News – Page 47 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CANADA SENDS SIX CYCLISTS TO 2012 UCI JUNIORS TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Young Canadian track cyclists continue to progress after Pan Am Championships success

(Ottawa, ON – August 16, 2012) Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes who will represent Canada at the 2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships, held in Invercargill, New Zealand, from August 22-26, 2012.

Led by junior national team coaches Rob Good and Jeff Ain, the Canadian junior team has already received some media attention whilst undertaking their last preparations on the track in Invercargill. The team has been training in New Zealand since August 14th in order to get over the jet lag and put their best wheel forward going into the most significant international competition of the season.

‘The team is very excited to be here competing amongst the best in the world. They are focused on the task at hand and ready to give it their all.’ proclaimed Rob Good, head coach of the junior team.

CANADIAN TEAM – 2012 UCI JUNIOR TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN

GIBSON, Kinley, (Edmonton, AB) – Team Sprint, Omnium, Individual Pursuit, Points Race

LABRIE, Audrey (Montreal, QC) – Sprint, Team Sprint, Keirin, Scratch

MEN

ALBERT, Joakim (Quebec City, QC) – Sprint, Keirin, Kilo

CAVES, Aidan (Vancouver, BC) – Omnium, Individual Pursuit

JOHNSTONE, Eric (Calgary, AB) – Individual Pursuit, Points Race, Madison

SIMONDS, William (London, ON) – Madison, Scratch Race

The full competition schedule can be found at: http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTYzNTA&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=Nzc2Njk&LangId=1

For further information regarding the 2012 Junior World Championships please consult: www.juniorworlds2012.com.

August 16, 2012/by Communications

CANADIAN CYCLISTS BALANCE COMPETITION WITH GIVING BACK

Canadian cyclists are raising money for their sport as they get set to ride

August 7, 2012: The different Canadian Cycling teams will be raising money for all competitive cyclists as they pedal to the medal at international cycling races across the World in 2012.

Each Canadian cycling team – Road, BMX, Mountain Biking and Track – has set up its own “Giving Group” on a new online charitable platform called Chimp. And within each of these Giving Groups, the teams are asking friends, family, fans and bike enthusiasts to join. Group members can leave comments for the team’s cyclists, and they can donate as well. All the money raised in the groups will be given to Cycling Canada.

“I wouldn’t be competing in the Olympics if it weren’t for the support of the Cycling Canada. So I’m glad I have this kind of platform to give back. I hope people join and support the BMX Giving Group, so the Cycling Canada can in turn support other BMXers,” says BMX rider Tory Nyhaug, ranked fifth in the World as he prepares for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Greg Mathieu, Chief Executive Officer of Cycling Canada: “We couldn’t be more proud of our athletes. Not only of the caliber of athleticism they hold, but also the strength of character they each have. They all want to support the cycling community as much as it has supported them. Their success helps build the sport of cycling in so many ways.”

There’s an added bonus: Every dollar given to the teams’ Giving Groups will be matched by North Vancouver’s John Henry Bikes. “We really want to help youth discover the sport, and the best way to do that is to support the sport – support Cycling Canada. We also want to reward and recognize those who are representing our sport and our country on the world stage,” says John Henry Bikes CEO Willie Cromack.

Contact:

For more information and links to each group: www.chimpfund.com/cyclingcanada

August 7, 2012/by Communications

Canada claims bronze in Olympic track cycling team pursuit

LONDON — Canada won bronze in women’s team pursuit at the Olympic Velodrome on Saturday, beating Australia in a thrilling back-and-forth race.

Tara Whitten of Edmonton, Gillian Carleton of Victoria and Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, B.C., finished in three minutes 17.915 seconds for an average speed of 54.52 kilometres per hour. Australia was timed in 3:18.096.The Canadians started fast but Australia came on. There were several lead changes before the Canadians clawed back the lead for good.

More: http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/08/04/canada-claims-bronze-in-olympic-track-cycling-team-pursuit/

August 5, 2012/by Communications

Good luck, Canada!

August 1, 2012/by Communications

WHITTEN, BELL HIGHLIGHT TRACK CYCLING SQUAD NOMINATED TO CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM

Seven athletes will represent Canada in track cycling at the upcoming Olympic Games

(Los Angeles, CA – June 15, 2012) Cycling Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee, is pleased to announce the seven track cycling nominees to the Canadian Olympic team for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, GBR.

Canada qualified for an all-time high six events at the 2012 Olympic Games this upcoming summer: men omnium, women omnium, women team pursuit, women sprint, women keirin and men keirin.

