Pedal Fall 2016

Fall 2016

RIO OLYMPICS DOUBLE BRONZE FOR CANADA

TOUR DE FRANCE Froome Triumphs

BC BIKE RACE Epic Singletrack

SPROCKIDS

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Fatbiking CX Preview MTB Worlds BC Superweek Junior Track Worlds Road & MTB Nationals HOT RIDES

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Registration Number 9874 Agreement Number 40064311 Printed in Canada

Pendrel, Tuft, Veal, Stieda, Harnett

contEnts Fall 2016, volume 30, Issue 5

SPECIAL FEATURES 30 32

cyclocross season Preview

by Mike Sarnecki

Nipika mountain resort Just got a Lot Fatter

by Jack Cracker

34

rio 2016 olympics double Bronze for canada

34

by John Symon, Ben Andrew and Jack Cracker

44 48

Bc Bike race 2016

by Carsten Ivany

mTB world championships Batty Brings home Bronze

26

by Sarah Victor

52 54

Tour de France: Froome Triumphs

by Sandra Walter

Junior Track worlds 2016 world Title for canada’s ritter

by John Symon

56

sprockids: riding the Path of success

by Paul Newitt

GEAR 26

Trek Boone 7 disc BiKe TesT

28

giant Tcr advanced Pro 0 BiKe TesT

by Tim Lefebvre

by Tim Lefebvre

30

54

COMPETITION

DEPARTMENTS

58

Tour of alberta

60

gPc Quebec and montreal

62

road Nationals

Fall 2016

rio olympics DouBle BRonze foR CAnADA

TouR de FRaNCe froome Triumphs

BC Bike RaCe epic Singletrack

SPRoCkidS

Path of Success

Fatbiking CX Preview MTB Worlds BC Superweek Junior Track Worlds Road & MTB Nationals

$4.95 w w w. p e d a l m a g . c o m

HOT RIDES

Trek Boone 7 Disc, Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0

RAPS

Registration Number 9874 Agreement Number 40064311 Printed in Canada

Pedal Fall 2016-Cover.indd 1

www.pedalmag.com

Pendrel, Tuft, Veal, Stieda, Harnett

Canada’s Catharine Pendrel claimed her first Olympic medal, bringing home MTB XCO bronze from rio.

Michal Cerveny

by Chris Redden

by Jack Cracker

by Gaelen Merritt

64

mTB canadian championships

66

mTB canada cup Finale

68

uci mTB world cup

by Sandra Walter

by Sarah Victor

by Sandra Walter

4 8 18 20 22 24 70 71 72

Tread out in Front mTB Frontlines Tuft enough veal report swart’s swagger Back Pedaling sportif stieda Last word

11/3/16 4:46 PM

FALL 2016 PEDAL 1

Revolutionize Your Training

publisher/editor Benjamin Sadavoy graphic design Wendy Pease contributors Ben Andrew, Jack Cracker, Curt Harnett, William Humber, Carsten Ivany, Tim Lefebvre, Gaelen Merritt, Paul Newitt, Catharine Pendrel, Chris Redden, Mike Sarnecki, Alex Stieda, John Swart, John Symon, Svein Tuft, Ed Veal, Sarah Victor, Sandra Walter photographic contributions Pierre Bouchard, Canadian Olympic Committee, Michal Cerveny, Greg Descantes, Donut Ride-Toronto, Sam Egan, Scott Kelly, Andy Klink, Peter Kraiker, Nipika Mountain Resort, Erik Peterson, Chris Redden,Margus Riga, Ivan Rupes, Jamie Shinkewski/Sun Peaks News, Sprockids, Pasquale Stalteri, Guy Swarbrick, John Swart, Malcolm Taylor, USA Crits Championship Series, Ed Veal, Cor Vos, Graham Watson/Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda, Todd Weselake copy editing Claudia Brown circulation/admistration Crystal Burs production Crackerjack Enterprises

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pedal, a division of 1198189 ontario inc., is published 6 times annually: Annual buyer’s Guide, spring, Fashion, summer, Fall, holiday, at 260 spadina Ave., suite 200, toronto, ontario M5t 2e4. the entire contents are the property of pedal Magazine and may not be reprinted or reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. unsolicited material or contributions must be accompanied by return postage. pedal assumes no responsibility for such photographs or manuscripts. 2nd class publications Mail registration #9874, paid at 969 eastern Ave., toronto, on M4L 1A5. if undeliverable please notify: 260 spadina Ave., suite 200, toronto, ontario M5t 2e4. u.s. office of publication: 240 portage road, po box 670-25, Lewiston, ny, 14092. periodicals postage paid at niagara Falls, ny. 2nd class u.s. publications, usps registration #011807. return all undeliverable mail to: pedal Magazine, po box 553, niagara Falls, ny 14304.

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THE MOUNTAIN BIKE STAGE EVENT

7 STAGES ››› 7 DAYS ››› 7 EXCEPTIONAL DESTINATIONS ››› 1 BASE CAMP DOWNTOWN QUÉBEC CITY ››› DAY 8: ATTEND THE UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP

›››

JULY 30 TO AUGUST 5, 2017 | quebecsingletrack.com

trEAd

True Grit Every athlete knows that on race day anything can happen. From sickness, to failed equipment, to nasty weather, to uncontrolled crashes, the stars have to align, and it is as much a test of mental conditioning as it is physical training. You make your own luck and, of course, true grit is part of the winning formula, as exemplified by Canada’s Emily Batty, who rode a smart, strong race at the 2016 MTB Worlds in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic to put herself in medal contention as she battled Maja Wloszczowska from Poland at the line for bronze – and took it. The same was true of her teammate Catharine Pendrel, pictured on the cover, who was caught behind in a crash in the Rio 2016 MTB women’s race, and amazingly battled back from 25th place to capture bronze for Canada as well. These gutsy riding performances are now in the record books for all time as testimony to the athletes and the teams behind them. Bravo to both medal winners for their stunning riding and true grit on race day. – BAS 4 PEDAL FALL 2016

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FALL 2016 PEDAL 5

Michal Cerveny

Canada’s Emily Batty captured the bronze in a dramatic and very close sprint to the line against Maja Wloszczowska (POL) in the Elite women’s race at the MTB Worlds in Nove Mesto (CZE).

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Ben Andrew has been racing on the road for seven years, competing in events such as the Tour de Beauce and Tour de Saguenay. Apart from racing, he has spent nearly as long working in the cycling- and outdoor-retail industries. When he isn’t on his bike, Andrew enjoys spending his time outdoors around Ottawa, Ont., where he lives, as well as traveling to new places. Look for his race coverage and athlete profiles/interviews, along with product reviews and news reports in both Pedal and SkiTrax.

chris redden Chris Redden got into cycling as a way to cross-train for cross-country skiing.

