News Archive | Cycling Canada Cyclisme

TEAM CANADA COLLECTS FOUR MEDALS AT PARA-CYCLING TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 

Ottawa, ON (March 27, 2024) – Canada shone at the Para-cycling Track World Championships 2024, held March 20-24, racking up a total of four medals.

On the first day of competition, Mel Pemble of Victoria, BC, clinched Canada’s first medal with a silver in the Women’s C3 500m Time Trial. She scored the second fastest time stopping the clock at 39.573s, just 0.093s behind gold medallist Xiaomei Wang, of China while Aniek Van Den Aarsen, of the Netherlands took the bronze medal.

On that same day, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medallists Kate O’Brien, of Calgary, AB, and Keely Shaw, Midale, SK, were also in action in the women’s C4 category. They finished fifth and ninth in the 500m time trial.

On Friday, March 22nd, Shaw, won the bronze medal in the Women’s C4 Individual Pursuit. After qualifying in fourth position, she scored a time of 3:54.093 in the bronze medal final against Anna Grace Taylor (4:00.732) of New Zealand. The gold medal was awarded to Emily Petricola of Australia, who scored a time of 3:46.317 in her heat against Samantha Bosco (USA) who finished with a time difference of 7.690s. That same day, Alex Hayward of Quispamsis, NB, finished fifth in the men’s C3 individual pursuit, just short of qualifying for the bronze final.

Looking to add a third omnium title to her collection, Pemble ended up taking the bronze medal on March 23, where she went on to score another second position in the 200m flying sprint, before finishing fifth in the individual pursuit and sixth in the scratch race. Pemble accumulated a total of 138 points, while the gold medal went to Xiaomei Wang of China (160 points) and the silver to Aniek Van den Aarssen of the Netherlands (146 points).

Surprising the field on the last day of competition, Hayward, of Quispamsis, NB, won a silver medal in the Men C3 scratch race Hayward crossed the line alongside Jaco Van Gass of Great-Britain and Masaki Fujita, of Japan, who respectively won gold and bronze.

“All in all, these are great performances from our athletes,” commented National Team Coach Sébastien Travers. “We are accumulating a lot of key learning as well as a better understanding of the priorities ahead in preparation for the Paralympic Games. I’m very proud of our team and grateful to the staff members who have contributed to the athletes’ success.”

Full results from the 2024 Para-Cycling Track World Championships can be found here.

Team Canada: 

Alex Hayward (Men C3) 
Silver (Scratch Race), 5th (Individual Pursuit), 7th (Omnium), 11th (Time Trial)

Kate O’Brien (Women C4) 
5th (Time Trial), 11th (Omnium), 12th (Scratch Race), 14th (Individual Pursuit)

Mel Pemble (Women C3) 
Silver (Time Trial), Bronze (Omnium), 5th (Individual Pursuit), 6th (Scratch Race)

Keely Shaw (Women C4) 
Bronze (Individual Pursuit), 9th (Time Trial), 10th (Omnium), 13th (Scratch Race)

Lowell Taylor/Ed Veal (Men B)  
10th (Individual Pursuit), 14th (Sprint), 16th (Time Trial)

CANADA MOURNS TRACK CYCLING LEGEND GORDON SINGLETON

Ottawa, ON (March 25, 2024) – It is with great sadness that Cycling Canada has learned of the recent passing of track cycling professional Gordon Singleton of Niagara Falls, ON.He passed away at the age of 67 after a fight with prostate cancer.

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of Gordon’s passing” said Cycling Canada Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Jeffries. “One of Canadian cycling’s greatest champions and most gracious ambassadors, Gordon was a trailblazer who inspired so many Canadian athletes who have followed in his footsteps. His accomplishments on the bike were legendary and perhaps surpassed only by his continued contributions, engagement and generosity as an active and valued member of the Canadian cycling community over the past 40 years. He will be dearly missed but never forgotten.”

“With the passing of Gordon Singleton, Canada and the sport of cycling have lost one of the true giants,” added Mark Collins, Cycling Canada Board of Director’s Chair. “Seeing him flying around the track was electrifying at a formative time for the sport of cycling in Canada; Gordon will be truly missed.  An Olympian, a World Champion, and a world-record holder, he was a pioneer whose shoulders our team will forever stand on whenever we pull the maple leaf jersey on and ride for Canada.”

