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CANADIAN ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK IN 2023 AND COMING TO CRANKWORX WHISTLER

Canadian Open Enduro to take place Sunday, July 30, co-produced by Crankworx and the Canadian Enduro League and sanctioned by Cycling Canada

 WHISTLER, BC (March 2, 2023) – Crankworx, the Canadian Enduro League (CEL) and Cycling Canada have announced the return of the top title in Canadian enduro racing.

The Canadian Enduro Championships are back in 2023 and are coming to Crankworx Whistler. The Canadian Enduro Champion titles will be awarded to Canadian racers based on the Elite (17+) results of the Canadian Open Enduro.

The Canadian Open Enduro will take place on the final weekend of Crankworx Whistler on Sunday, July 30. And while Canada’s elite will have their eyes set on the championship titles, the race itself will be open to elite and amateur racers from all nations.

Racers can expect the high-caliber racing, advanced terrain, and iconic Whistler tracks they’ve come to expect of enduro racing at Crankworx Whistler.

“Having Canadian Championships is huge for us,” said Jesse Melamed. “Our Canadian numbers are growing on the World Circuit and having such a prestigious race at home in Canada will help bring more kids into the sport and grow the racing passion. It’s great to see Crankworx step up and make this as big as it should be. I am stoked that I get to race in Whistler again this year and fight for the sleeve,” he added. “It is an honour to wear it. The race in 2022 was one of the best yet so I can’t wait to see what Crankworx will provide for the championships race this year.” 

The event will be co-produced by Crankworx and the Canadian Enduro League and sanctioned by Cycling Canada.

“The goal going into this was to bring these three great organizations together to stage a world-class enduro in Canada for our local riders, and for the world who wants to get in on the action,” said Darren Kinnaird, Managing Director of Crankworx, on the joint efforts of Crankworx, the Canadian Enduro League, and Cycling Canada. “So far it has been incredibly exciting working with these great advocates for enduro in Canada. We’ve been hosting enduro races during Crankworx Whistler for most of our history, including the EWS from 2013-2022. The spirit has always been about hard-charging racing in our amazing backyard. Combining what we do with Ted and the community he’s grown through CEL is going to result in a pretty special race and a great way to send the 2023 Crankworx World Tour out with a bang.”

“The Canadian Enduro League is honored to bring our experience into such a unique and collaborative partnership,” said Ted Morton of the Canadian Enduro League. “Crankworx’s willingness to co-produce this event with us and partner with Cycling Canada highlights their ethos of wanting to ‘celebrate mountain bike culture,’ and that means providing racers with a high level of communication, on-course safety, clear direction and of course, amazing trails with lots of love! This is the culminating opportunity for aspiring and veteran Canadian Enduro racers, and to be showcased in Whistler, during Crankworx, unbelievable! As a racer myself, I’m elated to see the return of the Canadian Open Enduro, an opportunity to compete against friends from around the world, while racing on some of the best trails in Canada.”

 “We are thrilled to be working with Crankworx and the Canadian Enduro League to host the Canadian Enduro Championships as a part of the wider Crankworx Whistler festival,” said Josh Peacock, Cycling Canada Director of Marketing and Events. “By working alongside two of the most reputable enduro race organizations in the country, we’re confident that athletes from across the country will have access to the highest possible calibre of racing as they battle for the coveted maple leaf sleeve.”

The race will be a one-day format with training Saturday, July 29, and racing Sunday, July 30.

The Canadian Championship titles will be awarded to the top Canadian male and female riders racing in the Elite (17+) category of the Canadian Open Enduro.

The Canadian Open Enduro will have three registration categories for both men and women, open to riders from any nation: Elite (17+), and amateur U21 and 21+. A prize purse of $20,000 CAD total will be awarded to the top finishers in the Elite category.

Points toward the Canadian Enduro League will also be up for grabs. Additionally, the Canadian Open Enduro will provide a means for scoring qualifying points to compete in the EDR (formerly Enduro World Series). Details on the latter co come.