The team will be coached by Richard Wooles, who has re-engineered the track cycling program since joining Cycling Canada a few months before the 2008 Games, turning the program into a World-class and medal-winning environment. Canadian cycling star Tanya Dubnicoff, who has four Top-10 finishes at Olympic Games, will be leading the women’s team pursuit squad at the Games.

“I am proud to welcome these new members of the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team. Their hard work and dedication will inspire Canadians when they hit the track in London,” said Mark Tewksbury, the Canadian Olympic Team Chef de Mission.

Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee, was also proud of the nominees. “Congratulations on being nominated to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team. I know the athletes will give their everything when they represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games.”

Canada’s track stars Tara Whitten of Edmonton and Zach Bell of Watson Lake, YK (North Vancouver, BC) will both be racing the omnium events. The two athletes have had astonishing success since the introduction of the event at the World Cup level.

“I think it was 18 years ago that I first gave a voice to my dream of going to the Olympics. I can remember where I was sitting and how it felt to say those words out loud,” said Whitten. “Today is the culmination of a long and very rewarding journey. Tomorrow I will go back to my job of working towards winning the whole darn thing, but today I will take the time to really appreciate the significance of achieving this lifelong dream of representing Canada at an Olympic Games!”

Whitten has excelled in the women omnium, winning back-to-back UCI World Championships and UCI World Cup titles in 2010 and 2011. On the UCI World Cup tour, Whitten is a force to be reckoned with in every race of the six-race omnium event, a visible target as she wore the coveted rainbow jersey.

Zach Bell will represent Canada in the men omnium. Bell has twice won silver medals at track cycling World Championships, most recently at the 2012 World Championships. Bell, who rides for Team SpiderTech powered by C10 in road events, is excited for the opportunity to race for Canada.

In the women team pursuit, Canada will bring to the start line Tara Whitten as the captain, joined by Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, BC and Gillian Carleton of Victoria, BC. The trio has been highly successful, winning the bronze medal at the last UCI World Championships. At the UCI World Cup race in London, which served as the Olympic test event, the Canadian squad twice lowered the Canadian record on the same day in their first two races as a team, winning the silver medal. Laura Brown of Vancouver, BC will serve as the alternate. Brown was part of the gold medal team that rode at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, last fall.

Both Glaesser and Carleton are aspiring athletes hailing from British Columbia, both in their rookie season with the Canadian Track Cycling Team. Together with Whitten, the team enjoyed success since teamed up, and will be looking for more continued success in London.

“I am thrilled to have been nominated to the team. It’s a huge honour to be a part of such a phenomenal group of athletes who have been an inspiration with the success they’ve achieved over the last few years, and the focus which they bring toward replicating that level of excellence this summer,” said Glaesser, who received her Canadian citizenship days before the Pan-American Games last October. “We are also fortunate to have extraordinary support from the staff, family, and friends, whose dedication and commitment is equal to our own, and who will continue to fuel our momentum through the work that lies ahead. With that in mind I think my teammates and I are ready to take on the world’s best in London, and prove ourselves to be a fighting force to be reckoned with!”

For Carleton, who suffered from a broken pelvis in her career first World Cup in Kazakhstan last fall and was bed-ridden for six weeks just six months ago, this nomination is the start of a promising international cycling career.

“I’m very excited to be selected to the Canadian Track Cycling Team to race at the Olympics! Our women’s team pursuit program continues to improve every day, and I can’t wait to see the kind of rides we’ll produce in London. I’m also very proud to be representing my country at such an exciting time, with Canadian cyclists dominating international competition in road and mountain bike as well, and I’m confident that cycling will contribute greatly to Canada’s medal count this summer,” said Carleton.

Laura Brown: “I am both honoured and relieved to hear that I have been nominated to the Canadian Olympic Team. I have been involved with the Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit since its inception in 2009, where we won our first World Cup gold medal. The team has come a long way since then in terms of its depth and capacity. Our Olympic trials were very competitive as we are now one of the best teams in the world. Competing at the Olympic Games has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I feel overjoyed to see my hard work and dedication come to fruition now and in August, when we will compete for an Olympic medal.”

Calgary’s Monique Sullivan will be racing for Canada in the women’s sprint and keirin events. Sullivan, has been steadily progressing over the recent past to become a regular contender on the UCI World Cup tour. This spring, Sullivan won both the sprint and keirin titles at the UCI Pan-American Championships.

