News – Page 48 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

ZACH BELL TAKES THE SILVER MEDAL AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Track rider bounces back from disappointing result in 2011 to win silver months out of Olympic Games

(Melbourne, AUS – April 6, 2012) Canadian versatile cyclist and international track star Zach Bell, a rider from Watson Lake, Yukon who currently resides in North Vancouver, BC won the silver medal in the men’s omnium at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships.

The silver medal comes a day after Canada won two medals in the women’s team pursuit and points races, adding to the Canadian medal tally now at three.

Bell, who is part of professional cycling squad Team SpiderTech but races track event with Team Canada, was sitting in second place of the overall standing as he entered the second day of competition.

As the day started, Bell posted the second fastest time of the Individual Pursuit, crossing the line with a time of 3:20.371, before finishing in second place of the 100-lap points race.

The suspense at the Melbourne velodrome drew bigger as, with two consecutive second places, Bell jumped to the first place of the overall standings tied with Australian and home crowd favorite rider Glenn O’Shea, with just one event to go – the 1-kilometre time trial.

As the last ride of the day unfolded, Bell posted the eighth fastest time of the groupn—1:04.216, and unfortunately for the Canadian track star, O’Shea was the fastest of the two, posting a time of 1:03.042 to win the World title.

Bell, who won the omnium silver medal at the 2009 edition of these World Championships, has been a consistent and performing rider at international events in the grueling events. Since the omnium has been presented at UCI World Cups and World Championships, Bell climbed on the podium in each but one of the events in which he took part. In 2011, Bell was crowned the UCI World Cup Tour Champion, a title that is awarded to the best overall rider of the entire season, but had failed to win a World Championships medal.

This season, Bell competed at two UCI World Cup events –Cali, Colombian and London, GBR–, and stepped on the podium at both events.

With a ticket to the 2012 Games secured for the men’s omnium, Bell can now focus on his training plan and preparations for optimal performance. Bell will carry with him some valuable Olympic experience in the next four months, as the only rider on the current National Team showing Olympic Games experience. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Bell came in seventh of the points race.

“We are extremely proud of this well deserved silver medal by Zach bell, as well as the two medals won by the women’s team pursuit and the points race. We have invested significant efforts and energies in our programs targeted by Own The Podium, such as the omnium and the women’s team pursuit,” said Jacques Landry, Director of High Performance for the Canadian Cycling Association.”

“Canada is enjoying remarkable success with its track program, as well as with our other disciplines. With only four months to go before the Olympic Games, we are confident our riders are among the best in the world.”

In the men’s sprint, Canada did not fare as well as hoped. Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON and Travis Smith of Calgary, AB, who both raced the men’s team sprint on Wednesday, placed in the 34th and 41st respectively in the qualifiers, and did not advance to the elimination rounds.

Tara Whittenof Edmonton, AB also began her day of racing in the women’s omnium race. Whitten, the two-time defending World Champion, is currently sitting in eighth place of the event, after three races.

The 2012 UCI World Championships in Melbourne continues tomorrow with the conclusion of the women’s omnium, as well as the women’s keirin, in which Canadian rider and 2012 Panamerican Champion Monique Sullivan of Calgary will participate with the objectives to solidify her Olympic spot.

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

April 6, 2012/by Communications

CANADA WINS TWO MEDALS AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women’s team pursuit shows it’s a contender for 2012 Games; Jasmin Glaesser grabs silver in Points race

(Melbourne, AUS – April 5, 2012) It was a great day for the Canadian Track Cycling Team at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, as Canada won a silver medal in the women’s points race and a bronze medal in the women’s team pursuit on Thursday.

The Women’s Team Pursuit squad comprised of Tara Whitten (Edmonton, AB), Jasmin Glaesser (Coquitlam, BC) and Gillian Carleton (Victoria, BC) took the bronze medal by edging the New Zealand squad in the bronze medal race, posting a time of 3:19.629.