The race is expected to attract Canada’s top enduro riders on the hunt for the coveted Canadian Champions’ sleeve and title. Additionally, with a gap in the EDR schedule, odds are high the race will attract a healthy smattering of top international talent.

There will be a cap of 300 spots available in the race, across categories, so racers are encouraged to mark down the registration date and be ready. The race is expected to sell out.

Registration will go live at 10 a.m. PST on April 13, 2023.

For young racers looking to get involved, there will be a separate Kidsworx Enduro. The event will be run on a different day during Crankworx Whistler. Full details to come.

Those who’d like to be first in-the-know as details become available about the Canadian Open Enduro can register their interest here: Canadian Open Enduro

13 UCI CONTINENTAL TEAMS AFFILIATE WITH CYCLING CANADA FOR 2023

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 15, 2023) ­– In its continuing effort to develop programs, policies and services that support Canadian teams, Cycling Canada is pleased to release the list of 13 UCI Continental and Women’s Teams that have affiliated with Cycling Canada for the coming year. These squads will be comprised of over 75 Canadian athletes who will be competing across road, downhill, enduro and cross-country mountain biking.

The five UCI men’s and women’s road teams registered for 2023 are XSpeed United Continental, InstaFund Racing, Toronto Hustle, Team Ecoflo Chronos – formerly known as Premier Tech U23 – and the addition of a new women’s team, Primeau Velo Racing Team.

On the mountain bike side, Cycling Canada will count Forbidden Synthesis Team (DH), Foresco Holding Proco RL Pro Team (XC), Norco Factory Team (DH) and Pivot Cycles – OTE (XC) as returning UCI teams in 2023. With the addition of enduro to the 2023 UCI World Cups, Devinci Global Racing and Rocky Mountain/Race Face Enduro Team (EDR) will start their journey as UCI teams, alongside new teams Pittstop Racing (XC) and Outlaw United (DH).

“We’re very excited to see such a diverse and growing list of affiliated Canadian UCI teams for the 2023 season,” said Jen Milligan, Community and Grassroots Manager at Cycling Canada. “We are thankful to all the 13 UCI Continental Teams affiliated as we recognized their important role supporting our athletes on the national and international stage.”

Trade Teams affiliated with Cycling Canada receive several benefits, including free technical space at Canadian Championship and Canada Cup events, priority invitations to events on the international and national calendar, access to special rates and more. For more information, click here.

HEMSTREET WINS SOLE SILVER AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Les Gets, France (August 29, 2022) – British Columbia’s Gracey Hemstreet would be the sole Canadian to win a medal at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France. The Junior rider took home silver in the women’s Downhill race just shy of a gold by 1.870 seconds. This would be the eighteen-year-old’s second World Championship medal after taking the bronze at the 2021 Championship.

On the men’s side, Downhill Junior rider, Bodhi Kuhn, stepped up to the plate finishing fifth in the Junior category, while Jackson Goldstone was looking for his second World Championship rainbow jersey after claiming gold in 2021, but would finish in 14th spot after a crash on his final run. Elite rider, Finn Iles, who came off an at home victory at the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Ann, was seeded sixth going into the finals but would evidently be pulled due to injury.

“It was a huge week for Canada in Downhill Mountain Bike,” said National Team Coach, Chad Hendren. “Leading the Canadians was Gracey Hemstreet with a well served second place finish which is a solid step up from the bronze she won last year and we’re very proud of her. Her two World Championship podiums in a row will carry good momentum as she steps into the Elite category next year. All-in-all it was a successful week, and now we move to Val di Sole for the final World Cup race of 2022.”

Meanwhile, Mountain Bike racers opened up day one with the Team Relay event to finish in the top ten, with Emilly Johnston, Carter Woods, Peter Disera, Ian Ackert, Isabella Holmgren and Laurie Areseneault racing into seventh which would be Canada’s best finish overall.