Mountain biking was just starting to become popular and, as it proved to be much warmer than cross-country skiing, he was hooked. With many years in the cycling industry under his belt, and experience ranging from product management to being a company rep, he knows his way around the bike. Redden’s love of photography and cycling came together and over the years, he has taken photos at the MTB World Championships, the Tour de France and the Commonwealth Games. Look for his product reviews, news and photos in both Pedal and SkiTrax

tim Lefebvre Tim Lefebvre is a former Pro and National Team rider who is still heavily involved in the sport. A former guide for Steve Bauer Bike Tours, Lefebvre still travels extensively in Europe, spending time on the bike. A co-organizer of the Giant Bicycles Lake2Lake 29er MTB event, he was technical director of the GranFondo Niagara Falls and is involved with other events as well. Covering the European Road scene and writing bike reviews, Tim’s work has been gracing the pages of Pedal since 1997. Busy with four children of his own and working as an RMT, he still makes time for the St. Catharines Cycling Club and lending a hand with upcoming bike racers. www.pedalmag.com

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out in front

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by Ben Andrew

Canada’s Ryan Aitcheson Makes Criterium History

courtesy of USA Crits Championship Series

Wins 2016 USA Crits Series Overall

O

n Aug. 20, Ryan Aitcheson (Astellas Pro Cycling) made history as the first Canadian to claim the overall title in the USA Crits Championship Series. The 24-year-old from Kitchener, Ont. had a firm hold on the crown when starting the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, the final race of the Series held in West Chester, Penn. in August. Backed by his Astellas Pro Cycling squad, Aitcheson rode to a strong sixth-place finish behind winner Luis Amara (Team Jamis-Sutter Home) to secure the top step of the final Series podium.

Aitcheson was joined on the final podium by Thomas Gibbons (Team United Healthcare), who finished second, and fellow Canadian Ed Veal (Real Deal Racing) in third – for more history in the making.

Adding to the already incredible success of Aitcheson and his squad this year, Astellas Pro Cycling took the overall Team Classification along with the U23 men’s crown as well. The team could not have hoped for a better result in its final season, as Astellas Pro Cycling is not slated to return in 2017.

Aitcheson first became recognized on the American Crit scene back in 2015 while competing in the National Criterium Calendar (NCC), the USA Crits Series and other Professional races in North America. He has maintained his aggressive racing style, often making winning moves and lapping the field. The consistency Aitcheson has developed over the years has made him a threat in any Criterium he attends.

8 PEDAL FALL 2016

Following Iron Hill, Aitcheson Historic final podium at 2016 USA spoke to Pedal Magazine about Crits Championship Series (l-r): taking the overall USA Crits title: “The Thomas Gibbons, Ryan Aitcheson, past two years, I’ve only focused on the first Canadian to win the Series, and fellow Canuck Ed Veal, who Criteriums, and it was definitely the finished third overall. right decision. The amount of racing you can do and what you can learn by just doing Crits have really helped me grow as a rider. Winning the Series has given me a lot of confidence with my consistency and my ability to read races,” said Aitcheson. “I’m now really excited to see what my new team and I can accomplish next year.”

Astellas Pro Cycling was one of the teams targeting the USA Crit Series overall for 2016. Aitcheson commented on the team’s support, stating, “The team has followed the Series all year and helped me so much along the way. We had our most successful year in the team’s history. Targeting the USA Crits Series, we ended the year with three different titles: Individual and Team overall, plus Eamon Lucas in the Young Riders. Each of us has proven that we are one of the best Crit teams on the continent.

“It’s pretty insane that a foreigner has accomplished so much in the American Criteriums, and, of course, being the first Canadian to ever win the series overall is cool.” Aitcheson hasn’t announced who he will be racing for in 2017, but the future looks bright for the young Canuck. www.pedalmag.com

out in front

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By JOHN SyMON QueBec siNgLeTracK eXPerieNce To LauNch iN 2017

Canada’s Zukowsky Fourth

A

photos: AnDy kLink

merican Brandon A. McNulty (Team USA) claimed the overall GC victory at the 48th annual Tour de l’Abitibi Desjardins on July 24.

Team Canada’s Nickolas Zukowsky finished fourth overall and fellow Canuck Quinton Disera (Centurion Next Wave) was ninth on the final scoreboard. Over seven days, July 18-24, some 180 junior riders from 25 countries contested seven stages of racing covering 600km around the town of Rouyn-Noranda in Quebec’s Abitibi region.

The action began on Monday, July 18 when Disera took the win at the Challenge Sprint appetizer where 26 riders – one from each team – competed in elimination rounds on an 800m course. Disera soloed in for the victory thanks to a surprise attack in the final; Abitibi’s Charles-Étienne Chrétien (Team Canada) finished fourth.

As the official racing got underway France’s Clément Bétouigt-Suire, riding for the local André Cycle Kaycan RDS team, crossed the finished line first on the 113.1km Stage 1, followed closely

by Chrétien in second.

Stage 2 saw Tyler J. Stites (USA) taking the 116km road race with teammate McNulty in second; they were part of a lead group that built up an advantage of 1:35 over the main pack over 30km under a scorching sun. Top Canuck of the day was Thierry Kirouac Marcassa (Team Canada) in ninth.

McNulty took Stage 3, a 9.6km ITT in Rouyn-Noranda, while Zukowsky led the Canucks in 11th.

Later the same day, Ian Garrison (USA) won the 52.5km Canadian Malartic Stage 4 with Chrétien in third and Olivier Hamel (Team Québec) in 10 PEDAL FALL 2016

seventh. Despite pouring rain, the riders avoided any major crashes while averaging 48kph.

The 100.7km Stage 5 on the winding roads of (above) Nickolas Zukowsky the Témiscamingue region was the top Canadian was won by American finishing just off the final Joshua Anderson (Washpodium in 4th overall. (left) Final GC podium (l-r) ington Spin Development), who was lucky to avoid a Mikkel Bjerg (den) 2nd, Brandon McNulty (USA) 1st, bad crash involving some Kevin Goguen (USA) 3rd 60 riders. Canadian Kurt Penno (Stingray Trek Lacasse) finished third and five other Canucks were in the top 10.

Ontario’s Disera won the 97km Mont-Brun Stage 6 while fellow Canuck Zukowsky finished 13th, capturing the race leader’s brown jersey from McNulty.

On the final 99.9km Stage 7, Mikkel Bjerg of Team Denmark crossed the line first, followed

by McNulty in second. The top Canuck was Jonathan Cassivi (Team Quebec) in eighth. That second-place finish for McNulty clinched the GC victory for him while Zukowsky finished fourth in the overall individual rankings. Disera was ninth overall and Jean-Denis Thibault (Team Québec) was 10th. The US won the Team Classification followed by Denmark in second. Team Canada finished fourth overall with Equipe du Quebec in fifth.

The Tour de l’Abitibi Desjardins is part of the seven-stage UCI Junior Nations Cup circuit and the only event presented outside of Europe. The 2017 edition of the Tour will take place in Amos, another town of the Abitibi region.

Tour de l’Abitibi 2016 July 18-24 - Rouyn-Noranda, Que. Final GC 1. Brandon A. McNulty (USA) Team USA 13:46:22; 2. Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Team Denmark 0:35; 3.