“This is our first World Championship medal for the team pursuit program, and it is a great position to be in four months out from the Olympic Games! Our main focus for this season was the London World Cup, so it was a pretty quick turn-around to build back up for these World Championships. We chose to focus a lot on technique after London, and I think we executed two technically near-perfect rides to secure the bronze medal.”

Added Whitten : “Both Australia and Great Britain showed today that the level of the Women’s Team Pursuit is moving higher and higher, but we are excited by the challenge of rising to the next level at the Olympics,” said Tara Whitten after the race.

Gillian Carleton, a young rider who is making a spectacular run after suffering from a broken pelvis in December, was excited for this race: “We were really happy with our ride – after making the London World Cup our biggest priority race this season, it was nice to come to Melbourne and do a good time, even though we didn’t prepare quite as much. It’s also very motivating to see the Aussies and the Brits constantly lowering the world record.”

For Jasmin Glaesser, she stepped on the podium in every international Women’s Team Pursuit race in which she participated this season — the 2011 Pan-American Games, the 2011 Pan-American Championships, the UCI World Cup in London, and now the 2012 UCI World Championships. The 19-year old who just received her Canadian citizenship this fall before the Pan-American Games, explains that Canada can still be faster and climb higher on the podium.

“I am really proud to have been a part of the women’s team pursuit here at the World Championships in Melbourne; we were up against some tough competition but kept our focus entirely on producing the best ride that we could. Of course there is room for improvement, not just in placing, but in our execution and technique as well.”

The Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit squad, which was already qualified for the 2012 Games, entered this event with the objectives to fine tune technical elements of the team pursuit, notably exchanges between riders.

A few hours later, In the women’s points’ race, Jasmin Glaesser won the silver medal, her second medal of the day. Glaesser went on to finish second in the fourth sprint and won the fifth sprint to break the ice and get on the scoreboard, and then went off to gain a full lap over the field to secure the maximum 20 points, which put her tied for first place with Russian Anastasia Chulkova with only two sprints to go. Chulkova surpassed Glaesser in tenth and final sprint, scoring three points to ride to the gold medal.

“I trained mostly for the Women’s Team Pursuit. Everytime you come to World Championships, this is an amazing opportunity. I had a chance to race the Points race, and ended up with the silver medal – its fantastic,” said Glaesser, winning the two medals at her first appearance at World Championships. “It definitely took a few laps to get into the groove, having raced two team pursuit earlier in the day. I was certainly tired, but having been on the podium just before the race, there was a little bit of adrenaline in the system, and that helped out.”

In the men’s omnium, Zach Bell (Watson Lake, Yukon/North Vancouver, BC) started his day of racing with the first three of six events of the Omnium. Bell, a regular on the podium at UCI World Cup, is racing in Melbourne to redeem himself from a disappointing performance at the 2011 World Championships, where he finished in sixth position.

Bell started the day conservatively by posting the fifth fastest time in the flying lap race, and then took the third place in the points race. In the elimination race, he placed in eighth position to sit temporarily in second place of the overall standing halfway through the event.

The three first races are a significant improvement over his placing the 2011 World Championships, which will be critical as Bell enters the second day with three events for which he usually excels. Tomorrow, Bell will race the individual pursuit, the scratch race and the 1-kilometre time trial, the remaining three events of the omnium

Bell has stepped on the podium in all the UCI World Cup race he competed throughout his career.

Racing resumes tomorrow in Melbourne, with the continuation of the men’s omnium, the men’s sprint as well as the beginning of the women’s omnium, an event for which Tara Whitten will be defending her back-to-back titles.

April 5, 2012/by Communications

CANADA’S MEN’S TEAM SPRINT NARROWLY MISSES OLYMPIC BERTH

2012 UCI Track World Championships underway in Australia

(Melbourne, AUS – April 4, 2012) Canada’s Men’s Team Sprint squad narrowly missed their Olympic qualification, finishing in 11th place at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

The Canadian sprint team comprised of Travis Smith of Calgary, AB, Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON and Hugo Barrette of Sherbrooke, QC posted a time of 45.192 seconds in this last Olympic qualifying race.