Following the Team Relay, Junior riders would take on the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event with Isabella Holmgren being Canada’s top performer in the category to take tenth spot. Her finish comes on the heels of her double medal performance at Canada Summer Games and performance camps in Switzerland, showcasing her talent on the world stage. Meanwhile, Zorak Paille would finish in eleventh spot on the men’s side.

Elites took on Short Track (XCC) on day three with Laurie Arseneault taking fourteenth spot, after coming off her National Championship win just one month prior in the event, and Sean Fincham in seventeenth spot on the men’s side and would later finish 30th in XCO.

All eyes were then on U23 rider, Carter Woods, in XCO after a stellar season on the World Cup circuit. He would ultimately finish in 16th spot. Coming off her National Championship win, Emily Batty, would be the top Elite woman in XCO cracking the top 20 to finish in 19th.

“Overall Worlds was successful for Canada,” said National Team Coach Jeff Ain. “We have a very bright future based on the performances we had across all categories. I’m proud of the athletes who all performed their best on the day at the end of a long season. We improved our team relay result from 2021 and have athletes in every category who are tracking towards being ready to push for podium performances. A big thank you to all the staff and partners who worked tirelessly to make this project run smoothly and efficiently.”

Full results from all racing can be found here.

CANADA TO SEND 51 ATHLETES TO THE UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (August 17, 2022) – Cycling Canada has announced a contingent of 51 athletes who will head to Les Gets, France to race in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. Riders will compete in the biggest event on the mountain bike calendar in both Cross-Country (XCO) and Downhill (DH) on August 24-28.

The DH squad has big goals with Jackson Goldstone looking for his second World Championship win in the Junior DH Category after claiming the rainbow stripes in 2021. Coming off an electrifying career win in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Finn Iles will be eyeing the top step of the podium. World Cup Overall Leader Gracey Hemstreet is a strong contender for the podium in what has been an incredible season for the Junior athlete from the Sunshine Coast.

“Canadian Downhill is growing stronger and stronger every year,” said Chad Hendren, National Team coach. “Legends and icons like Stevie [Smith], Claire [Buchar], Miranda [Miller], and Finn [Iles], are, and have been, fueling the fire with our Juniors for the past few years. Canada is evolving into a formidable force in Downhill and we are very excited to showcase our athlete’s talent in this year World Championships.”

Fresh off his National Championship win and three medals on the 2022 World Cup Circuit is U23 rider Carter Woods, who will be looking towards the podium after falling just shy at the 2021 World Championships. Other heavy hitters include Olympians and Elite riders, Emily Batty and Peter Disera who each claimed a National title at the 2022 Mountain Bike Canadian Championships in XCO.

“We’re excited to bring this group of exceptional athletes to the biggest race of the season” said Jeff Ain, National Team coach. “The momentum has been building all year; our elites have found a very high level and our U23 and U19 cohorts have been exciting to watch all season. I’m excited to see our group rise to the occasion on the world stage.”

Racing will start on Tuesday, August 23rd with the Short Track (XCC) qualifications, followed by the XCO Team Relay, the DH Qualifications and all three finals of the XCC, the XCO and the DH on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Junior XCO Women
Marin Lowe – Squamish, BC
Ella Myers – Calgary, AB
Mara Roldan – Whitehorse, YK
Isabella Holmgren – Orillia, ON
Ava Holmgren – Orillia, ON
Ellie Clark – Mono, ON
Ophélie Grandmont – Beaupré, QC

Junior XCO Men
Ian Ackert – Severn, ON
Zorak Paille – Laval, QC
Maxime St-Onge – St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
Cam McCallum – Langley, BC
Alexander Woodford – Ottawa, ON
Mika Comaniuk – Lachine, QC

U23 XCO Women
Emilly Johnston – Comox, BC
Jocelyn Stel – Burlington, ON
Roxane Vermette – Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC

U23 XCO Men
Owen Clark – Mono, ON
Noah Ramsay – Toronto, ON
Cole Punchard – Huntsville, ON
Carter Woods – Cumberland, BC

Elite XCO Women
Laurie Arseneault – Terrebonne, QC
Emily Batty – Brooklin, ON
Jennifer Jackson – Oro Medonte, ON
Sandra Walter – Coquitlam, BC

Elite XCO Men
Léandre Bouchard – Alma, QC
Peter Disera – Horseshoe Valley, ON
Quinton Disera – Horseshoe Valley, ON
Sean Fincham – Squamish, BC
Tyler Orschel – Uxbridge, ON
Gunnar Holmgren – Orillia, ON

Junior DH Women
Gracey Hemstreet – Sechelt, BC
Joy Attalla – Fernie, BC
Eva Leikermoser – Comox, BC

Junior DH Men
Jackson Goldstone – Squamish, BC
Tegan Cruz – Pemberton, BC
Bodhi Kuhn – Rossland, BC
Wei Tien Ho – Whistler, BC
Coen Skrypnek – Calgary, AB
Elijah Barron – Cobble Hill, BC
Marcus Goguen – Whistler, BC
Max Halchuk – Kelowna, BC

Elite DH Women
Bailey Goldstone – Squamish, BC
Rachel Pageau – Chicoutimi, QC
Chandrima Lavoie – Nelson, BC

Elite DH Men
Finn Iles – Whistler, BC
Mark Wallace – Duncan, BC
Jakob Jewett – Squamish, BC
Kirk McDowall – Anmore, BC
Lucas Cruz – Pemberton, BC
Gabe Neron – Alma, QC
Jack Pelland – Garibaldi Highlands, BC

OVER 25 NATIONAL TITLES WON BETWEEN DOWNHILL AND CROSS-COUNTRY AT MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ottawa, ON (July 25, 2022) – Athletes from across the country raced for the coveted maple leaf jersey on both west and east coasts of Canada. Downhill athletes took to the mountains in Golden, British Columbia where six national titles were awarded; in Oro Station, 20 new national champions were named over two days of racing in both XCO and XCC races.

With over 40 athletes competing for top spot in downhill racing, there was a strong presence of racers including familiar names like Rachel Pageau (Elite), Gracey Hemstreet (Junior), Tegan Cruz (Junior) and Seth Sherlock (Elite) were all rearing to get to the line in the fastest time. It was ultimately, it was Hemstreet (Junior), Jon Mozell (U17), Teagan Cruz (Junior), Bailey Goldstone (Elite) and Gabriel Neron (Elite) who would take some of the national titles of the weekend.

The Downhill races also had the addition of the adaptive category after its innagural year in 2021 at the national championships with riders racing the Dunbar Summer series across both men’s and women’s categories with Samson Danniels taking the Expert men’s E Assist classification and Amanda Timm taking the women’s.

Racing wrapped up in Oro Station at Hardwood Bike and Ski with 16 national titles awarded across categories. On the third and final day of racing athletes raced the Team Relay with over 30 teams fighting for the top spot, with Team Ontario taking the gold. Full race recaps for XCC and XCO can be found here.

Full Downhill and Cross-Country results for all categories are available.

Top Finishers – Downhill:
Men U17: Jon Mozell
Junior Men: Tegan Cruz
Junior Women: Gracey Hemstreet
Women Elite: Bailey Goldstone
Men Elite: Gabriel Neron
Men Adaptive Sport: Samson Danniels
Women Adaptive: Amanda Timm
Men Master (35-44): Tom Power
Men Master (45-54): Robert Venables
Men Master (55+): Donald Van Eesteren

XCO NATIONAL TITLES AWARDED AT MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Oro Station, ON (July 24, 2022) – On day two of racing at Hardwood Ski and Bike, 13 more national titles were given to men and women’s Masters, Junior, Cadet, U23 and Elite categories. Athletes battled the hot temperatures to fight for the top spot on the technical loops spanning from two to five laps in their respective categories.