Singleton left his mark on Canadian cycling by breaking numerous records and becoming, in 1982, the first Canadian to win a gold medal at the Track Cycling World Championships.

In this time of sorrow, Cycling Canada would like to extend its deepest condolences to his family and friends.

ALEX HAYWARD WINS SILVER AT THE UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (March 24, 2024) – Alexandre Hayward, of Quispamsis, NB, won a silver medal in the Men C3 scratch race on the last day of the 2024 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. Hayward crossed the line alongside Jaco Van Gass of Great-Britain and Masaki Fujita, of Japan, who respectively won gold and bronze.

“We are concluding these World Championships with a surprise performance from Alex – who finished in second position at his first-ever scratch race. His race-reading is improving and his physical abilities are improving, which bodes well for the rest of the season,” said Sébastien Travers, Cycling Canada National Team Coach.

This is Hayward’s first World Championship medal on the track.

BRONZE FOR MEL PEMBLE AT THE UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (March 23, 2024) – Mel Pemble of Victoria, BC, won a bronze medal in the Women’s C3 Omnium on March 23 at the 2024 UCI Para-Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. Pemble accumulated a total of 138 points, while the gold medal went to Xiaomei Wang of China (160 points) and the silver to Aniek Van den Aarssen of the Netherlands (146 points).

Placing second in the 500m time trial, where she clinched the silver medal on March 20, Pemble went on to score another second position in the 200m flying sprint, before finishing fifth in the individual pursuit and sixth in the scratch race.

Pemble previously held the World Champion title in the discipline.

KEELY SHAW WINS BRONZE AT THE UCI PARA-CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (March 22, 2024) – Keely Shaw, of Midale, SK, won the bronze medal in the Women’s C4 Individual Pursuit on March 22 at the 2024 UCI Para-Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. After qualifying in fourth position, Shaw scored a time of 3:54.093 in the bronze medal final against Anna Grace Taylor (4:00.732) of New Zealand.

The gold medal was awarded to Emily Petricola of Australia, who scored a time of 3:46.317 in her heat against Samantha Bosco (USA) who finished with a time difference of 7.690s.

“I came to Worlds looking for a podium spot, so it’s hard not to be happy with that,” said Shaw. “We’ve got a lot of key learnings to take away for this race. At the end of the day, we did what we came here to do, we got ourselves on the podium. I’m excited to take all these key learnings to the training camp in Bomont and see what we can bring to Paris in September.”

Team Canada’s racers were all in action on Friday, aiming to rack up points towards the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Alex Hayward of Quispamsis, NB finished fifth in the men’s C3 individual pursuit, just short of qualifying for the bronze final. Mel Pemble (women’s C3), of Victoria, BC and Kate O’Brien (women’s C4), of Calgary, AB, finished sixth and fourteenth in their respective individual pursuits. The duo of Lowell Taylor, of Lethbridge, AB, and Ed Veal, of Queensville, ON, (men B) finished sixteenth in the one-kilometer time trial.

“We have to highlight the performances of our athletes today, who gave us precious points by doing events for which they don’t necessarily have the preparation,” said National Team coach Sébastien Travers. We’re really pleased to be able to count on our athletes, who are taking part in a number of disciplines, to score as many points as possible for the Paris Paralympic Games.”

Full results from the third day of the 2024 UCI Para-Track Cycling World Championships can be found here.

MEL PEMBLE WINS CANADA’S FIRST MEDAL AT 2024 UCI PARA-TRACK CYLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (March 20, 2024) – Mel Pemble of Victoria, BC, clinched the silver medal in the Women’s C3 500m Time Trial on March 20 at the 2024 UCI Para-Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. She scored the second fastest time stopping the clock at 39.573s, just 0.093s behind gold medallist Xiaomei Wang, of China. Aniek Van Den Aarsen, of the Netherlands took the bronze medal.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medallists Kate O’Brien and Keely Shaw were also in action in the women’s C4 category. They finished fifth and ninth in the 500m time trial, 2.386s and 4.066s behind first place, won by Kaddena Cox (GBR) and her time of 36.675s. Anna Grace Taylor (NZL) and Xiohui Li (CHN) won silver and bronze.

“It was a good first day for us here in Rio,” said National Team Coach Sébastien Travers. “It’s always incredible to see athletes achieve their best-ever performance on race day.  That was the case for Mel Pemble and Keely Shaw today, and we’re very pleased. Mel’s medal is a balm on her performance in 2023, where she had some difficulties with the starts.”

