB [London & Pruszkow]
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, QC [Pruszkow]
Jasmin Duehring – Vancouver, BC [London]
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, ON [Pruszkow]
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton, AB [Pruszkow]
Maggie Coles-Lyster – Maple Ridge, BC [Pruszkow]

October 27, 2017/by Communications

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR WOMEN’S NEXTGEN PROGRAM

The Cycling Canada NextGen Women’s Track Endurance 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 help them transition seamlessly into the elite ranks.

Selected athletes will receive a world-class Daily Training Environment with personalized and periodized coaching from the National coach, and integrated support services such as nutrition, mental performance, physiology and strength & conditioning. New to the program are a an increased focus on road training and competition, and the hiring of our new NexGen coach Jenny Trew, after the departure of former NextGen coach Cameron Jennings in May.

“Taking over from Cam Jennings and working with the group, staff and [women’s elite coach] Craig Griffin has been inspiring,” says NextGen Coach Jenny Trew. “It’s an exciting time for Canadian cycling with increasing alignment and athlete flow between the NextGen group and the Elite program.”

“The women’s endurance program has taken remarkable steps over the years with Cam,” said Cycling Canada’s Pathway Development Manager Jesse Korf. “With Jenny taking over and developing the program further, we have an opportunity to keep integrating the Next Gen and elite program. In addition, an increased focus on developing our junior pool really makes for an exciting dynamic and we feel that we are adding even more momentum to an already outstanding program”.

Applications can be completed online HERE.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 17:00 PDT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 2017.

Any questions can be directed to NextGen Coach Jenny Trew at Jenny.Trew@cyclingcanada.ca

October 11, 2017/by Krisw

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

GEE LEADS FINAL STANDINGS AT TRACK NATIONALS WITH 4 TITLES

Milton, October 2, 2017 – The 2017 Canadian Track Championships p/b Lexus concluded on Saturday with six Elite titles awarded at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario.

Competition began with the 4000 metre Individual Pursuit for women and men. Kinley Gibson (The Cyclery-4iiii) took the women’s title with a time of 3:39.749, finishing over five seconds ahead of Laurie Jussaume (Équipe du Québec) in the gold medal final. Annie Foreman-Mackey (Sho-Air Twenty20 defeated Marie Soleil Blais (Équipe du Québec) for the bronze medal. In the men’s competition, Derek Gee (Team Race Clean) took his third gold medal with a time of 4:27.154, beating Ryan Roth (Silber Pro Cycling) by 2.543 seconds. In the bronze medal race, Adam Roberge (Équipe du Québec) defeated Evan Burtnik (Team Race Clean).

The Keirin saw the continued domination of two riders in the speed events. Tegan Cochrane (Cycling BC) won her third title in the women’s race, beating Lauriane Genest (Équipe du Québec) and Jenna Nestman (Alete). Rio Olympian Hugo Barrette (Équipe du Québec) did the same in the men’s race, defeating team mates Joel Archambault and Patrice St Louis Pivin. The men’s race was reduced to these three riders after a crash took down the rest of the field.

The Championships concluded with the Madison, which is gaining renewed interest after it was recently returned to the Olympic program for 2020 in Tokyo. Team Race Clean took both the women’s and men’s titles, with Allison Beveridge and Jasmin Duehring combining to dominate the women’s race. It was Beveridge’s third track title, to go along with the national road title she won in June. Sho-Air Twenty20 (Annie Foreman-Mackey/Laura Brown) took the silver medal and The Cyclery-4iiii (Kinley Gibson/Laurie Jussaume) the bronze.

The men’s race saw Derek Gee win an incredible fourth national title with Team Race Clean partner Evan Burtnik, in a close fought race that saw the lead change multiple times among the top three teams. RealDeal Racing (Ed Veal/Emile De Rosnay) won the silver and Équipe du Québec (Thierry Kirouac Marcassa/Gabriel Drapeau Zgoralski) the bronze.

Visit www.racetiming.ca for full results.

October 2, 2017/by Communications

FOUR ELITE TITLES AWARDED ON DAY 2 OF CANADIAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS P/B LEXUS

Milton, September 30, 2017 – The 2017 Canadian Track Championships p/b Lexus saw four national titles awarded in Elite competition on Friday at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario.

In the Sprint competition, Tegan Cochrane (Cycling BC) won her second title of the Championships when she took the Elite women’s sprint title in two straight rides against Lauriane Genest (Equipe de Quebec). Cochrane and Genest had teamed up on Thursday to win the Team Sprint title. Lizanne Wilmot (NCCH p/b Dec Express) won the bronze medal. In the men’s sprint, Rio Olympian Hugo Barrette (Equipe de Quebec) proved to be unstoppable, showing impressive speed as he beat team mate Joel Archambault in two straight rides for the gold medal. Je’land Sydney (Kallisto-FCV p/b Peloton Contracting) won the bronze medal.

Titles were also awarded in the four event Omnium. Rio Olympic bronze medalist Allison Beveridge (Rally Cycling) won her second title of the Championships with a strong performance in the final Points Race, moving up from fourth. Kinley Gibson (The Cyclery-4iiii) took second and Annie Foreman-Mackey (Sho-Air Twenty20) third. The race was marred by a crash that took out Jasmin Duehring (Sho-Air Twenty20) and Ariane Bonhomme (Cyclery-4iiii), who had been tied for the lead going into the final event. The men’s Omnium saw a dominant Derek Gee (Team Race Clean) take the title after lapping the field four times in the Points Race, to win with 204 points. Ed Veal (RealDeal Racing) held on for second with 173 points, while Emile de Rosnay of Victoria, BC, jumped up from seventh to take the bronze medal.

The Canadian Track Championships conclude on Saturday. Visit www.racetiming.ca for full results.

September 30, 2017/by Communications