Masters athletes opened up racing with Ryan Atkins (35-44) taking home the first title of the day as the rest of the categories followed. As the crowd grew, they cheered on Junior, Cadet and U23 riders with Jacob Roy (U17), Zorak Paille (U19), Rafaelle Carrier (U17), Marin Lowe (U19) and Carter Woods (U23) all took home the XCO national title and their second gold after winning their respective categories in XCC on Thursday; with Marianne Théberge taking home her first gold and national title in the U23 Women’s category.

“My short track was spicy earlier in the week, and I just wanted to keep the edge, while firing on all cylinders,” said Woods after his double title win. “It was so beautiful for XCO today, I just wanted to keep the engine going. Heading into the Championship weekend, I wanted to make sure to keep it safe, and have some great racing.”

Meanwhile, eyes were on the stacked Elite field which featured Olympians Emily Batty, Peter Disera, Haley Smith and Léandre Bouchard. On the men’s Elite side, it was a battle between the Disera brothers and Tyler Orschel who all had a lead throughout their five laps, with Peter Disera ultimately taking the national title, Orschel taking second and Quinton Disera taking bronze.

In the women’s Elite category, it was yet another sweep from the Canyon MTB Racing team with Batty having nearly a 40-second lead after all four laps of the course over second place finisher, Laurie Arseneault, who took home the women’s XCC title earlier in the week; while Jennifer Jackson, coming off a broken elbow, landed her second podium of the Championships to take bronze.

“To be on the podium and do the [medal] sweeps with the team is kind of how we dreamed it would be,” said Jackson. “I think in the time that I was injured and off, I had a timeline and that was to be back and race at nationals. I think I had some assurance that I would be back in okay shape, but then to be back in the short track and test the legs was great. I’m just happy to be back and be at Hardwood. It just feels like the best way to come home and into racing.”

On Sunday, teams will take on Team Relays for another shot to get on the podium. Full results from all racing can be found here.

U17 Women: 1- Rafaëlle Carrier 2- Ayana Gagné 3- Lily-Rose Marois
U17 Men: 1- Jacob Roy 2- Félix-Antoine Leclair 3- Nicolas Gauthier
Junior Women: 1- Marin Lowe 2- Ava Holmgren 3- Isabella Holmgren
Junior Men: 1- Zorak Paille 2- Maxime St-Onge 3- Cam McCallum
U23 Women: 1- Marianne Théberge 2- Jocelyn Stel 3- Roxane Vermette
U23 Men: 1- Carter Woods 2- Cole Punchard 3- Owen Clark
Elite Women: 1- Emily Batty 2- Laurie Arsenault 3- Jenn Jackson
Elite Men: 1- Peter Disera 2- Tyler Orschel 3- Quinton Disera
Women master Expert (35-44): 1- Sue Haviland 2- Roxy Slotegraaf
Men master Expert (35-44): 1- Ryan Atikins 2- Peter Glassford 3- Matthew Martindill
Women master Expert (45-54): 1- Lisa Holmgren 2- Lisa Hutson
Men master Expert (45-54): 1- Jon Barnes 2- Paul Cobham 3- Leigh Quilliams
Men master Expert (55+): 1- John Westdal 2- Kevin Simms 3- Greg Clark
Women senior Expert (19-29): 1- Tessa Brinklow
Men senior Expert (19-29): 1- Jamie Wagler 2- Pierre-Marie Perchoc 3- Mason Costa

ARSENEAULT AND WOODS WIN FIRST TWO TITLES OF CANADIAN MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Oro Station, ON (July 22, 2022) – In a star-studded line up of athletes, it was Laurie Arseneault and Carter Woods who took home the first two Canadian Championship titles at Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro Station, ON in the men’s and women’s Elite Short Track (XCC) with the women racing eight laps and men taking on nine laps.

