Milton, ON (January 16, 2020) – For the first time in history, the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships are coming to Canadian soil from January 30 to February 2, with the top para-cyclists from Canada and across the globe competing for the rainbow jersey on the boards of the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ontario. In total, over 160 athletes from 32 nations will race for the rainbow stripes.

Team Canada will be sending a loaded squad led by Scratch Race world champion Tristen Chernove and Individual Pursuit world record holder Ross Wilson. Rounding out Team Canada will be Paralympian Marie-Claude Molnar, as well as Keely Shaw, Lowell Taylor and his pilot Ed Veal.

“Track worlds is the last track qualifying event for the Tokyo Paralympics and we are on track for great performances by our Canadian athletes!” said Sébastien Travers, Cycling Canada’s para-cycling head coach. “Racing on our home track in Milton is a privilege and will be a great way to showcase what our amazing athletes can achieve. This event should trigger the much needed awareness around para sports and more specifically para-cycling and we hope that it will be a driver for persons with disabilities to engage in sports and experience the uniqueness of competition.”

This marks Canada’s second consecutive year hosting a UCI cycling world championships after an extremely successful mountain bike competition in Mont-Sainte-Anne in late August, and will be the first world championships to be hosted at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre since its inauguration in 2015.

Spectators will be able to take in the unique atmosphere of world championship track cycling event while enjoying concessions and beverages from Steam Whistle and Fat Tire, as well as expos from several high profile brands.

For tickets and more information visit 2020uciparatrack.com/.

Team Canada

Tristen Chernove – Cranbrook, BC
Ross Wilson – Sherwood Park, AB
Lowell Taylor & Ed Veal (Pilot) – Lethbridge, AB & Queensville, ON
Marie-Claude Molnar – Longueuil, QC
Keely Shaw – Saskatoon, SK

Emmen, Netherlands (September 17, 2019) – Team Canada concluded the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Emmen, Netherlands, with a total of five medals. Over the four days of competition, Canadian athletes won four bronze medals in the time trial, and went on to win one silver medal in the road race.

Ross Wilson and Tristen Chernove kicked off the first day by finishing third in the time trial for C1 and C2 categories, while Shelley Gautier and Marie-Eve Croteau podiumed on Friday in the T1 and T2 categories. Shelley Gautier, who is no stranger to the podium, finished off the weekend with a second place in the road race, only a few seconds behind Eltje Malzbender of New Zeland.

“This World championship has demonstrated the internal strength of our team,” said Sebastien Travers, Para Head Coach for Cycling Canada. “Our athletes have never been so supportive of each other. All of our staff are dedicated and see the athletes’ performances as their priority, helping foster the high performance culture we have built over the past few years.”

Ottawa ON (September 6, 2019) – After a successful summer campaign, Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the team of 11 athletes who will represent Canada at the 2019 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Emmen, Netherlands, from September 11-15. All athletes are scheduled to compete in both Time Trial and Road Race events.

“The Canadian Para team is excited to race in Emmen for the main event of the 2019 season,” said Sebastien Travers, Para Head Coach for Cycling Canada. “This year’s team is comprised mostly of veterans, with the addition of Kara Douville, World Cup medallist in the H4 class. It also marks the return of former World Champion Marie-Êve Croteau, who will race her first Worlds since 2014. We are looking forward to key performances from our athletes, with a great focus on medal contention as well as Paralympic qualification points.”

The team will be led by two defending world champions – Shelley Gautier, who is undefeated since 2010 in the Women’s T1 category and Tristen Chernove, in the Men’s C2. Last year’s ITT champion, Michael Sametz (C3) will be unable to defend his title due to injury.

Women
Shelley Gautier – T1 [Toronto, ON]
Keely Shaw – C4 [Saskatoon, SK]
Kara Douville – H4 [Calgary, AB]
Marie-Eve Croteau – T2 [Quebec City, QC]

Men
Daniel Chalifour – Tandem [Mont-Laurier, QC]
Jean Michel Lachance – Tandem Pilot [Quebec City, QC]
Tristen Chernove – C2 [Cranbrook, BC]
Joey Desjardins – H3 [Hawkesbury, ON]
Alex Hyndman – H3 [Morpeth, ON]
Charles Moreau – H3 [Victoriaville, QC]
Ross Wilson – C1 [Sherwood Park, AB]

Lima, Peru (August 31, 2019) – After winning six medals on the track earlier this week, Team Canada continued to race to the podium, capturing four medals in the Individual Time Trial. In his first multi-sport Games, hand cyclist Matthew Kinnie sat atop the mixed H1-5 time trial standings, winning a gold medal in 31:17.880. Michael Shetler also won his first medal, a bronze in the mixed T1-2 time trial.

“Winning the gold medal was a little bit surprising and satisfying after a long season training and working really hard to get a result like that,” said Matthew Kinnie. “To be able to lay down a good race on a nice course down by the coast in Peru was a pretty awesome experience and pretty exciting.”

In the tandem races, Lowell Taylor and pilot Andrew Davidson claimed silver in the mixed tandem time trial, while Carla Shibley and pilot Meghan Lemiski took the bronze.

Lima, Peru (August 27, 2019) – Canada kicked off the first day of the para-cycling events at the Parapan American Games with three medals in the Individual Pursuit. The women’s tandem teams both qualified for the gold medal final, with Carla Shibley and pilot Meghan Lemiski taking the top spot with a time of 3:50.575, just ahead of their teammates Annie Bouchard and pilot Evelyne Gagnon who earned the silver medal. In the men’s category, Lowell Taylor and pilot Andrew Davidson also reached the podium with a silver, finishing behind Colombians Nelson Serna and pilot Marlon Perez.

“I’m super excited and surprised with our result,” said Shibley. “I didn’t expect us to win a gold medal, I wasn’t feeling the greatest after the semi-final and I was having some breathing issues, but I was able to tough it out. I told myself that I just needed to suffer a little more in the last four laps just to win by that last second. I couldn’t be prouder with this result.”

“I felt so much pride not in myself but pride in the country,” said Taylor. “I actually had a lot of gratitude for all the support, from Canada, from my family, for Andrew, everybody who has been alongside me to get here. Para sport is not about the individual, it’s about the team so I was just feeling so much gratitude for everybody today.”