Kevin Goguen (USA) Washington Spin Development 1:15; 4. Nickolas Zukowsky (Can) Team Canada 2:16; 5. Morten Hulgaard (Den) Team Denmark 2:45; 6. Brian Sciba (USA) Southeastern Regional; 7. Eugene Kakizaki (Jpn) Team Japan 2:50; 8. Ian Garrison (USA) Team USA 2:52; 9. Quinton Disera (Can) Centurion Next Wave 2:53; 10.

Jean-Denis Thibault (Can) Team Quebec 3:02

Groupe Pentathlon recently announced the launch of the Quebec Singletrack Experience (QSE), a unique international mountain-bike stage event to be held July 29-Aug. 5 in 2017. Based in downtown Quebec City, it features seven outstanding destinations in the area: Mont-Ste-Anne, Vallée Bras-du-Nord, Shannahan and St-Raymond sectors, Sentiers du Moulin, Lac-Beauport, Valcartier military base and Lac Delage.

The region is the backyard of Olympian Raphael Gagné (Cannondale 360Fly p/b Sugoi), who is excited to share his local trails with other riders.

“The trails are right next to my home in Lac-Beauport near Mont-Ste-Anne, and are super-fun with a good mix of rocky, rooty and muddy sections,” says Gagné. “Very similar to Burke Mountain in Vermont or Hardwood Hills in Ontario, they’re fast and flowy.”

The Experience will surely attract some elite riders, but it will find broad appeal with avid mountain bikers looking for a special challenge. The program is made up of seven timed stages over the course of seven days, and will also include timed descents and timed climbs. With 80% of the course on professionally made singletrack, and a visit to the Union Cycliste Internationale MTB World Cup in Mont-Ste-Anne on the final day included, the event is sure to be epic.

Groupe pentAthLon

Tour de l’Abitibi 2016

New MTB stage race in Quebec in 2017

François Calletta, general director at Groupe Pentathlon, highlights the value of the event, which he notes is competitively priced compared to other popular MTB stage races. “We’re offering incredible riding on professionally built trails, in close proximity to a UNESCO world-heritage treasure: Quebec City!

The single hub with no need to pack and unpack every day presents simple and relaxed logistics where family and friends can be part of the fun.”

With a base camp set amidst the historic walls of Quebec City, this event is destined to be one to add to your bucket list. For more information, visit quebecsingletrack.com. – BA Continued on page 14 www.pedalmag.com

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By GAELEN MErrITT

Ryder Hesjedal Retires Canada’s Only Grand Tour Winner

12 PEDAL FALL 2016

GrAhAM wAtson/teAM GArMin-shArp-bArrAcuDA

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t the beginning of August, Ryder Hesjedal, 35, announced that he will retire at the end of the 2016 season, following an 18-year career. Competing first as a mountain biker, he moved over to road cycling, and in 2012, he won the Giro d’Italia, becoming the first and only Canadian to ever win a Grand Tour.

“Yeah, it definitely wasn’t an easy decision, but it seemed like the right time,” said Hesjedal. “I am ready to move on to other challenges in life. It’s been two decades of focusing on the competition of cycling in two different disciplines, and now I want to use that experience in other ways.”

Nicknamed “Easy Ryder,” Hesjedal was born on Dec. 9, 1980 in Victoria, B.C. and was known as an all-rounder, but was especially strong as a climber and time trialist.

In 1998, Hesjedal tasted his first international success, winning silver at the 1998 Junior MTB World Championships at Mont-Ste-Anne, Que. At the MTB Worlds in Vail, Colo. in 2001, Hesjedal added more hardware, capturing U23 Individual silver. Also, as part of a powerful Canadian Team-Relay squad, he also became a world champion.

Hesjedal won his first MTB World Cup in Les Gets, France in 2002,

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then scored U23 bronze and Team-Relay gold at the MTB Worlds in Kaprun, Austria. In 2003, he won cross-country silver at the MTB World Championships. The following year at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he was headed for gold when he hit a sharp rock and flatted.

Hesjedal turned to road full time in 2005; it wasn’t long before he made headlines, placing fourth overall at the Volta a Catalunya. In 2007, Hesjedal won the Canadian ITT Championship, and the next year at the Giro d’Italia, he helped power team Garmin-Chipotle to its first Grand Tour stage win, propelling teammate Christian Vande Velde into the overall lead.

Another milestone was reached in 2009 when he became the first Canuck to win a stage of the Vuelta a España, which made Hesjedal the first Canadian Individual winner of a Grand Tour stage since Steve Bauer at the 1988 Tour de France. In 2010, he finished sixth overall at the Tour, the highest Canadian finish since Bauer’s fourth place in 1988.

On May 12, 2012, Hesjedal became the first Canadian to wear the iconic Giro d’Italia Maglia Rosa, the leader’s jersey. Then he took it a step further and reached the pinnacle of cycling, winning the Giro and matching the greatest of the greats by winning a Grand Tour.

Later that year, he competed as Canada’s lone-male entry in the London 2012 Olympics, competing in the road race and ITT, but without notable results.

ryder Hesjedal won the Giro d’Italia in 2012, becoming the first and only Canadian ever to win a Grand Tour.

The following season was turbulent, as Hesjedal was top Canadian at the 2013 Grands Prix Cylistes de Montréal WorldTour race, but soon after he admitted to doping early in his career “in the dark past of the sport” when news of this broke in Danish rider Michael Rasmussen’s book Gul Feber (Yellow Fever).

In 2014, Hesjedal won Stage 14 of the Vuelta a España after barely missing a win on Stage Seven. The following year, he missed the final podium at the 2015 Giro, but provided great drama as he clawed his way back from 29th to fifth in GC at the finish.

Hesjedal declined to race for Canada at the 2016 Rio Games, and his final season with Trek-Segafredo will likely end at the Il Lombardia World Tour in early October. During his career, he rode for Gary Fisher (1999-2003), Rabobank GS3 (2002-2003), U.S. Postal Service (20042005), Phonak (2006), Health Net-Maxxis (2007), Slipstream-Chipotle (2008-2015) and finally Trek-Segafredo (2016).

Hesjedal has not indicated what his future plans are and will likely be more involved with his annual Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria.

“I am really grateful for my time in the sport and for all of the support I have received over the years from my teams, family, friends and, especially, the fans. I truly love cycling, and to be able to race at the level I have for so many years has been everything I dreamed it would be since I was a kid just riding for fun. I want to get back to that and do different things on the bike and in life in general,” he concluded.

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FALL 2016 PEDAL 13

out in front

by Ben Andrew Continued from page 10 photos: Greg Descantes

BC Superweek 8 Days of Racing and $125,000 in Prize Money course. This year, the winners of both the men’s and women’s races took home a massive $12,000 payout. The men’s race saw (left) Joelle Numainville a battle in the final laps as was on fire at the Tour teams fought for control of de Delta with three the front to best position consecutive wins. their sprinters. In the end, Eric Young and Brad Huff, both of Rally Cycling, finished 1-2 ahead of Aussie Michael Rice of Garneau-Quebecor – the top Canuck was Silber’s Kris Dahl in fifth. The women’s race was won by veteran Tina Pic (The Happy Tooth Pro Cycling), ahead of Kimberley Wells (Colavita-Bianchi) and Kendelle Hodges (High5 Dream Team). Sara Bergen (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes) was the top Canadian, just off the podium in fourth.