“I feel very grateful today. I put in my best every day for this opportunity and I had an enormous amount of support from the team, my family, and PCL Construction Leaders: I would not be here today without them. I am very proud to have the opportunity to represent them this summer at the Olympics,” shared Sullivan.

Added Sullivan: “The qualification process was very long and stressful, every race was incredibly important, but looking back now I realize how much the process helped me grow and learn and I am not the same rider I was when it began. I am very happy to be part of this team and I can’t wait to see what we can do!.”

In the men’s keirin, Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON will represent Canada. Veloce was unable to join the teleconference announcing the nominations, as he graduated today with a degree in electrical engineering from McMaster University. These 2012 Olympic Games, the pinnacle of sports, will be Veloce’s first major Games experience.

“I am very excited to be given the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympics. It’s taken a lot of hard work and commitment, but it has all been worth it to reach this point. I look forward to the challenge of making my country proud.”

The omnium races for both the men and the women, as well as for the women team pursuit, will be showcased for the first time at Olympic Games.

Of the seven nominees, only Zach Bell has previous Olympic experience. Bell competed for Canada at the 2008 Games in Beijing in the Points and Madison races. In the points race, he finished a respective seventh place.

The last time a Canadian won an Olympic medal in track cycling was Lori-Ann Muenzer of Edmonton, AB, who won the Gold medal in the Women’s sprint event in 2004. In track cycling, Curt Harnett is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with three Olympic medals [1984, Silver; 1992, Bronze, 1996, Bronze].

CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM NOMINEES – TRACK CYCLING

Zach BELL (M. Omnium) [Watson Lake, Yukon/North Vancouver, BC]
Laura BROWN (Alternate, W. Team Pursuit) [Vancouver, BC]
Gillian CARLETON (W. Team Pursuit) [Victoria, BC]
Jasmin GLAESSER (W. Team Pursuit) [Coquitlam, BC]
Monique SULLIVAN (W. Sprint, W. Keirin) [Calgary, AB]
Joseph VELOCE (M. Keirin) [Fonthill, ON]
Tara WHITTEN (W. Omnium, W. Team Pursuit) [Edmonton, AB]

June 15, 2012/by Communications

A NEW ERA BEGINS IN CANADIAN CYCLING WITH A NEW NAME AND LOOK

Canadian Cycling Teams to “Pedal to the Medal” this season

(Ottawa, ON – May 23, 2012) The Board of Directors of the Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to announce that the organization will be known as Cycling Canada Cyclisme from this date forward.

Sporting a fresh new logo and name, the Canadian Cycling Teams in all cycling sports will carry the new brand around the world at various World Cups, World Championships and international races. President John Tolkamp explained the change of name and logo as follows; “With the input of many alumni and advisors we have been encouraged to revamp the identity of the organization. The new identity modernizes and strengthens our brand, while maintaining a strong connection to our country and the rich history of cycling in Canada. It was also felt the dedicated team of athletes, coaches and support staff we now have in place is leading-edge and warranted a fresh look and identity.”

“For the past several years there has been a significant transformation underway in our organization and sport, most significantly in our international success, and a new identity highlights both the progress made and our expectations going forward, particularly as we head to the London Olympics. These next three months will inspire the nation and motivate youth to take up cycling as our athletes proudly represent Canada.”

The logo, a heritage maple leaf with a representation of a cyclist within the maple leaf, brings back the endless memories of success by Canadian cyclists around the world.

The new logo is a testament to the rich cycling history in Canada. Cycling Canada Cyclisme is the second oldest National Sport Organization in Canada, founded in 1882. Cycling has been a prominent sport at the Olympic Games, with living legends such as Steve Bauer (Silver, 1984 Los Angeles, Road) and Curt Harnett (Silver, 1984 Los Angeles, Track) and Clara Hughes (1996) opening the way for a new generation of great cyclists.

“As we enter a new era in Canadian cycling, our athletes are performing at a world class level, winning medals on a regular basis at UCI World Cups, World Championships and in other major races around the World,” said Greg Mathieu, Chief Executive Officer of Cycling Canada Cyclisme. “The rebranding efforts come at the right time as we are well into our Vision 2020 goal to be a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020.”

The new visual identity also comes with a new slogan – “Pedal to the Medal” – which embodies the encouragement for our team members as they head into this season’s major competitions.

The Canadian road team is currently enjoying significant success, both from the men and the women. Canada is ranked as the top Mountain Bike nation in the world on the women’s side. The Canadian Track Cycling Team just ended a dream season with superb performances on the UCI World Cup Tour and at World Championships. BMX is seeing the emergence of a strong contender on the Supercross tour, making finals on a regular basis. Finally, the Canadian Para-cycling Program is leading-edge, gathering seven medals at the last Road World Championships and three medals at the Track World Championships.