“We were planning to come here and get a Top 10. I felt like I had a pretty bad last lap, said Travis Smith. “This year we were dealing with a lot of new guys, and I had an injury in August where I was in the Intensive Care Unit for a week. The race here wasn’t horrible. We have room to improve.

Hugo Barrette added: “It was quite disappointing. We showed up pretty good tonight, and we gave all we had. Venezuela was too much ahead of us coming here. Personally, my ride went quite well. I can’t ask for much better, I am just starting to race internationally. It doesn’t matter what your individual time is, at the end it’s the team’s time that matters, and today we weren’t fast enough.”

Unfortunately for the Canadians, their main competitor for the last Olympic spot, Venezuela, placed ahead, taking the eighth place to secure their berth for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Racing in Melbourne resumes tomorrow with the women’s sprint qualifiers, the women’s team pursuit, the women’s points race and the start of the men’s omnium. Monique Sullivan of Calgary, AB will compete in the sprint races, while the Canadian record holding team of Tara Whitten of Edmonton, AB, Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, BC and Gillian Carleton of Victoria, BC will partake in the team pursuit. Glaesser will also race the points race. Canada’s Zach Bell, who grew up in Watson Lake, Yukon and currently lives in North Vancouver, BC, will race the omnium.

With files from CanadianCyclist.com

April 4, 2012/by Communications

CANADIAN TRACK CYCLING TEAM TO COMPETE ONE FINAL TIME BEFORE LONDON

(Ottawa, ON – March 25, 2012) The Canadian Track Cycling Team will hit the boards one more time before the 2012 Olympic Games as the team makes the long trip down under to compete at the 2012 UCI Track World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, from April 4th to 8th.

The small but powerful team will be hoping to post strong results at this event, sending a strong message that they will be ready to compete for Olympic medals this summer.

Although the 2012 Olympic Test event was the pinnacle event for the Canadian Team in its preparations for the Olympic Games, the World Championships in Melbourne will be another opportunity to gain experience and fine-tune the operations for London 2012.

“The 2012 London Olympic Test event was the big one for us this year. Our key is now is small daily improvements as I am sure they will give us staggering long-term results when we get to London in August. Melbourne will be another test but not the main focus,” said Richard Wooles, head coach of the Canadian Track Cycling Team.

Tara Whitten of Edmonton, AB will be defending her title in the Women’s omnium, a race she won for the last two years at the World Championships. Whitten will certainly be the rider to watch among the group of riders in the omnium as she will sport one more time her famous rainbow jersey this year.

In the men’s omnium, Zach Bell of Watson Lake, Yukon who currently resides in North Vancouver, BC will also be among the top riders. Bell won the 2011 UCI World Cup title in the event, and has stepped on the podium in the two UCI World Cup events in competed in this winter.

The Men’s Team Sprint comprised of Hugo Barrette of Sherbrooke, QC, Travis Smith of Calgary, AB and Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON will be laying everything down at the velodrome, hoping to snatch that coveted Olympic spot. The task will not be easy, they will need to have the performance of their lives to beat the United States and Venezuela in the race for the one remaining spot.

Both Smith and Veloce will also take part in the men’s sprint event, still hoping to grab those important UCI Olympic qualifying points available.

The women’s team pursuit, a team that has shown a lot of depth and power this season by grabbing the silver medal at the 2012 London Prepares Olympic Test event earlier in February. This time around, Tara Whitten, Laura Brown of Vancouver, BC, Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, BC and Gillian Carleton of Victoria, BC will be sporting the Maple leaf and add another team pursuit race to their career resumes. The final team selection will be named shortly prior to the event.

Glaesser will also race the women’s Points race, while Whitten will race the individual pursuit in addition to her busy schedule.

Finally, Monique Sullivan of Calgary, AB, who is coming off an exceptional Pan-American Championships with a gold medal in both the women’s sprint and keirin, will be hoping one more time to improve her ranking and gain valuable race experience that will come in handy at the Olympic Games. Sullivan will take part in the sprint and keirin events at these UCI World Championships.