American Justin Williams (Cylance/Incycle p/b Cannondale) took the win at the new PoCo Grand Prix p/b Dominion Lending Centres’ event. The women’s race was won by High5 Dream Team rider Hodges of Melbourne, Australia.

The two-day Steve Nash Fitness World Tour de White was kicked off by an exciting men’s race that saw eight riders in total lapping the field. Liam Magennis (Subaru NSWIS & MS), who lapped the field first, managed to salvage his race after being joined by the seven others, then took the win ahead of Canadians Dahl and Will Routley (Rally Cycling). The women’s race was won by Bergen, who spent much of the race off the front with Annie Foreman-Mackey (The Cyclery-Opus) before being brought back and winning the field sprint. Alison Jackson (Team Canada/TWENTY16 RideBiker) and Hodges rounded out the podium.

The second stage and final day of racing took place on the classic White Rock road course.

Roth took the win in the 37th edition of the Peace Arch News Road Race after dispatching all of his breakaway companions over the hilly finish circuits. Kaler Marshall (Canyon Bicycles-Shimano) was second, also winning the Omnium title, while Timothy Rugg (Herbalife p/b Marc Pro-Nature’s Bakery) was third. The women’s race again saw familiar faces on the podium as Steph Roorda (Team Canada) took the win ahead of Jackson and Bergen. Jackson took home her third straight Omnium title. (above) Ryan Roth won both the UCI White SpotDelta Road Race and the Tour de White Rock Peace Arch News Road Race

B

C Superweek is Canada’s premier cycling series, which takes place annually in Vancouver, B.C. and the surrounding area. The 2016 edition ran from July 8-17 and included classics such as the Gastown Grand Prix, as well as the new Poco Criterium. Over the eight days of racing, riders competed for more than $125,000 in prize money at some of the most prestigious events in the country.

The three-day Tour de Delta kicked off racing with the MK Delta Lands Criterium. Silber Pro Cycling took its third straight win of the Delta opener, this time with a convincing sprint by Elliot Doyle of Laval, Que. In the women’s race, Joelle Numainville of the Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling team sprinted to victory.

Scott Law (Subaru NSWIS & MS) of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia won the 52km Stage Two Brenco Criterium, while Numainville secured her second win of the series in the 44km women’s race.

The Tour de Delta concluded with the UCI White Spot-Delta Road Race, which is part of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) America Tour. Ryan Roth (Silber Pro Cycling) won the 155km competition, crossing the line solo after a late attack.

The 103km women’s race saw the familiar face of Numainville racing for the Rise Racing composite team and taking the win after bridging to a three-rider break on the final climb of the last lap.

The next stop on July 14 marked perhaps the most prestigious race of the Superweek series, the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix, which received official UCI status in May, becoming the only Criterium in Canada to garner this prestigious international designation. Located in the heart of historic Vancouver, the race attracts huge crowds with its exciting and technical 14 PEDAL FALL 2016

New Focus CX Team Canada Launch New for the 2016-2017 season, the Focus CX Team Canada is based out of Ancaster, Ont. The program will support four riders in its inaugural season: Sidney McGill (Edmonton, Alta.), Jeremy Martin (Boischatel, Que.), Ashley Barson (Bolton, Ont.) and Aaron Schooler (Edmonton, Alta.). Adding to presence at local Canadian events, the team will primarily focus on prestigious North American Union Cycliste Internationale events and World Cup races.

“The project was created to assist current and future stars in Canadian cyclocross [and] to help fill the void in the development of Canadian cyclocross athletes, while striving to keep the talented ones in the discipline longer,” said Schooler, the team’s manager.

The four-rider squad will be supported by a professional and experienced crew made up of Alex Sanna (soigneur race services), Ciaran Hanrahan-Powers (head mechanic) and Pedalhead Road Works bike shop, based in Edmonton, Alta. This new Canadian cyclocross team is excited to be working with such industry leaders as Focus Bikes, DT Swiss, SRI Importing, Jakroo Canada, Clement Cycling and others.

New National Cycling Institute in Milton This fall, a new independent organization called the “National Cycling Institute – Milton” (NCIM) will begin to take over some track cycling programs from the Town of Milton, Ont. The NCIM will be based at the Mattamy Cycling Centre.

This transition will begin with a select group of program areas, including the Youth High Performance Program and both youth and adult racing. Milton will continue to operate all other programs in the 2016 season, including drop-in cycling programs.

NCIM is a not-for-profit organization; part of its mandate is to build a strong base of cycling participants in Canada.

In addition to offering cycling programs for individuals of all ages and skill levels, NCIM will engage in outreach cycling programs within a club structure.

There will also be a high-performance youth training academy including the Youth High Performance Program, as well as providing ongoing coaching and racing support for youth athletes. NCIM will be aligned with both the Ontario Cycling Association and Cycling Canada’s development models.

Continued on page 16 www.pedalmag.com

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By B O i r a t n OrE O

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By JACK CrACKEr

Canadian XCM Marathon MTB Championships Nieuwold and Kabush Win

photos: scott keLLy

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Results Women1. Elyse Nieuwold (ON - Senior) PHI Hotel Group/P-K Express p/b Holiday Inn 4:29:02; 2. Maghalie Rochette (QC - Senior) LUNA Pro Team 4:40:29; 3. Caroline Villeneuve (QC - Master 30-39) Le Pédalier 4:47:09; Men 1.

Geoff Kabush (BC - Master 30-39) Scott-3 Rox Racing 3:52:21; 2. Cory Wallace (AB - Master 30-39) Kona Factory Team 3:53:17; 3. Jeremy Martin (QC - Senior) Focus Bikes/iWill Pro Cycling 3:53:41. www.pedalmag.com

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Photo credit: Kawartha Lakes / Fred Thornhill Photography

wo first-time champions were crowned at the 2016 XCM Canadian Champion- (l-r) Geoff Kabush and Elyse Nieuwold were both ships held in East Hereford, Que. on crowned as first-time July 31. Elyse Nieuwold of Newmarket, Marathon MTB winners.

Ont. (PHI Hotel Group/P-K Express p/b Holiday Inn) won the women’s title, while multi-time XCO and cyclocross champion Geoff Kabush (Scott-3 Rox Racing) of Courtenay, B.C. took home his first Marathon title in the men’s race.

The 82km race, the longest event in the cross-country discipline, saw the course open with a long climb, punctuated by sections of singletrack. After a descent at the 30km mark, riders began a series of climbs to reach 864 metres, the highest point at 60km mark, before descending steadily to the finish line.

Nieuwold was clearly the strongest rider in the women’s field, finishing with a time of 4:29:02, more than 11 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Maghalie Rochette (LUNA Pro Team) of St-Jerome, Que. Caroline Villeneuve (Le Pédalier) of Quebec City, Que. was third, a further 6:40 back.