It was anyone’s race with three laps remaining in the women’s Elite category with all three Canyon MTB Racing Team members, Emily Batty, Jenn Jackson and Arseneault on each other’s wheels before Arseneault made her move in the last lap to secure her win over Batty who finished second and Jackson in third.

“It was very intense,” said Arseneault. “It was a sprint the whole race. I didn’t feel great throughout the race, but I didn’t want to give up. I worked with my teammates, and it obviously worked really well, and we just gave one-hundred percent for those kinds of races, so I’m satisfied. It’s nice to feel like a racer again, it’s always fun to have a victory.”

On the men’s side, Quinton Disera (CANYON DEVO RACING) was looking to defend his title after being named Canadian XCC Champion in 2021. Despite the tight and technical race, it was Carter Woods (Norco Factory Team) who would edge Disera out who ultimately landed in second spot, naming Woods the newest XCC Champion.

U17 and Junior riders were also competing for top spot with, CVM Sigma Assurance’s Rafaelle Carrier (U17) taking the first gold of the weekend with a clean win across the line after six laps of the course; while Marin Lowe (Junior) would battle it out against her Stimulus Orbea teammates Isabella and Ava Holmgren in a sprint to the end to take top spot. In the Junior/Cadet men’s category, Jacob Roy (U17) from Ponsse, took the clear win across the line, and Zorak Paille (Junior), from Vélo Pays D’en Haut, would battle it out to win his category.

Athletes will be back on the course for Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) races starting Saturday and Team Relays on Sunday. Live timing and full results can be found here.

CANADIAN ATHLETES SET TO TACKLE XCO, XCC & DH NATIONALS NEXT WEEKEND

Ottawa, ON (July 19, 2022) – With the Mountain Bike World Cup and Canada Cup seasons in full swing, the nation’s top athletes are gearing up for an intense weekend of racing on home soil with the return of the Canadian Cross-Country (XCO), Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DH) Mountain Bike Championships on July 23-24.
The Canadian XCO & XCC Championships will kick off in Oro Station, Ontario, on July 21st with the Short Track titles being awarded to Elite riders for the second time. The Cross-country races for Cadet (Under-17), Junior (Under-19), Under-23, Elite and Masters men and women will take place on Saturday, July 23rd, while trade teams and provincial squads will compete in the Team Relay on Sunday. The event schedule also includes several Canadian Challenge and Ontario Cup competitions throughout the weekend.

Races are expected to be highly competitive, with Olympians Léandre Bouchard, Peter Disera, Haley Smith and Emily Batty all vying for a spot on the podium. Other top contenders include Cyclo-cross World Cup medallist Maghalie Rochette, reigning XCC Champions Quinton Disera and Sandra Walter, 2021 U23 National Champions Gunnar Holmgren and Emilly Johnston, as well as U23 World Cup medallist Carter Woods.

“We are thrilled to be hosting a double weekend of Canadian Mountain Bike Championships,” said Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager, Jolène Dupuis. “With busy and successful World Cups happening internationally, we are impressed with the great registration numbers for the events this year. We expect it to be an exciting weekend for our athletes battling for their spot on the Championship podium at both ends of the country.”

That same weekend, the Canadian Downhill Championships will be stopping at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC for the second consecutive year. The event will be a part of the longstanding Dunbar Summer Series, concluding a week of UCI downhill racing in BC’s interior. Saturday, Elite athletes will be tackling the steep and rugged terrain in the seeding rounds, with all categories competing in the finals on Sunday. After last year’s success, organizers will once again be offering an Adaptive Mountain Bike (aMTB) category for athletes of varying abilities.

With most defending champions absent due to scheduling conflicts, several titles will be up for grabs, including the Elite men’s, Elite women’s and Junior men’s maple leaf jerseys. Emmy Lan will be looking to defend her title in the Junior women’s category, while Wei Tien Ho could be a solid contender for the Junior men’s title after placing sixth at the recent Lenzerheide World Cup.

Full details and results will be available on the Cycling Canada website for both XCO and DH.