Full details and program can be found at www.uci.ch.

CANADIAN DELEGATION
WOMEN
Laura Brown (Vancouver, BC): Women’s Team Pursuit
Gillian Carleton (Victoria, BC): Women’s Team Pursuit
Jasmin Glaesser (Coquitlam, BC): Women’s Team Pursuit, Points
Monique Sullivan (Calgary, AB): Sprint, Keirin
Tara Whitten (Edmonton, AB): Women’s Team Pursuit, Omnium, Individual Pursuit

MEN
Hugo Barrette (Sherbrooke, QC): Men Team Sprint
Zach Bell (Watson Lake, Yukon/North Vancouver, BC): Omnium
Travis Smith (Calgary, AB): Sprint, Men Team Sprint
Joseph Veloce (Fonthill, ON): Sprint, Men Team Sprint

March 25, 2012/by Communications

MONIQUE SULLIVAN WINS SECOND GOLD MEDAL AT PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sullivan takes the Pan-American Championships title in the Women’s Keirin in day filled with rain delays

(Mar del Plata, ARG – March 08, 2012) Canada ended the track portion today at the 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships with yet another gold medal, as Monique Sullivan of Calgary, Alberta won her second Gold medal, this time in the women’s keirin.

In a day filled with rain delays, Sullivan made her way to the decisive race, passing through the repechage rounds. In the gold medal race, she edged Daniela Gaxiola of Mexico in second and Jennifer Valente of the United States of America in third. Allison Beveridge, also of Calgary, placed in 9th place

“This was a great test of mental focus with several rain delays and lots of unknowns. I have put a lot of effort into the mental side of racing and it paid off today! I had a simple race plan, I stayed focused, and I executed a good ride. Venezuela and I will have our final face off for the Olympic spot at the World Championships next month. Can’t wait!” said Sullivan.

The women’s keirin title is the second earned by Sullivan at this important event for the Olympic qualification process.

Canada’s Track Cycling Team earned a total of five medals at this event, with Monique Sullivan winning two gold medals in the women’s sprint and keirin, the women’s team pursuit of Laura Brown, Stephanie Roorda and Allison Beveridge taking the Pan-American title, Travis Smith winning the bronze medal in bronze in the men’s kierin. Finally, the men’s team sprint squad of Travis Smith, Joseph Veloce and Hugo Barrette took the silver medal.

The competition also marked the first cycling race for Heather Moyse, who finished fourth in the 500m TT and fifth in the women’s sprint.

The 2012 Pan-American Championships road events will begin tomorrow with the time trial race, and Canada will have two riders on the start list: Rhae Shaw and Denise Ramsden.

March 8, 2012/by Communications

SULLIVAN TAKES GOLD MEDAL IN SPRINT, TRAVIS SMITH WINS BRONZE IN KEIRIN AT PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Calgary’s Monique Sullivan wins first international cycling completion, while Calgary’s Travis Smith takes bronze

(Mar del Plata, ARG – March 06, 2012) Monique Sullivan and Travis Smith, two track cyclists from Calgary, Alberta, each won medals at the 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, while Heather Moyse of Summerside, PEI rode to the fifth place of the women’s sprint, capping an extraordinary day for Canadians at the uncovered velodrome.

The women’s sprint event started yesterday, but with the extended rain delays, the final set of races were held today. Sullivan posted the fastest qualifying time yesterday at 11.486 seconds, and continued on her fast and winning ways on the second day of competition, all the way to the gold medal race. In the featured race, Sullivan defetead her rival, Cuban rider Lisandra Guerra who had the second fastest qualifying time. In the gold medal race, Guerra took the win in the first heat, but Sullivan came right back and won the second heat to push the race to the third and decisive heat, to decide the winner and Pan-American Champion.