“It was a fantastic course, with grueling climbs and awesome singletrack descents,” said Nieuwold. “Once I got a gap, I tried to increase it steadily on the 8km climb up Mount Hereford and the technical descent. I was really glad the race organizer suggested pre-riding the technical descent the day before because it meant I was able to confidently rip those trails on race day. I’m really happy to earn my first National Championship jersey.”

The men’s race was much closer, with the top three within 80 seconds after 82 kilometres of racing. Kabush finished with a time of 3:52:21, followed by Cory Wallace (Kona Factory Team) of Jasper, Alta. at 56 seconds and Jeremy Martin (Focus Bikes/iWill Pro Cycling) a further 24 seconds in arrears.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” admitted Kabush, “but the organizers in East Hereford put on a fantastic event for the Marathon Nats. It was great to see we had a competitive field with Endurance strongmen like BC Bike Race champ Cory Wallace, Test of Metal champ Quinn Moberg, Singletrack 6 champ Mathieu Bélanger-Barrette. I was really happy to finally cross the finish line and win the Canadian Marathon jersey for the first time,” said Kabush.

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FALL 2016 PEDAL 15

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BY Sandra Walter Continued from page 14 Jamie Shinkewski/ Sun Peaks News

Canadian DH MTB Championships 2016 B.C. Dominates

second slower for second spot. Max Scharf (BC, Skookum Cycle and Ski Ltd.) sped into third place, while Cal(left) B.C.’s Miranda Miller ifornia-based Canuck defended her Elite women’s DH title.

McKay Vezina (CA, Giant Co-Factory Team) powered to fourth, followed by Cody MacArthur (BC) in fifth.

The junior women’s category consisted of only two riders, led by young shredder Stephanie Denroche (BC, C4 Rider Training Inc.), who has been cleaning up in the category all season, while fellow ripper Kyleigh Stewart (BC, Liv Giant Canada) was first runner-up.

The junior men’s ranks are very promising, with a ton of talent coming up the ranks, proven by multiple podiums at the international level this season. In fact, winner Finn Iles (BC, Specialized Gravity p/b SRAM) would have earned the bronze medal in the Elite men’s contest with his blistering time of five minutes and one second.

Second place went to Magnus Manson (BC, Devinci Global Racing) only two seconds back, while Henry Fitzgerald (BC, Steve Peat Syndicate) blasted to third.

The 2016 edition marked the last of a threeyear bid by Sun Peaks Resort to present the Canadian DH Championships, but the popular venue is sure to continue to be a fixture on the provincial and national scene. However, in 2017, the battle for the Canadian title will be waged on the slopes of Panorama Mountain Resort, near Invermere, B.C.

B

sam egan

(left) Fastest qualifier Kirk McDowall from B.C. earned his first Canadian Championship jersey.

ritish Columbian riders dominated the 2016 Canadian DH Championships on July 25 hosted by Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, B.C. on a brand-new long technical course that challenged more than 250 riders with nearly 600 metres of vertical loss, and determined the riders truly deserving of the Maple Leaf jersey.

World Cup podium threat Miranda Miller (BC, Specialized) defended her Canadian title in the Elite women’s contest, laying down the fastest time on the 2.6km track that featured a variety of terrain, from steep and techy to loose and fast, stopping the clock at five minutes, 44 seconds.

Last year’s junior champion, Georgia Astle (BC), charged to silver only three seconds behind, followed by speedy veteran Claire Buchar (BC, Kovarik Racing) in third.

“The track was pretty good and long, which I like. It was getting pretty blown out towards the end of the weekend, so I took it a little more cautiously. A massive thank you to the organizers – the new track was pretty sick!” said Miller.

Vaea Verbeeck (BC, Rocky Mountain Bicycles) and Jaime Hill (BC, Juliana Bicycles) rolled into fourth and fifth position respectively.

In the Elite men’s competition, fastest qualifier Kirk McDowall (BC, Dunbar Cycles) of Anmore, B.C. was only one of two riders to break the five-minute barrier in the final to take his first Canadian title in an unbeatable four-minute, 55-second run. “I was saying that it was probably the hardest run I’ve ever done. It started off pretty wild, but I knew that I had to dial it back and settle down for the bottom section,” said a thrilled McDowall after his win.

The 2015 champion, Mark Wallace (BC, Devinci Global Racing), was less than half a 16 PEDAL FALL 2016

Results Elite Men 1. Kirk McDowall (BC, Dunbar Cycles) 04:55.0; 2. Mark Wallace (BC, Devinci Global Racing) 04:55.1; 3.

Max Scharf (BC, Skookum Cycle and Ski Ltd.) 05:03.0; 4.

McKay Vezina (CA, Giant Co-Factory Team) 05:06.1; 5.

Cody MacArthur (BC) 05:07.0; Elite Women 1. Miranda Miller (BC, Specialized) 05:44.1; 2. Georgia Astle (BC) 05:47.1; 3. Claire Buchar (BC, Kovarik Racing) 05:47.1; 4.

Vaea Verbeeck (BC, Rocky Mountain Bicycles) 05:53.0; 5. Jaime Hill (BC, Juliana Bicycles) 05:58.0; Junior Men 1. Finn Iles (BC, Specialized Gravity p/b SRAM) 05:01.0; 2. Magnus Manson (BC, Devinci Global Racing) 05:03.1; 3. Henry Fitzgerald (BC, Steve Peat Syndicate) 05:10.0; Junior Women 1. Stephanie Denroche (BC, C4 Rider Training Inc.) 06:23.0; 2. Kyleigh Stewart (BC, Liv Giant Canada) 06:40.1.

Montreal Pledges $250,000 to Mardis Cyclistes Crits The City of Montreal announced it is pledging $250,000 to the Mardis Cyclistes Criterium series of bike races over the next three years.

“Both for sporting events and in popular practice, cycling is firmly rooted in Montreal,” said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre. “Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine has become a popular meeting place whose influence goes far beyond the boundaries of Montreal. The City of Montreal encourages the practice of this sport through its bicycling plan.”

“With races in several categories, this event is a good springboard for the next generation,” added Dimitrios “Jim” Beis, who sits on the executive committee of the City of Montreal where he is responsible for procurement, sports and leisure, and communities of diverse origins.

The Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine Criterium series was founded in 1978 by Joseph “Tino” Rossi. As reported earlier this summer, after 39 years, Rossi is looking to pass the torch. The owners of Cycle Néron announced that they are willing to assume organizing the 10-stage races each summer.

Annie Ewart Hospitalized Canada’s Annie Ewart, who rides for U.S.-based UnitedHealthcare, was hospitalized in August for an irregular heartbeat. Pedal reached Ewart by telephone after she had been back with her parents in Victoria, B.C. for a week.

“As far as I know, the problem has been fixed,” she said. “But I need some repeat surgery to confirm this diagnosis. I am now just focusing on the next three months and hope to make a full recovery. A big thank you to UHC and to team doctor Michael Roshon.

