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FOUR NEW CANADIAN CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT CANADIAN BMX CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CALGARY

Calgary, Alberta (August 30, 2021) – Over 600 riders from all over the country came out for the first Canadian BMX Championships in over two years, which were held in Calgary, Alberta on August 28th. Titles and maple leaf jerseys were awarded in the women’s and men’s categories for Junior (17-18) and Elite (19+) riders, with medals awarded in the Challenge classes for age group racing from as young as 5 years old.

Alberta and British Columbia dominated the titles, with each province winning two national champions jerseys, while Quebec was also represented on the podium. First-year Elite Molly Simpson of Red Deer, AB, took the win in the Elite women’s field, with Olympian Drew Mechielsen unable to defend her title due to a foot injury. In the Junior category, World Championship silver medallist Teigen Pascual of Squamish, BC, dominated the field to earn her first Junior title.

“The Canadian BMX Championships have always been one of my favourite races,” said Simpson. “Racing in front of a home crowd and on Canadian soil makes the race that much more exciting. Receiving the maple leaf sleeve is an honour and this weekend was definitely a memorable moment in my career.”

The men’s Elite title was also up for grabs with Olympian James Palmer unable to compete due to a training injury. The battle for the title played out between brothers Alex and Ryan Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, with Ryan ultimately coming out on top to win his first Canadian champion jersey. In the Junior field, Max Ganakovsky of Calgary, AB won all three motos to claim the title.

“It was exciting to be back racing in front of a crowd after a two-year break,” said Tougas. “It means a lot to me to be the new Canadian champion. I have always looked up to older riders who got the chance to wear the sleeve, so I’m super excited to come out with the win. Thank you to everyone at Calgary BMX who had everything running smoothly this weekend.”

Results

Junior Women: 1- Teigen Pascual 2- Isabella Bregliano 3- Céleste Bigras
Junior Men: 1- Max Ganakovsky 2- Dylan Tremel 3- Jacob Shaw
Elite Women: 1- Molly Simpson 2- Brianne Vanderkuip
Elite Men: 1- Ryan Tougas 2- Alex Tougas 3- Edouard Brisebois

For full results, please click here.

THE CANADIAN BMX CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURN TO CALGARY THIS WEEKEND

Calgary, Alberta (August 25, 2021) – The Canadian BMX Championships and the third Canada Cup of the season will be returning to Calgary on August 28-29 for an exciting weekend of competition. After being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the event is back with over 500 riders of all ages and categories already pre-registered. Participants who wish to register onsite can consult the technical guide for more information.

Saturday will see riders competing for the maple leaf jersey in the Junior (17-18) and Elite (19+) categories for women and men, with medals awarded in the Challenge classes for age group racing from as young as 5 years old. Despite certain defending champions missing the event due to injuries, several high-profile athletes will be in attendance and looking to earn titles, including the UCI BMX World Championships Junior women’s silver medalist Teigen Pascual, first-year Elite Molly Simpson, as well as Alex Tougas, who will be returning to competition in the Elite men’s category after suffering from an injury in 2019.  s

“We are thrilled to be hosting the 2021 Canadian BMX Championships and look forward to seeing all the riders, especially since the event was cancelled for the 2020 season,” said event organizer and President of the Calgary BMX Association, Jonas Tremel. “The event’s online pre-registration numbers have surpassed our expectations for this event and proves that the BMX community is eager to be back to racing.”

On Sunday, riders will compete in the third round of the BMX Canada Cup national series. Full event details can be found here.

TEIGEN PASCUAL WINS SILVER AT THE BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Papendal, Netherlands (August 22, 2021) – After winning the Russ Copeland Award for Best Junior Rider of the Year in 2020, Teigen Pascual proved once again that she is among the top Junior female riders in the world by clinching a silver medal at the BMX World Championships in Papendal, Netherlands on Sunday.

Pascual started the day by qualifying third in the motos to make her way directly to the semi-final round where she won her heat and moved on to the finals. In the final heat, she was just edged out by French rider, Mariane Beltrando who clinched the gold medal by only 0.725 of a second.

“It was nice to have the Canada jersey on again, and have it on the podium this time,” says Pascual. “This moment [winning the silver] means a lot. It’s been a hard two years, and it’s just nice seeing everything come together.”

Pascual was joined by Canadian teammates Max Ganakovskyy, Dylan Tremel and Jacob Shaw in the Junior men’s category, as well as Molly Simpson in the Elite women’s category. All four unfortunately did not advance to the next round.