“This was my first real international win, my first time hearing the Canadian national anthem while standing on the top step of the podium. I am really happy, Lisandra is a great competitor and this is my first time beating her head-to-head in a sprint. In the final, she won the first ride by an inch. In the second ride, I changed my tactic and won the round, pushing it to the third ride. I am extra pleased to have come back from being down in the first ride,” said Sullivan, the current Canadian Champion in the event.

Added Sullivan: “This is very special for me. There was a lot of pressure to perform here, and I knew I could do it, but to actually execute what I knew I could do, that’s special. This is very good for my Olympic qualification in the sprints, but nothing is confirmed until after the World Championships. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to qualify for a second event, the keirin.”

“I really want to thank everyone on the team (riders and staff) who have helped me improve over the past few years and also my sponsor PCL Construction who makes all the traveling possible,” concluded Sullivan.

Heather Moyse, an Olympic Gold medallist in the sport of bobsleigh and competitive rugby player who raced her career second cycling race, qualified ninth with a time of 12.246 seconds, and went on to win her first duel. In the second round, she went on to face her Canadian teammate. Monique Sullivan in her opening race. But Sullivan’s experience and momentum proved to be the determining factor, taking the victory. Moyse was then relegated to the 5-8th round, a race she went to win to take the fifth place of the overall standings.

BRONZE IN THE MEN’S KEIRIN

This day of competition also featured the men’s keirin race. Canada had Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON and Travis Smith entered in the race. Veloce won his opening race to earn his way to the semi-finals, while Smith failed to qualify and was relegated to the repechage round. Smith won the repechage rounds, and made it through the semi-finals.

In the final race of the day, Smith crossed the finish line in third place after leading most of the race, and took the bronze medal.

“Head coach Richard [Wooles] and I decided yesterday that I should ride the keirin today. The original plan was for the other two sprinters here to ride. As soon and we decided, I was nervous! I wanted to have a good ride to secure Olympic spot and get the points,” said Smith after the race.

“It started off slow for me as my legs felt a little flat and I was passed at the line of the first heat. This meant I was sent to the repechage rounds, to fight my way back into the rounds. I won my Rep and was back into the semi finals later in the day.

“When I got back to the track, I found that I was in the first heat with a world class set of riders. I took the front and lead for almost two laps to win the heat and advance to the finals. In the finals I drew the #6 rider and was at the back, when the bike pulled off I went to the front as I didn’t want to be in the mess of all the riders. Leading into a lap and a half, one of the Venezuela riders passed on the apron and took us all high. So I went from first to last, just like that! I kept fighting all the way to the line and ended up finishing third, and getting good Olympics qualifying points. I’m really excited how the races went I felt like I could have won the race, but this is racing and stuff happens. Next for me is the UCI Track World Championships in Australia, where my teammates and I will get to race the best in the world.”

Competition in Argentina resumes tomorrow.

March 6, 2012/by Communications

PAN-AMERICAN GOLD MEDAL FOR CANADIAN WOMEN’S TEAM PURSUIT SQUAD

Veterans Laura Brown, Stephanie Roorda and student Allison Beveridge takes top prize at Pan American Championships

(Mar del Plata, ARG – March 05, 2012) Canada has proven again it has great depth in the Women’s Team Pursuit, winning the gold medal 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships in Mar Del Plata.

The Canadian squad, comprised of Laura Brown of Vancouver, BC, Stephanie Roorda, also of Vancouver, and Allison Beveridge of Calgary, AB qualified with the second fastest qualifying time in the morning session, earning their ticket to the Gold Medal race.

In the decisive race, the powerful Canadian team faced off Venezuela, the fastest qualifiers, in the final. Despite posting a slower qualifying time than their rivals, the Canadian women stepped up with a new race place, and crossed the line in first place by posting the golden time of 3:33.540.

The track in Mar Del Plata is an uncovered, outdoor track made of concrete.

Laura Brown was thrilled with the victory, which came after lots of rain delays. “We qualified second this morning next to Venezuela but we had so much to improve on that it was a motivating position to be in. We reassessed our race plan and came up with something new and executed it perfectly. Anytime you nail a team pursuit, it feels pretty amazing. Steph and I have been national team teammates for many years now and it was great to be able to ride with youngster Allison Beveridge and get her hooked on WTP!”