On Facebook, Ewart posted this description of what happened: “I was out on a training ride when my heart rate just took off. Thank goodness I was with @jstarr_97, as he had to help by pushing me over 12km to get back to cell service so I could call 911. The ambulance finally arrived and confirmed I was in “ventricular tachycardia” (240bpm) and rushed me to the hospital (lights and sirens).”

TWENTY16 Partners with Parcours TWENTY16 RideBiker, a U.S.-based Professional women’s road team, is partnering with Vancouver-based Parcours Institute Academy of Professional Cycling.

This partnership heralds the first standalone women’s program at Parcours.

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New products

Fresh off two medals at the Rio Olympics, TWENTY16 will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the evolving curriculum development process.

“Parcours is all about centralizing professional knowledge so that more young athletes can have direct access to the information they need to do the job right for teams and sponsors,” said Parcours managing director, Zach Bell, a former Olympian.

During his 11 years as a Pro cyclist, Bell twice won silver at the UCI World Championship in track events (Omnium, 2009 and 2012) and was the overall UCI World Cup Omnium Series title in 2010 and 2011; he also was the 2013 Canadian road champion.

CYCLING Canada Announces 2017 Championship SITES Cycling Canada has announced the dates and host locations for its 2017 Canadian Championships series.

Alongside the confirmation of the 2017 host venues, Cycling Canada also announced a new multi-year partnership with Lexus Canada, which will see Lexus become the official presenting sponsor of all Canadian Road and Track Cycling Championships events.

The partnership presents Lexus with unique and exclusive customer engagement opportunities at each of these major events. The Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus will return to the National Capital Region in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. from June 24-28 during Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations. The 2017 Road Championships will showcase para-cycling, junior and Elite categories, over five consecutive days of racing in both provinces. Details for the Road Masters and Marathon Mountain Bike Championships will be announced at a later date.

Global Relay Road Championships Ottawa, Ont./Gatineau, Que. June 24-28, 2017 Mountain Bike DHI Championships Invermere/Panorama, B.C. July 15-16, 2017 Mountain Bike XCO Championships Canmore, Alta. July 22-23, 2017 BMX Championships Calgary, Alta. Aug. 25-27, 2017 Cyclocross Championships Sherbrooke, Que. Date TBA Track Cycling Championships Milton, Ont. Junior and U17 riders in Spring 2017; Elite, Master and Para-cycling athletes in Fall 2017

Numainville Just Off Podium in Fourth AT La Course Canada’s Joelle Numainville (Cervélo-Bigla) was just off the podium in fourth place for the third annual running of La Course by Le Tour de France on July 24, Round Eight of the Union Cycliste Internationale Women’s WorldTour. Chloe Hosking (AUS, Wiggle High5) took the win. Numainville’s teammate Lotta Lepistö (FIN) was second, while Marianne Vos (NED, Rabo-Liv Women Cycling Team) was third.

There were 123 riders from 21 teams on the start line of this 89km race held over 13 laps of the ChampsÉlysées before the final stage of the 2016 Tour de France.

Just before the last lap, Lucinda Brand (Rabo-Liv), Amy Pieters (Wiggle High5) and Lauren Stephens (TibContinued on page 22 www.pedalmag.com

STAC Zero Trainer The novel STAC Zero is unique and one of the quietest, smallest and easiest-to-use power-compatible trainers available on the market. It offers a zero-contact resistance unit, which means no noise, no tire wear and real-power measurement. The only noise generated comes from your bike’s drivetrain, as nothing touches the tire, meaning that you will never have to buy another trainer tire. Available in basic and power-equipped models, the power-meter model is both Bluetooth- and ANT+-compatible, so it is able to transmit to a standard head unit or a computer for use with software such as TrainerRoad or Zwift. The introductory price is $399 [CDN] for the base trainer and $499 [CDN] for the power-meter-equipped version.

BionX Lights New for 2017, BionX will offer a stylish universal 2,000-lumen front- and rear-lighting system that runs off all BionX e-bike powertrain systems equipped with a DC jack and controlled by the RC3 controller on the handlebars. No need for a separate battery, and it turns off and on via the BionX controller. If your e-bike system has a DC output on the battery-docking station, this new BionX lighting system will surely please. Sold as a set, the SRP is $259.99.

F2C Glyco-Durance Carbohydrate Powder F2C (formerly PhD Nutrition) is known for innovative and inspirational sports-nutrition products that taste great and deliver serious results. The Glyco-Durance powder is a fast-absorbing carbohydrate providing a quick but sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream. The scientifically developed electrolyte blend is added based on real-time absorption. Electrolyte and water absorption in the intestine are enhanced with the clinically proven Sustamine® to help stimulate glycogen production. Non-GMO, gluten-free, with lowest serum osmolarity, Glyco-Durance is free from all artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners and preservatives. The SRP for 30 servings (843g) is $64.99.

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by Catharine Pendrel

MTB Frontlines Magic and Heartbreak at the Olympics – I Have Had Both

I

michal cerveny

have learned a lot from each year of racing mountain bikes, but the heartbreak of underperforming in London 2012 at the Olympics probably taught me the most. It taught me how to be true to myself as an athlete and how to find the right ingredients I needed to perform.

Preparing for the Games in 2012, I let the seriousness of trying to win a medal steal the joy away from what I was doing, and consequently came up short. I had to be perfect and anything less wasn’t enough. That unforgiving mindset gives you no room to come back from adversity or to value a great performance that may be shy of a gold, silver or bronze. It means a solid performance can quickly derail into a poor one.

I always perform best when I am smiling and embracing the challenge of racing, and after London, it took a year to find that joy again and another year to turn that into success with a second MTB World Championship win.

Going into my third Olympic Games in Rio, I was determined to remember that performing on the highest stage is fun! It is an opportunity to give your best and see what you can do. I was determined to embrace the magic of the Games despite knowing that some people would think I wasn’t focused and that focused athletes should only be recovering in their rooms when not out training. But that’s not how I perform. I was determined to vocalize and commit to “having the best performance” I could have, rather than stating “I was going to Rio to medal and that anything else would be a disappointment” because the former is the attitude where I find I’m at my best. I was determined to put out a race I could ride away from with my head held high, even if there was no medal draped around my neck.

Despite being a much more dominant racer heading into the 2012 Games in London, I went into the 2016 Games in Rio a much more confident, relaxed and happy athlete. When I went down in a crash on the start loop before even entering the first full lap, I couldn’t believe it.

I headed into the first climb 25th out of 30 women. But if you know me, 18 PEDAL FALL 2016

you know that coming back from poor starts has become a necessary skill. I remembered Beijing in 2008 where I was in the 20’s off the start, and rode to fourth, nine seconds off the bronze. I knew it was possible.

When my shifting stopped working halfway through the lap, I started to become demoralized. I climbed Flag Mountain hoping the camera wasn’t on me so that people wouldn’t see me lugging this massive gear and wonder why I was riding so poorly. I caught a group of four women, but had no ability to accelerate past them.