“It was really refreshing to work with a young batch of junior and elite athletes,” says Canadian National BMX Coach, Adam Muys. “The day started out a little rough with a few crashes, but they got back on the bike and put in some great laps. It was really exciting at the end of the day with Teigen in the final and coming away with second place. I’m just really proud of all the athletes and seeing Teigen on the podium.”

Full results from the BMX World Championships can be found here. Next up on the BMX race calendar will be the Canadian BMX Championships and Canada Cup final which will be hosted in Calgary on August 28-29.

CANADIAN ATHLETES HEADING TO FIRST BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TWO YEARS

Ottawa, ON (August 11, 2021) – Cycling Canada is excited to send a team of five athletes to the first UCI BMX World Championships in nearly two years, which will be held from August 17-22 in Papendal, Netherlands.

The squad will be led by first-year Elite Molly Simpson and Junior rider, Teigen Pascual, who have both had success on the international stage, with Pascual winning the Russ Copeland Award for Best Junior Rider of the Year in 2020. Unfortunately, Olympians Drew Mechielsen and James Palmer both had to withdraw only a few weeks after racing in their first Olympics due to injuries.

“We have a young group of athletes ready to have some breakout performances at the World Championships,” said Adam Muys, Cycling Canada’s Head BMX Coach. “We’re focusing on our development pathway for the athletes and providing them with a stage to compete and learn from competing with the best in the world. We’re looking forward to a great experience in Papendal.”

Elite Women
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB

Junior Women
Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC

Junior Men
Max Ganakovski – Calgary, AB
Jacob Shaw – Kelowna, BC
Dylan Tremel – Calgary, AB

DREW MECHIELSEN 8TH IN BMX RACING FINALS

TOKYO (July 30, 2021) – Drew Mechielsen and James Palmer both made their Olympic debut on July 29-30 at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo, where Mechielsen qualified for both the women’s BMX Racing semi-final and final rounds. She eventually crossed the finish line in 8th place, obtaining Canada’s second-best result in the women’s field since the event was introduced at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Drew finished among the top-5 in her three quarterfinal heats, earning her a spot in the semi-final round on Friday. Despite several crashes in the semi-finals, she remained unscathed and placed 3rd, 7th and 4th to advance to the final round, where she ultimately finished 8th.

“I am feeling really incredible,” said Mechielsen immediately after her race. “I would have liked to have a little bit of a better run in that last round but to make it to the finals was surreal. I’m happy with how I rode, obviously you want to win everything but my riding was the best that it could have been and that was my goal coming here.”

James Palmer unfortunately did not advance past the quarterfinal round despite finishing 4th in his last heat on Thursday.

“I struggled with the track out there and it took me a couple of laps to get going and fortunately I was able to put down a solid one in the last round but at that point I was a little too far out of the running to qualify for through,” said Palmer. “I’m happy with how I put everything into it, that’s something I can take away from this and be proud of.”

Canadian cycling events are on a two-day hiatus and will resume at the Izu Velodrome from August 2-8, showcasing both endurance and sprint competitions. All events can be streamed on CBC Olympics.

THE CANADIAN BMX SQUAD BACK IN ACTION FOR WORLD CUPS 1 & 2

Ottawa, ON (April 30, 2021) – Over a year after the 2020 BMX world cup season was cancelled due to COVID-19, the Canadian BMX squad is looking forward to being back in action in Verona, Italy, on May 8-9 and Bogota, Colombia, on May 29-30 for the opening rounds of the UCI BMX World Cup.

Elite National champions and Olympic hopefuls James Palmer and Drew Mechielsen will be leading the team and will be looking to secure a quota of one woman and one man for the Tokyo Summer Games. They will be joined by first-year Elite Molly Simpson, as well as Teigen Pascual, who earned the title of Best Junior Rider of the Year in 2020.

“After more than a year of waiting in anticipation, it’s extremely exciting to have world cup racing on the horizon again,” said James Palmer. “I’ve been back racing in the US since January, but world cup events are the pinnacle of our sport. It’s created quite the boost of energy at our training sessions knowing we finally have the opportunity to put all our hard work to the test against the world’s best.”

Team Canada

Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC [Elite Women]

James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC [Elite Men]

Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC [Junior Women]

Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB [Elite Women]

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2021 NEXTGEN ATHLETES

Ottawa, ON (November 18, 2020) Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 47 athletes who were selected to join the BMX, Mountain Bike, Para-cycling and Track NextGen programs for the 2021 season. Selected athletes will be working with Cycling Canada’s NextGen coaches, as well as coaches from across the country including former Olympians Tory Nyhaug, Joe Veloce and Tanya Dubnicoff.