A few weeks ago, at the UCI World Cup in London, Canada had three different riders competing in the Women’s Team Pursuit, and twice broke the Canadian mark in the event.

The performance in Argentina will significantly help Canada secure a spot for the Olympic Games. Entering the event, Canada was sitting in seventh place of the UCI Olympic standings, thanks in large part due to the silver medal performance posted during the Olympic Test event in London.

Both Stephanie Roorda and Laura Brown, seasoned veterans on the Canadian Track Cycling Team, were part of the Canadian Team who won the Gold medal at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Allison Beveridge, who is just coming out of the Junior ranks, stepped up and rose to the challenge to race at this event. Beveridge took a break from her reading week to come and race. Since the last Los Angeles training session in December, Beveridge has been training in Calgary, on rollers, while attending the University of Calgary.

In December, Beveridge posted a strong time at the trials in Los Angeles, and showed great technical abilities. Early on, she was able to understand the rider transitions during the race, and earned her way to the Pan-American Championships based on her camp performance.

In terms of Olympic qualifications, this Gold medal will give Canada the maximum numbers of UCI points at grab. The points will allow Canada to head into the UCI World Championships without worrying about times and results, but to focus instead on improving on the technical aspects

The 2012 UCI World Championships will be the last time the Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit will race prior to the Olympic Games.

March 5, 2012/by Communications

SILVER MEDAL FOR CANADA’S MEN TEAM SPRINT IN ARGENTINA

Heather Moyse races to fourth place in career first cycling race

(Mar del Plata, ARG – March 04, 2012) The Canadian squad rose to the challenge in the Men’s Team Sprint at the 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, winning the silver medal on Friday to open the critical event for Canada’s Track Cycling Team.

The squad comprised of Travis Smith of Calgary, AB, Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON and Hugo Barrette of Cap-Aux-Meules, QC, qualified for the gold medal race in the morning qualifications, and went on to face the United States of American in the evening.

As Travis Smith explains, the United States had the race of their lives to win the gold.: “We finished 2nd. All of us improved our times, but the American second rider had the ride of his life tonight to help the Americans win. In our first ride it was so windy I was just struggling my whole last lap, but the final I went down a gear and felt much better.”

In the bronze medal match, Argentina edged to the finish line Canada’s main rivals in the hunt for the last Olympic spot, Venezuela, who placed fourth.

Heather Moyse of Summerside, PEI, who suited up for Canada for the first time in a cycling race, also rose to the occasion and proved that she was a contender among an international field. Moyse posted the fourth fastest time of the 500m Time Trial at 36.207 seconds. Cuba’s Guerra Lisandra was the fastest by posting a time of 34.601 seconds.

Competition resumes today in Argentina, with the Men’s Sprint, where Smith and Veloce will battle it out in yet another important event for Canada’s Olympic qualifications.

March 4, 2012/by Communications

TRAVIS SMITH LEADS CANADIAN SPRINTERS AT 2012 PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Travis Smith takes sixth place, Joseph Veloce right behind in seventh, and Hugo Barrette cracks Top 12

(Mar del Plata, ARG – March 04, 2012) A day after riding to the silver medal in the men’s team sprint event, the three sprinters were back in action at the 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships in Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Sunday featured the men’s individual sprint events, where Travis Smith of Calgary, AB, the 2010 Pan-American Champion, rode to the sixth place. In seventh place came Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON. Finally, Canada’s third sprinter in Argentina, Hugo Barrette of Cap-Aux-Meules, took the 12th position.

“My day started off pretty good qualifying in fifth place, with a 10.5 seconds 200m. I made it through into the next rounds to race in the 1/16th finals. Unfortunately I lost my race to the Columbian, and had to come through the repechage rounds to make it into the quarter finals. Unfortunately this meant I got paired against the fastest qualifier, where I lost only by inches. In the 5-8 final, my plan was to lead it out, which I did with two laps to go, and ended up finishing sixth. I was happy with how the day went,” said Travis Smith, of Calgary.