CANADA’S NATIONAL TEAM SET TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT AT 2022 MTB WORLD CUPS

Ottawa, ON (April 21, 2022) ­– Following an eventful Olympic year which saw two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Catharine Pendrel retire, the Canadian National Team has its sights set on development for the 2022 season. Under the leadership of National Team Coaches Jeff Ain, Catharine Pendrel and Chad Hendren,  the program will be focusing on providing targeted athletes with opportunities to progress on the international stage.

Cycling Canada provides development opportunities across multiple disciplines and will be running a development project to the first two European XCO Mountain Bike World Cups of the year. National Team athletes attending this project include Short Track (XCC) national Elite champion Quinton Disera, national Junior champion Owen Clark and his brother Tyler Clark (Homewood Racing), as well as first-year U23 Cole Punchard. They will be joined by Mackenzie Myatt in the Elite women’s field, while road, cyclo-cross and mountain bike athlete Nicole Bradbury will be joining Roxane Vermette (Orbea) and Jocelyn Stel in the U23 category.

The National Team has decided to target five European world cups for the remainder of the year and will support both DH and XCO development athletes at World Cups at the Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Andorra and Italy, on top of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in late August. National Team athletes will also be making an appearance at the North American stops in Snowshoe, USA and Mont-Ste-Anne, Canada, known to be one of the most iconic races on the international mountain bike circuit.

“These world cups will serve as development projects, which is our ultimate focus for the National Team,” said National Team Coach, Jeff Ain. “We want to help athletes continue to progress well into their Elite years and ultimately make their way onto professional teams, while continuing to help in any way we can whether that’s race-day support or assisting with logistics. We’ve been working on improving our communication with all of our athletes and finding commonalities and solutions for individual cyclists that compete in multiple disciplines.”

The team will be heading to Europe in the next weeks to compete at the UCI XCO/XCC World Cup in Albstadt, Germany, from May 6-8. Elite races will be livestreamed on Redbull TV.

5 NEW TRADE TEAMS AFFILIATE WITH CYCLING CANADA FOR 2022

Ottawa, ON (March 11, 2022) – In its continuing effort to develop programs, policies and services that support Canadian teams, Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the list of 10 Trade Teams that have affiliated with the organization for 2022, including 5 new cyclo-cross, road, track and mountain bike squads.

Returning to the roster this year will be TRA/Mandevco (road), formally called Digital Commerce Bank, Project Dialed In (mountain bike), TaG Cycling Racing Team (road, track & cyclocross), Team Hamilton (road & mountain bike) and Veloselect-Silber Elite Cycling Team (road). Joining the existing lineup will be Emily Batty and Adam Morka’s new Canyon Devo Racing team (mountain bike), Red Truck Racing (road, track & cyclocross), Stimulus Orbea (mountain bike & cyclocross), Équipe Siboire (mountain bike) and SPS Athlete Development (road & mountain bike).

The teams will be comprised of well-established veterans including road cyclists Edward Walsh and Gillian Ellsay, as well as several professional mountain bikers, while various promising development athletes will also be given the opportunity to showcase their skills. Junior Cyclocross Pan American champion Ava Holmgren will be making her debut with Team Stimulus/Orbea, as will her twin sister Isabella Holmgren and U17 mountain bike national champions Ian Ackert and Marin Lowe, while National Team track cyclist Sarah Van Dam will be racing alongside the Red Truck Racing squad.

“The new additions to our Canadian Trade Teams roster is really exciting, not only for the athletes but the sport itself and really shows the depth of Canadian cycling,” said Jen Milligan, Community and Grassroots Manager at Cycling Canada. “Doubling the number of teams affiliated with the organization will greatly benefit athletes and the sport with more opportunities for cyclists to develop, both in Canada and internationally.”

Trade Teams affiliated with Cycling Canada receive several benefits, including free technical space at Canadian Championship and Canada Cup events, priority invitations to events on the international and national calendar, access to special rates and more. For more information, click here.