“I am excited by the depth of talent we have across all cycling disciplines looking to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond,” said Jenny Trew, Cycling Canada’s NextGen Lead Coach. “As we start this quad with enhanced NextGen programs, we are already setting considerable goals with the aim of achieving medal success in Paris. Our athletes, coaches and staff are excited and motivated for the opportunities that lie ahead.”

In addition to its NextGen programs, Cycling Canada will be launching a new coaching program for road athletes, providing them with the opportunity to be trained by National Team coaches. Four athletes will be entering the pilot version of the program, with the goal of expanding the program in the coming years.

BMX

James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Milton BMX]
Curtis Krey – Etobicoke, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Milton BMX]
Carson Kowaski – Red Deer, AB [Coach – Tory Nyhaug, Team – Red Deer BMX]
Riley Lavorato – Lethbridge, AB [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Lethbridge BMX]
Teigen Pascual – Squamish, BC [Coach – Arielle Martin, Team – Squamish BMX]
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB [Coach – Adam Muys, Team – Red Deer BMX]
Ryan Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC [Coach – Adam Muys, Team – Ridge Meadows BMX]

Mountain Bike

Raphaël Auclair – Lac-Beauport, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Pivot Cycles – OTE]
Quinton Disera – Barrie, ON [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Norco Factory Team]
Emilly Johnston – Comox, BC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Pendrel Racing]
Dylan Kerr – Barrie, ON [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Angry Johnny’s]
Jérémie La Grenade – Gatineau, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Ride with Rendall]
Juliette Tétreault – Val-des-Monts, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Ride with Rendall]
Roxane Vermette – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Vélo Club MSA]
Carter Woods – Cumberland, BC [Coach – Jeff Ain, Team – Norco Factory Team]

Para-cycling

Louis-Albert Corriveau-Jolin – Quebec City, QC [Coach – Eric Van Den Eynde]
Joey Desjardins – Hawkesbury, ON [Coach – Sébastien Travers]
Kara Douville – Calgary, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]
Matthew Kinnie – Moncton, NB [Coach – Guillaume Plourde]
Michael Shetler – Kirkland, QC [Coach – James Jacek-Côté]
Carla Shibley & Meghan Brown (pilot) – Calgary, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]
Lowell Taylor & Ed Veal (pilot) – Lethbridge, AB [Coach – Phil Abbott]

Track – Sprint

Jackie Boyle – Toronto, ON [Coach – Dave Jack]
Madison Dempster – Milton, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Midweek Cycling]
Ryan Dodyk – Edmonton, ON [Coach – Alex Ongaro, Team – Juventus Cycling Club]
James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON [Coach – Brendan Arnold, Team – Madonna Wheelers Cycling Club]
Andrew Scott – Oakville, ON [Coach – Joe Veloce]
Gavin Thomas – Calgary, AB [Coach – Tanya Dubnicoff, Team – Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle]

Men’s Track Endurance

Evan Burtnik – Edmonton, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – XSpeed United]
Chris Ernst – Kitchener, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – XSpeed United]
Amiel Flett-Brown – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Houshang Amiri, Team – Red Truck Racing]
Mathias Guillemette – Trois-Rivières, QC [Coach – Pascal Morin, Team – XSpeed United]
Jackson Kinniburgh – Calgary, ON [Coach – Tanya Dubnicoff, Team – Digital Commerce Bank]
Ethan Ogrodniczuk – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Glotman Simpson]
Sean Richardson – Vancouver, BC [Coach – Tim Sherstobitoff, Team – TAG Cycling]

Women’s Track Endurance

Erin Attwell – Victoria, BC [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Ngaire Barraclough – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Alex Ongaro, Team – InstaFund La Prima]
Hayley Basterash – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Kevin Clark]
Miriam Brouwer – Cambridge, ON [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Devaney Collier – Edmonton, AB [Coach – Jenny Trew, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Adèle Desgagnés – Montreal, QC [Coach – Yannick Bédard, Team – Équipe Cycliste Québecor Stingray]
Lily Plante – Sutton, QC [Coach – Yannick Bédard, Team – Équipe Cycliste Desjardins-Ford]
Kaitlyn Rauwerda – Hamilton, ON [Coach – Chris Rozdilsky, Team – Cyclery Racing]
Callie Swan – Prince George, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Macogep-Tornatech-Girondins de Bordeaux]
Sarah Van Dam – Victoria, BC [Coach – Richard Wooles, Team – Red Truck Racing]
Ruby West – Dundas, ON [Coach – Jeremy Powers, Team – Proximus-Alphamotorhomes-Dolticini CT]

TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN TORY NYHAUG RETIRES FROM BMX RACING

Ottawa, ON (November 18, 2019) – Two-time Olympian and Canadian BMX racer Tory Nyhaug has announced that he is officially retiring from professional sport after an illustrious career. The 27-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C. has been forced to hang up the bike after struggling with post-concussion symptoms for the last year and half that ultimately led to his decision to retire.