Full results from the first day of the 2024 UCI Para-Track Cycling World Championships can be found here.

TEAM CANADA HEADS TO BRAZIL FOR THE 2024 PARA TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (March 15, 2024) – Cycling Canada is sending a team of six athletes to compete at the 2024 UCI Para-Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, BRA, on March 20-24 with sights set on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

All glorious at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, CHE, in Nov. 2023, medallists Alexandre Hayward, Mel Pemble and Keely Shaw will be on hand, hoping to impress the crowds once again.

Two-time world champion in the C3 women’s omnium, Pemble will have big ambitions, looking to collect another rainbow jersey to add to her collection.

“Coming into my third World Championships, I feel like I’m in a better headspace than I was before heading into the 2023 Worlds, because I’ve had that experience of coming in with medals under my belt,” said Pemble. “There’s also the fact that it’s a Games year and there’s added pressure to keep up those performances in the Paralympic events to secure that spot for Paris, but I’d also like to push to keep my Omnium crown. It’s going to be a different approach going in with an even bigger race on the horizon.”

Compatriots and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medallists Kate O’Brien and Shaw will build on the momentum of silver medals won at the World Championships in Glasgow in Aug. 2023, in the time trial and individual pursuit respectively, both in the women’s C4 category. After months of intensive training, the duo of Lowell Taylor and Ed Veal will also be ready to compete in the men’s B category.

Racing starts on March 20 and continues over the weekend. All information, including start lists and live timing, is available here.

Team Canada
Alexandre Hayward (MC3)
Kate O’Brien (WC4)
Mel Pemble (WC3)
Keely Shaw (WC4)
Lowell Taylor / Ed Veal (MB)

14 NATIONAL TITLES WON AT 2024 CANADIAN ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 12, 2024) – Cycling Canada proudly hosted the 2024 Canadian Esports Championships on the Zwift virtual cycling platform from Feb. 10-11, featuring accessible competition for athletes nationwide across seven age categories.

Competition began on Feb. 10 with the U17, Juniors and Masters races. Several 2023 champions were successful in defending their crowns, including Julie Lehmann (U17 Women); Dan Zeggelaar (Masters Men 35-44); Josée Rossignol (Masters Women 45-54); and Anna Tykoliz, who has won the Masters Women 65+ category in all three editions of the Canadian Esports Championships.

Ryan Nickerson took home top honours for the U17 Men, while the Junior titles went to Cadie Geertsema (Women) and Raphael Péloquin (Men). Rounding out the Masters winners were Lindsay Burgess (Women 35-44); Sebastien Perreault (Men 45-54); Nathalie Champagne (Women 55-64); Bruce Bird (Men 55-64); and Brian Zulkoskey (Men 65+).

“I’m very proud to have won the Canadian Champion’s jersey,” said Perreault. “The number of participants in virtual cycling events is on the rise, and the sport is becoming more and more recognized. It’s great that Cycling Canada is offering the country’s cyclists the chance to experience inspiring moments through these championships. Congratulations to all the participants!”

On Feb. 11, the Elite athletes hit the virtual road in races livestreamed in partnership with Zwift Community Live. Thomas Thrall maintained his title of Elite Men’s Champion for a second consecutive year, while the maple leaf jersey was earned by Michelle Gagnon for the Elite Women.

“Whether it be eports or simply women’s cycling, the sport is evolving at an exponential pace and I’m so excited to be a part of it all,” commented Gagnon. “It’s events like these that motivate the cyclists of tomorrow and encourage Canadians to simply hop on the bike and get out there.

Winning the maple leaf jersey was the cherry on top and I will be wearing it all over the Belgian roads with pride!”

The full list of podium results from the Canadian Esports Championships can be found here. Next up on the Canadian Championships calendar is the Canadian Track Championships for U17, Junior and Para athletes from March 29-31. The full calendar of national events can be found on the Cycling Canada website.

CANADIAN ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HOSTED ON ZWIFT

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 8, 2024) – Cycling Canada is excited to bring the 2024 Canadian Esports Championships on the Zwift virtual cycling platform, on Feb. 10-11.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Canadian Esports Championships event to Zwift for the first time in 2024,” said Josh Peacock, Cycling Canada Director of Marketing and Events. “This exciting event represents another step forward for Cycling Canada’s esports programming as we continue to build strong relationships with industry partners while working closely alongside our community to develop a uniquely challenging and entertaining competition.”