When I reached the tech zone, my Team Canada mechanic, Adam Trotter, quickly got the jammed shifter moving again, but I was now more than one minute back. I couldn’t believe this was my Olympics.

I was so ready and it was coming down to bad luck.

Giving up never occurred to me. I just had a harder job. I thought back to the World Cup in La Bresse, France where I had brought back a 1:40 gap. I could do this. I have never been so grateful a course had no trees! When I cleared traffic and got to Flag Mountain, on the following lap I could actually see the leaders. Sure they were far ahead, but not that far. Getting there was possible, and my coach Dan [Proulx] was there with the necessary time splits to remind me it was really possible.

I know how my body feels when I’m riding well, how my legs need to drive, where my eyes need to look. I knew I couldn’t play around with tactics; that if I wanted to get to the front, I had to drive the pace and make it happen. I had played out in my mind every single scenario that could have occurred in this race. This was not the scenario I wanted, but I knew, in my mind at least, I had come through this and gotten to the front. Each lap, the front became more and more possible.

With two laps to go, a highlight was riding with both my Luna teammate Katerina Nash and my Catharine Pendrel Canadian teammate Emily Batty in third, fourth finally claims an Olympic medal, and fifth. At least one of us would have a great winning MTB bronze day! I kept driving the pace and was able to open in Rio. a gap and keep growing it into the final lap.

Then 200 metres from the finish, the unthinkable happened. I crashed. It was 100% my fault – and I came down hard. I can’t even verbalize the intensity of that moment, the thousand thoughts spiraling through my head as I realized I might have just crashed myself out of an Olympic medal. I ran and hopped back on my bike with no momentum for the next rock garden. As I turned into the finish stadium, I looked back and saw Emily chasing me down. I poured everything I had into that moment, and as I seized up coming through the last corner into the finish line, I had to find more. After being 25 seconds ahead, I was only one second at the finish line, just enough the raise an arm and savour the moment of earning an Olympic medal.

I LOVE my bronze. To me, it is gold. I got everything I wanted out of that performance. It was far from perfect, but it was magic. I rode the race of my life and got exactly out of my performance what I wanted most – a ride that I could be proud of.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible in even the smallest way. www.pedalmag.com

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DECEMBER 3, WORLD FAT BIKE DAY

• Fat bike rentals and lessons

Official opening of the dedicated Nipika Fat Bike Trail System.

info@nipika.com phone 250 342-6516, toll free 1 877 647-4525 www.nipika.com Near Radium Hot Springs B.C. Located on Settlers Rd. 14km off Hwy 93 in Kootenay National Park

out in front

BY SVEIN TUFT

Tuft Enough Nutrition – Do’s and Don’ts

N

utrition is on every rider’s mind – it’s part of the formula that builds a strong body to take the brunt of the elite-competition schedule. For a look at my approach, check out this Q&A with my nutritionist friend Barry Murray.

home, I stick to water and real food I make myself or that comes from a tree or plant.

What’s your favourite way to recover after a stage?

ST: In an ideal world, the best way to recover after a hard stage is a swim in the cold ocean and Tuft at the 2016 Road Nationals... a craft beer. That’s not always possible, so I settle “I try to stick to for what the team provides. Most times, that’s about real food.” smashing some simple foods such as rice or fruits and then sleeping on the bus. Like I said, the first option is the dream.

Pasquale Stalteri

Lots of talk about TUE’s, etc. these days. Do you think many riders use them today?

ST: I think there are many people who use them and need them, and some who abuse. But that is like anything in life. Some people feel they can gain an advantage and they will try anything.

What are typical breakfast foods and habits? What are yours and what are your general thoughts?

ST: Typical breakfast foods are pretty standard. Haven’t changed much over the years. But I am seeing more avocados and coconut oil on the tables. Always nice to have some variety. Some guys still like a big rice or pasta feed, but I’ve personally never been into that. I like an omelette and avocado with a hearty bread. That seems to do the trick. I don’t necessarily think it’s a time for loading down your system.

Depending on the day, you will have to adjust as needed, but I think breakfast is just about enjoying a smaller meal that you like and that is easy to digest.

What do you eat on the bike during a stage tour versus when training? And why is there a difference?

ST: During a Grand Tour, you have to eat a lot on the bike. Not because you need that energy at the moment. It’s really more about the following day. It’s important not to run out of gas because that can really hinder the next few days, and if one of those days happens to be a seven-hour day in the Alps, you could be in for some real trouble. I try to stick to real food. Over 21 days, your body will tell you that packaged foods are not the way to go. Rice cakes, oat bars and simple foods seem the best. When it comes to drinks, I try to drink water as much as possible, but that’s hard to control, so I take what’s given to me. Training can be very different when it comes to nutrition.

Depending on your objective, there’s plenty of room to try new ideas and concepts. Sometimes, you can try riding in a fasted state or very low carbohydrate. Or if preparing for a Grand Tour, you will be teaching your body to be very receptive to carbohydrates. When 20 PEDAL FALL 2016

There was talk last year of “race boxes,” where many riders take painkiller, caffeine and anti-inflammatory pills. Is that still done?

ST: Again, these are additives, and I don’t think they make you a better racer. I think a lot of this is placebo effect. People believe that they will make them faster or stronger. But it’s your body and it’s amazing – it doesn’t need all of this excess bullshit!

What are the typical food arrangements in the evening. Do you get the best, freshest, most-nutrient-dense foods you can get?

ST: Unfortunately, race organizers still believe that bike racers love pasta. I think they also like that rice and pasta cost nothing. This is not the case at the Grand Tours, where we have the world’s best chef, Niki Strobel. Niki’s ability to put together the most-nutrient-dense colourful foods in a small 100° French hotel kitchen everyday blows my mind. He makes really hard days on the bike seem not so bad.

You forget all about it when you sit down at his table. That is the key to being a real top chef – creativity.

Why are teams not providing chefs and high-quality foods to everyone?

ST: Everything in our sport always comes back to the budget. The cost of having a full-time chef can be pretty enormous. They need an additional truck and supplies and the cost of feeding eight or nine riders add up over the year. Especially when teams are used to the organizer footing the bill. But I’ve noticed a big change in the culture.

Teams are starting to see the benefit and have the long-term vision that’s important for sustainability. Keep a rider healthy and strong and you have a consistent happy human for years.

What do you do when there is no chef and the hotel food isn’t great?

Where do you then get your energy?

ST: I do little things, such as bring avocados or sardines with me.

Lately, I’ve been making sourdough bread. I’ve been known to bring a loaf on the road. The team has also made our lives a lot sweeter by providing many things missing from the organization. www.pedalmag.com

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Catch the Feeling...

By BEN ANdrEW

Christian Meier to Retire From Cycling to Coffee

www.pedalmag.com

pAsquALe stALteri

C

anadian Christian Meier has decided to finish his Professional racing career at the end of the 2016 season. The 31-yearold has been a member of the Australian ORICA-BikeExchange team since its inception in 2012. The former Canadian National road champion has been a huge contributor to the many team victories as a passionate and selfless support rider.

