CYCLING CANADA UNVEILS 2021 NATIONAL CALENDAR
Ottawa, ON (September 28, 2020) – Cycling Canada is pleased to announce its robust 2021 national calendar, adding some exciting new events to an already substantial list of national and international races on Canadian soil.
“We are very excited to return with a complete calendar of national events for the 2021 season across all disciplines,” said Events & Partnerships Manager Josh Peacock. “Although Cycling Canada remains optimistic that the conditions surrounding the current pandemic will improve, we remain conscious that our ability to deliver our national events calendar may be subject to ongoing public health regulations. Cycling Canada will continue to work alongside our dedicated group of national event organizers, provincial partners and public health authorities to provide all of the necessary resources to ensure our 2021 events calendar can be conducted in a safe and effective manner.”
The mountain bike Canada Cup calendar will kick off in Mont-Tremblant, QC, on May 29-30 with offerings in both the DH and XC disciplines as a part of the wider Crossroads Tremblant festival. The calendar continues with XCO and DH stops in Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, with exciting conclusions at the Crankworx Festival for DH series, and in Dieppe, NB, for the XC series. As was planned for 2020, all junior events within the XC series will be sanctioned at a minimum level of UCI C2 including four stops on the UCI Junior Series.
From July 10-11, the Canadian XCO Championships return to Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro Station, ON, while the Canadian Downhill Championships head to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., on July 24-25. The season will conclude with a stop at one of Canada’s most exciting mountain bike venues in Saint-Félicien, QC, for the Canadian XC Marathon Championships on September 11th. Notably absent from the calendar is the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC. With the UCI unable to offer a two-year contract for the hosting of the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2021 & 2022, organizers have opted to take a brief hiatus from programming in 2021 and work towards an agreement for the return of the event in 2022 & 2023.
The BMX Canada Cup series will kick off in Drummondville, QC, on June 19-20, followed by an exciting new stop on the series at Haut-Richelieu, QC, on June 26-27 and a stand-alone Canada Cup in St. Albert, AB, on July 17-18. The season will conclude with the Canadian BMX Championships & Canada Cup finale at Calgary BMX on August 28-29.
The UCI Gran Fondo World Series will continue to build its presence on Canadian soil with the Classique des Appalaches in Victoriaville, QC, on July 1-3 making its debut on the national calendar. Adding to the profile of the event will be the inclusion of the Canadian Masters Road Championships from July 1-4, cementing Victoriaville as a destination for Canadian and North American masters riders alike.
On the Elite side, road racing will commence on June 3rd with the UCI women’s Chrono Féminin de la Gatineau followed by the Tour de Gatineau on June 4th. A few weeks later, racing will resume in Beauce with the Canadian Elite/Junior/Para Road Championships taking place on June 17-20, followed by the Tour de Beauce on June 23-27. Rounding out the domestic UCI calendar will be the fan-favourite BC Superweek from July 9-18 and Canadian road calendar staple Tour de l’Abitibi from July 12-18. The season is capped by UCI WorldTour stops in Quebec City and Montreal on September 10 and 12 for the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal.
The para-cycling national schedule will once again return to Montreal on May 1-2 for the Challenge Gary Longhi as part of the Défi Sportif AlterGo, a multisport event for athletes with functional limitations. The season will continue with the Canadian Road Championships on June 17-20, and finish with the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup in Baie-Comeau with final dates still to be confirmed.
Noticeably vacant from the current calendar are events in the cyclo-cross, track, and para track cycling disciplines. Cycling Canada is currently working with organizers in both disciplines towards an event application deadline of October 1st. Following review of all relevant applications, Cycling Canada will publish a release with complete event detail in late 2020. For the full 2021 events calendar, click here.
“We would like to take this opportunity to commend our local and national organizing committees across the country who have continued to demonstrate an inspiring sense of optimism and resilience as we weather this storm,” said Peacock. “We are thrilled to be working with them as we build towards another exciting year of national calendar racing.”