“The new Cycling Canada identity is an exciting start to a new era. Cycling Canada has grown tremendously and seen a lot of success in the recent past and I know we will continue to do so. This new name and look will help to continue that momentum while incorporating the rich history of cycling in Canada and giving the athletes a new look they can be proud to represent leading into the Olympic year,” said Erinne Willock, National Team Road cyclist and Chair of the Athletes’ Council.

A new set of modernized logos have also been unveiled to reflect the richness and tradition of the Canadian Cycling Championships. This new identity will be carried through all of the Canadian Championships beginning this summer.

May 23, 2012/by Communications

OLYMPIC SELECTION POOL ANNOUNCED FOR TRACK CYCLING

(Ottawa, ON – May 3, 2012) The Canadian Cycling Association is proud to unveil the list of athletes who have qualified for the 2012 Olympic Selection Pool for track cycling, a short-list group of riders from which the 2012 Olympic Team nominations will be drawn upon.

For the 2012 Olympic Games, Canada has qualified in both men and women Omnium events, the women’s team pursuit, the women’s sprint and keirin, and the men’s keirin.

Jacques Landry, Director of High performance and Team Leader of the 2012 Canadian team heading to London, is confident the team will be strong contenders for medals in London. “Our team is proud. Proud about the successes we’ve had around the world, and proud to represent Canada in doing so. We have covered all our bases into our preparations for the Games, and invested energy and resources in the track program, and we have clearly seen the return on those investments these past two seasons.”

Head Coach of the Canadian Track Cycling Team, Richard Wooles: “It’s great to see such a strong team be announced to the pool. Our Canadian athletes are determined to succeed in London. We put a plan in place four years ago, and we are starting to see some of the benefit of the great support provided. We have some of the best athletes in the world, and with the structure and support team we have in place I have a strong feeling we will reach our goals in London.”

Olympic Selection Pool – Track Cycling, Men
Hugo BARRETTE (Sherbrooke, QC) [Keirin]
Zach BELL (Watson Lake, Yukon/North Vancouver, BC) [Men’s Omnium]
Cameron MACKINNON (Dieppe, NB) [Men’s Omnium]
Travis SMITH (Calgary, AB) [Keirin]
Joseph VELOCE (Fonthill, ON) [Keirin]

Olympic Selection Pool – Track Cycling, Women
Julia BRADLEY (Caledon, ON) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Laura BROWN (Vancouver, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Gillian CARLETON (Victoria, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Jasmin GLAESSER (Coquitlam, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Stephanie ROORDA (Vancouver, BC) [Women’s Team Pursuit]
Monique SULLIVAN (Calgary, AB) [Sprint, Keirin]
Tara WHITTEN (Edmonton, AB) [Women’s Omnium, Women’s Team Pursuit]

Athletes in the Olympic selection pool have all qualified as a result of their performances since the UCI Qualification window has opened. As per the board-approved Selection guidelines, the High Performance advisory committee of the Canadian Cycling Association, comprised of many specialists in each respective disciplines, will gather and proceed with the selection of the athletes to be nominated to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team, and to represent Canada at the upcoming Olympic Games in London, UK.

For more information on the selection protocol for track cycling, click here.

The list of nominated athletes to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team will be announced on June 15th in Los Angeles, CA, the training base of the team. More details will follow with media availabilities.

May 3, 2012/by Communications

CANADA TO FIELD STRONG TEAM FOR 2012 UCI JUNIOR PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Coach Jeff Ain is confident of strong showing by Canadian junior cyclists

(Ottawa, ON – April 19, 2012) Thanks to the successes of the Canadian Track Cycling team, a whole new generation of cyclists is hitting the tracks in velodromes across the country, and many up and coming cyclists are increasing their participation in track cycling.

As a result of this increase in popularity, Canada now is in a position to enter a highly competitive team, filling the maximum quota of 16 riders for the event.

The 2012 UCI Junior Pan-American Championships will welcome these young up and coming athletes, and Canada will, for the third time in as many years, send a large and strong delegation to Guatemala.

“Eleven of the 16 riders are first year Juniors or Cadets. This is a development project that will be very competitive at these Championships,” said Jeff Ain, a Junior team coach attending the project. “We expect many of these athletes will be on future development projects if they continue to improve. Canada is developing a lot of depth in the Under 19 category, with an eye to the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, as well as for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero and the 2020 Olympic Games.”