Despite a slower qualifying time and a seventh place, Veloce was happy with the experience and the precious UCI points gathered for Canada in Argentina.

“Racing today started out a bit slow, not qualifying quite as well as I would have liked. However, we all managed to turn it around in the sprint rounds. Overall, I was really happy with the way I raced, finishing seventh. The races were all close, and I learned a lot. We don’t get many chances to sprint throughout the year, so it was a great opportunity to gain some valuable sprinting experience and have some fun. We managed to earn some points on our competitors for an Olympic sprint spot, so now it is just a waiting game as we wait to see the results of the semis and finals, and refocus for our last day of racing here in the keirin!,” commented Veloce.

Hugo Barrette, the young rookie sprinter, is happy to come out of these Championships with a silver medal.

“My day started with a pretty bad 200m for me, qualifying in 13th place. In the 1/16th finals I won, to guarantee me top 12. In the 1/8th final I lost my first ride against Njisane Phillip, and in the repechage I lost against Hersony, and Blatchford, to finish overall 12th. I’m disappointed by my performance, but since we put all our effort for the team sprint, where we finished 2nd, I am not too bitter about my individual performance,” explained Barrette.

Racing in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, resumes tomorrow.

March 4, 2012/by Communications

HEATHER MOYSE TO CYCLE FOR CANADA AT THE 2012 UCI PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Multi-sport athlete and Olympic Gold medallist to compete internationally in third sport as she meets performance standards

(Mar Del Plata, ARG – March 02, 2012) Heather Moyse of Summerside, PEI, an Olympic gold medallist in the sport of bobsleigh and former competitive rugby player, will wear the maple leaf representing Canada in her third elite sport, cycling, this weekend at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling Pan-American Championships in Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Moyse, who took a year off her winter sport to heal an injury, expressed her interest to join the track cycling program this past summer, and initially worked with track coach Tanya Dubnicoff.

In the fall, Dubnicoff informed Moyse of her time standards she had to meet in order to compete for Canada on the international scene, and Moyse went right to work. Spending countless hours at the velodrome in Los Angeles with a private coach, Moyse challenged herself to work hard, gain control of her bicycle and ride fast.

After the Christmas break, in January, both Moyse and Dubnicoff sat down to discuss her progress and Dubnicoff went on to provide Moyse with an opportunity to meet the standards. The road from that initial discussion to the time trial was not easy. Moyse lost her first training bike, which was sold for parts, and then learnt that the velodrome in Los Angeles where she trained was closed for two weeks for the 2012 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. Despite the challenges, Moyse decided to stay positive and get right to work to improve her times on the track.

Last week, on February 24th in Los Angeles, Moyse went on to meet the performance standards.

Shortly thereafter, Dubnicoff rewarded the hard work and dedication showed by Moyse, and sent her an invitation to compete for Canada at the 2012 UCI Pan-American Championships in Argentina, an important Olympic qualifier for the Canadian Track Cycling Team.

“With the help of a number of individuals, I beat one of the two time standards that were set for me. I am thrilled to be able to represent Canada in my third national sport – this time on a pair of wheels! But I know that this is just the beginning…. I have a lot of improvement still ahead of me,” said Moyse.

“We made a promise to Heather in the fall that if she met the standards, she would get the opportunity to race for Canada. The time standard she had to meet is the same for everyone who wants to represent Canada at international competition. Despite many challenges, Heather has demonstrated stunning improvements and perseverance in the last two months, and she earned her way to Argentina,” said Dubnicoff.

Added Dubnicoff: “We are confident Heather will be continuing to work hard and improve her times on the bicycle. The experience in Argentina will be important for her to gauge herself with competitors from other countries, and evaluate what she needs to do to improve.”

In Argentina, Moyse will ride in two individual events – the sprint and the 500m Time Trials, both low-risk events. The event runs from March 3-11, and includes both road and track disciplines.

March 2, 2012/by Communications