Reigning 2023 Canadian Champions, Julie Lehmann (U17 Women), Patrick Harris (Junior Men), Mairen Lawson (Elite Women), Thom Thrall (Elite Men), Josée Rossignol (Masters Women 45-54), Diane Bomans (Masters Women 55-64), Anna Tykoliz (Masters Women 65+), Dan Zeggelaar (Masters Men 35-44), Albert Chan (Masters Men 55-64), and Dave Wall (Masters Men 65+) will line up again with hopes of securing another virtual maple leaf jersey.

The Elite races on Sunday Feb. 11 will be livestreamed on Cycling Canada’s Facebook page, in partnership with Zwift Community Live.

The full technical guide and important event information can be found on the Events Page of the Cycling Canada website.

CANADA CRACKS TOP 10 AT  2024 CYCLO-CROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 5, 2024) – Team Canada showed its depth of field with several athletes out of a 21-person roster earning top-10 results at the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tabor, CZE, from Feb. 2-4.

Competition began on Feb. 2 with the team relay. Riding for the red and white were Ian Ackert of Severn, ON; Rafaëlle Carrier of Lac-Beauport, QC; Tyler Clark of Mono, ON; Jayden McMullen of St. Thomas, ON; and Ava and Isabella Holmgren of Orillia, ON. The team pulled together to post an impressive time of 1:02:29hr for fourth place just behind Belgium, who stopped the clock at 1:01:55hr for bronze. The top two spots on the podium went to gold medallists France and silver medallists Great Britain, both with a time of 1:01:23hr.

Canada’s best results came in the U23 category. After winning the rainbow jersey last year as a Junior, Isabella started her U23 career just shy of the World Championship podium in fourth place for the women. Despite a hard-fought battle back from 20th place, her time of 49:32m was a scant 13s behind bronze medallist Leonie Bentveld (NED) and her time of 49:19m. Great Britain’s Zoe Backstedt took gold (48:24m) while Kristýna Zemanová (CZE) claimed silver on a time of 49:08m.

Not far behind Isabella was her sister and 2023 Junior silver medallist, Ava, coming in at 13th place.

Also making the move into the U23 category for 2024 was Ackert in the men’s category. The 2023 Junior Cross-country Olympic (XCO) bronze medallist held steady through a competitive field to place sixth with a time of 53:31m, 1:39m off the time of gold medallist Tibor del Grosso of the Netherlands (52:02m).

In her ninth consecutive World Championship as an Elite, Maghalie Rochette of Sainte-Adèle, QC, maintained her reputation for consistency in the women’s category. She secured a 10th-place finish with a time of 50:11m, finishing less than four minutes behind leader Fem van Empel (NED) and her time of 46:19m.

Canada also earned a top-20 finish in the Women Junior category, with Carrier placing 16th in an impressive World Championship debut.

“After starting the racing with our best-ever result in the team relay on Friday, it was great to see each athlete put all of their preparation into action and leave absolutely everything on course,” said National Team Coach Michael Van Den Ham. “Results-wise, the three top-10s and numerous other personal best results are impressive not only this year, but as as a sign of things to come from this group.”

Full results from the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships can be found here.

Team Canada – Results

Junior Women
16th – Rafaëlle Carrier, Lac-Beauport, QC
31st – Lily-Rose Marois, Lac-Beauport, QC
44th – Aislin Hallahan, Peterborough, ON
46th – Nico Knoll, Calgary, AB
51st – Dorothée Perron, Gatineau, QC

Junior Men
23rd – Jayden McMullen, St. Thomas, ON
47th – Felix-Antoine Leclair, St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
51st – Tristan Taillefer, St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
67th – Alix Brunelle, Sherbrooke, QC
68th – Lucas Goertz, Waterloo, ON

U23 Women
4th – Isabella Holmgren, Orillia, ON
13th – Ava Holmgren, Orillia, ON
27th – Madeleine Pollock, North Vancouver, BC

U23 Men
6th – Ian Ackert, Severn, ON
53rd – Cody Scott, Courtenay, BC

Elite Women
10th – Maghalie Rochette, Sainte-Adèle, QC
18th – Sidney McGill, Edmonton, AB
30th – Christiane Bilodeau, St. Albert, AB
31st – Katelyn Walcroft, Collingwood, ON

Elite Men
41st – Tyler Clark, Mono, ON
46th – Evan Russell, Mill Bay, BC