Returning athlete in the junior women category to the 2012 Pan American team is Audrey Labrie of Québec, QC, who will be competing in her third UCI Pan-American Championships. “My goals are to make the finals in all the events and come home with three podiums. We have a very strong team and podiums are what we have been training for.”

Second year Cadet Bailin Xie of Ottawa, Ontario is attending her first UCI Pan-American Championships. “My goals is to learn as much as possible. Canada will have a professional and businesslike approach to each event and GOLD medals are within our reach.”

17-year-old Aiden Caves of Vancouver, British Columbia is returning to the Junior Pan Am team for his second year. “Last year I missed out on three medals, finishing just off the podium in fourth place. This will not be happening in 2012. My training and the training of the entire team has been far better than last year and the Camps through the winter have better prepared me for the task at hand, win medals.”

A total of 25 countries of the Americas will be represented at the event, including notable Colombia, Venezuela, and the United States to name just a few strong track nations.

The team spent one week at a training camp in Los Angeles, and will be flying to Guatamala on Friday.

The track events start on Monday, and run through Sunday. Following the track events, both the mass start road race and individual time trial will be showcased.

CANADIAN DELEGATION – 2012 UCI JUNIOR PANAMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN
Ariane Bonhomme (Ottawa, ON)
Audrey Labrie (Montréal, QC)
Bailin Xie (Ottawa, ON)
Kinley Gibson (Edmonton, AB)
Kristen Sears (Ancaster, ON)
Sarah Mason (London, ON)

MEN
Adam Reddy (Vancouver, BC)
Adrian George (Hamilton, ON)
Aidan Caves (Vancouver, BC)
Alexandre Pinard (Montréal, QC)
Eric Johnstone (Calgary, AB)
Eric MacDonald (London, ON)
Joakim Albert (Québec, QC)
Marc-Antoine Noel (Montréal, QC)
Vincent DeHaître (Ottawa, ON)
William Simonds (London, ON)

April 19, 2012/by Communications

TARA WHITTEN FIFTH IN INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Whitten just misses qualifications in single-event individual pursuit at Track Worlds

(Melbourne, AUS – April 8, 2012) Tara Whitten of Edmonton, Alberta took the fifht place of the women’s individual pursuit at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Whitten posted a time of 3:30.407 in the 3-kilometre race, the fifth best time of the day.

The top-4 times advance to the medal races.

New Zealand’s Allison Shanks went on to win the World title, easily taking the gold by just under two seconds over Great Britain’s Wendy Houvenaghel in the decisive race. Australia’s Ashlee Ankudinoff defeated her teammate Amy Cure for the bronze medal.

The 2012 UCI World Championships, now over, were the last qualifying events for the 2012 Olympic Games in track cycling, as well as the last maor track cycling event prior to the Olympic Games

Full results and live timing of the event can be found at www.tissottiming.com or by visiting www.uci.ch.

April 8, 2012/by Communications

TARA WHITTEN ONLY THREE POINTS SHORT OF MEDAL AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Whitten off the podium as she attempted to defend back-to-back titles

(Melbourne, AUS – April 7, 2012) Tara Whitten of Edmonton, Alberta cycled to the fourth place of the women’s omnium at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Whitten cumulated a total of 39 points in the six-discipline event – only three shy of the bronze medal.

Yesterday, Whitten ended the day in sixth place of the overall standings, after finishing fourth of the flying lap, eleventh of the points race and seventh in the elimination race.

Today, the task to close the gap to grab a medal was anticipated to be difficult for Whitten. With two races as individual timed events –an area in which Whitten excels–, everything was still possible for the two-time World Champion in the omnium.

Whitten opened the day with a win in the individual pursuit to get right back in the game. Then, in the mass-start scratch race, Whitten crossed the line in eleventh place. In the final race, the time trial, Whitten had to win in order have chances to step on the podium. Unfortunately, she went on to finish in sixth place.

Although this fourth place is the first time Whitten is off the podium, yet alone win the World title in women’s omnium at World Championships, Whitten had made it very clear on Wednesday after the Team Pursuit that these World Championships were not a priority, and that this is part of the overall training plan for the 2012 Olympic Games.

In the women’s keirin, Calgary’s Monique Sullivan took part in the women’s keirin. Sullivan went on the finish fourth of her opening heat, and 13th overall.

Tomorrow, on the last day of competition, Whitten will take part in the Individual pursuit, the event she won during the omnium race.

Full results and live timing of the event can be found at www.tissottiming.com or by visiting www.uci.ch.

April 7, 2012/by Communications