Nyhaug’s career was highlighted by a gold medal on home soil at the 2015 Pan Am Games, a silver medal at the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships and representing Canada at the 2012 and 2016 summer Olympics. At the Rio Games in 2016, Nyhaug qualified for the final and finished in fifth place, the best-ever Canadian result.

Early this year, Nyhaug described the concussion he has been suffering from as the most frustrating injury of his career. Having resumed training on multiple occasions, symptoms continuously flared up as he aimed to participate in a third Olympics for Canada. The severity of the injury, the persistent symptoms and the possibility of long term risk of another hit to the head forced Nyhaug to make the decision to retire in the interest of his own health.

“The past year and a half has been really difficult mentally and physically trying to overcome this concussion,” Nyhaug said. “I did everything I possibly could to return to racing and I’m disappointed I couldn’t finish my career on a high note. With that being said, I’m happy that I can now retire healthy and proud of everything I’ve accomplished. I have no regrets, I poured my heart and soul into my sport and I was rewarded with more than I ever thought possible. I competed in two Olympic Games including one Olympic final, won a Pan Am Games gold medal, earned a World Championships silver medal and stood on multiple World Cup podiums. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.”

While he will take a step away from racing, Nyhaug plans to continue to be heavily involved in BMX riding for fun and sharing his story to help others dealing with the effects of concussions. He will also be a member of the TV crew at the UCI BMX SX World Cups, plans to hold BMX camps and coach riders. He also has plans to continue growing his “Coffee Chatter” BMX podcast.

QUARTERFINAL FINISH FOR TUCHSCHERER AT BMX WORLDS

Heusden-Zolder, Belgium (July 28, 2019) – Daina Tuchscherer was the top Canadian rider on Saturday at the BMX World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, making it to the quarterfinal round of the Elite women’s competition. In the Junior women’s category, Holly Simpson also advanced as far as the quarterfinals, as did James Hedgcock in Junior men. James Palmer was knocked out of competition in the one-eighth final for Elite men. In the Challenge categories, silver medals were won by Canadians Teigen Pascual in Girls 16 Years and Jack Cerney in Boys 10 Years.

“It has been a rough year with injuries and a loss of one of our BMX family (Aidan Webber), but the team has started to turn the season around with some strong performances,” said team manager Brendan Arnold. “We are building towards Houston in May next year and with Worlds in North America we are excited to see what the riders will be able to do.”

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES 2019 BMX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

Ottawa, ON (July 19, 2019) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the athletes who have been selected to represent Canada at the BMX World Championships in Zolder, Belgium, on July 23-27, with a total of nine riders representing Canada in the Elite and Junior classes.

Drew Mechielsen and Daina Tuchscherer, who are currently ranked among the top-25 in the world, will be looking for strong finishes in the Elite women’s category after taking gold and silver last weekend at the Canadian BMX Championships. They will be joined by Canadian champion James Palmer and Gaby Malenfant in the Elite men’s field. Tory Nyhaug, Alex Tougas and Ryan Tougas were all selected to the team, but had to decline due to injuries.

Adam Muys, National BMX Coach, said “I’m looking forward to good performances from our athletes; we have been working on several skills and tactics over the last few months to help us achieve our performance goals. The team trained on this track earlier this spring and are familiar with the facilities, which will be an asset.”

The team will be joined by a number of additional Challenge class athletes.

2019 BMX World Championship Team – Elite and Junior

Elite Men
Gaby Malenfant – Drummondville, QC
James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC

Elite Women
Daina Tuchscherer – Calgary, AB
Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC

Junior Men
Curtis Krey – Etobicoke, ON
James Hedgcock – Ancaster, ON

Junior Women
Lauren Webber – Ottawa, ON
Molly Simpson – Red Deer, AB
Violet Cejavlo – Langley, BC

NextGen Athletes competing in Challenge World Championships:
Cole Zufelt – Trenton, ON
Edouard Proulx – Saint-Valérien, QC
Teigan Pascual – Squamish, BC