Now ready to draw his successful career to a close, Meier is looking Canadian Christian forward to the next challenges outside of cyMeier is shifting from cling. “I have been racing for many years now,” cycling to coffee as he said Meier. “Although I still love the bike and I retires at the end of the 2016 season. continue to enjoy riding, my passions outside of cycling have been growing.

“Cycling has been an incredible period of my life, but I am now very excited for what the future holds. Moving forward, I will be able to devote more time to growing myself and my businesses in the coffee world. We also have some projects and ideas we hope to explore.”

Born in Sussex, N.B., Meier spent many of his early years as a Professional in British Columbia, racing with the Canada-based Symmetrics team from 2005-2008. Meier and fellow Canadian Svein Tuft began a long career of racing together on Symmetrics, then the two found themselves racing together with Team Garmin-Transitions in 2010, and then again with ORICA-BikeExchange since 2012. In 2011, Meier raced for the American UnitedHealthcare outfit.

Meier has stood on the Canadian National podium a staggering nine times in the road and time-trial events, including winning the U23 road title in 2007 and the Elite road title in 2008. Meier also won the Sprint Classification at the Tour of the Basque Country in 2010, the sprints and special Sprints Classifications at the 2013 Volta a Catalunya, and the Mountains Classification at the 2015 Vuelta a La Rioja. He was also on the final podium in third at the 2013 Tour de Beauce.

Sport director Matt White and everyone at ORICA-BikeExchange are grateful for all of Meier’s contributions to the team over the years. “We wish him the best of luck with his future outside of cycling, and we are sure he will be successful in his next goals in life – he will be missed,” said White.

Meier currently resides in Girona, Spain with his wife, Amber.

Together in 2015, they opened La Fabrica Girona, a coffee shop frequented by local Pros and visitors alike. More recently, Meier has opened Espresso Mafia, a roastery and “coffee lab” around the corner from La Fabrica Girona. With the amount of caffeine many cyclists consume, it doesn’t appear Meier will be leaving cycling anytime soon.

Canada’s cycling hubs

www.fqsc.net

ontariocycling.org

cyclingbc.net

albertabicycle.ab

cycling.mb.ca

bicycle.ns.ca

cycling.mb.ca

bicycle.ns.ca

Cycling Yukonnaise Association Association of Yukon Cycliste

sportyukon.com

www.bnl.nf.ca

www.cpei.ca

www.cyclingcanada.ca

FALL 2016 PEDAL 21

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Veal Report Living Out of a Bag

I

have been a part of the Canadian men’s Track Endurance program for three full years now. It seems like yesterday that I flew to Los Angeles for that first tryout. Over the past three years, for many different reasons, we have seen talented athletes come and go. One reason, regardless of talent, is that the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Traveling all over the world competing and taking part in training camps take its toll.

Being away from loved ones, friends and pets is a sacrifice, to say the least.

Though I wasn’t exactly sure what I had signed up for when I first started, I have a much better handle on how to deal with and even enjoy living out of a bag. My view of things now is that my life was turned upside down for the better.

Living out of a bag isn’t for everyone, but I want to share some valuable lessons I’ve learnt moving from hotel room to hotel room.

know the entire history of their town or city, but if you take interest in the people and their home, it will be appreciated. Make sure to listen and do your best to try to understand them. Don’t expect to grasp it all right away, and also realize you don’t know as much as you may think.

Trying my best to fit in, make friends and not be an outsider has worked everywhere I’ve been in life. Give it a shot. Explore. Get out on the bike and take it all in. Believe it or not, I also like to get out on foot and do the same. Look at the local architecture, the history in the roadway and take a deep breath of that manure-scented or smog-filled air. I don’t like being spun around, not knowing where anything is. Call it survival instinct or whatever, but knowing the floor plan of the hotel, the stairs, exits, the parking lot, the major intersections and local highways, including the route to the best sandwich shop in town, really puts me at My life was turned upside down for the better.

courtesy of Ed Veal

ease. I always make time to walk around and explore my surroundings, especially if it includes a sandy beach.

Talk to people, face to face. Share experiences live in person with your coaches and teammates, but also make time to communicate with family and friends back home. A solid WiFi connection should make it very easy to say hello and see a smiling, loving face from the other side of the world. It’s good to know what is going on outside of your sporting bubble.

A little distraction or a good barrel laugh can make all the difference to your mood and general well-being. One caution though – your mobile device shouldn’t be your everything while away.

Put the phone down and turn it off as much as you can. Connect with the human beings around you.

In the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the company of and to bond with so many incredible people on this journey. Way too many special moments would have been missed if I was face down in my phone.

Things change. Embrace differences and be flexible in new situations and surroundings. It is great to experience new areas and cultures.

Expect things to be different, soak up the at­ mosphere and really try to become one with your surroundings. I fully expect my coffee to taste different everywhere I go, and I’m now open to it taking way longer to get it than I’m used to back home. Take some time to learn a few new words so as to fit in a bit better, and slow down and smile if communication breaks down.

Another thing that helps with traveling to new places is asking questions and becoming familiar with your surroundings. No one expects you to 22 PEDAL FALL 2016

Continued from page 17 co-SVB) formed a small dangerous break and were still holding onto a 10-second gap for the bell lap.

With four kilometres to go, they were caught. Then another crash near the front resulted in approximately 30 women still contesting for the win. In the final sprint to the line, Hosking came up the middle, taking the win by a few wheels, with Numainville battling to fourth.

Fellow Canadian Leah Kirchmann (Team Liv-Plantur) finished 12th, while Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin, also with Cervélo-Bigla, was 63rd.

Co-founder of Toronto’s Donut Ride Passes Away Roger M. Kiely, an avid cyclist and co-founder of Toronto’s popular Donut Ride, passed away suddenly on Sept.

Roger 8 while at Kiely home with his loving wife, Tammy, by his side. Kiely was 74 years old and in apparent good health except for some hip problems.

Kiely’s friend Fernando Gonçalves spoke of seeing Kiely only two Saturdays earlier at the Oakridge Bakery while out on a ride.

“Roger introduced a great deal of people to cycling. He worked at a bike shop on Shropshire, raced, trained and encouraged people. He also spoke his mind on things. He was very wellknown and respected in the cycling community.”

The Donut Ride became a tradition and was very popular for many years. As the ride grew in popularity, it moved to a new starting point more centralized in Toronto, although still somewhat east of the core. It remained associated with The Bike Store for some time. A serious accident in the 1990s (on Keele Street in Maple, Ont.) led to the group being unsuccessfully sued, and since then, the ride is now completely unofficial.

courtesy of Donut Ride-Toronto

BY ed veal

Terry Fox Ride Most Canadians will remember Terry Fox’s amazing Marathon of Hope; in 1980, a 22-year-old man with an artificial leg attempted to run across Canada in an effort to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Fox had to stop after 5,373 kilometres and died of cancer in 1981, but his legacy lives on.

Continued on page 24 www.pedalmag.com

out in front



Swart’s Swagger Only on a Bicycle

N

courtesy: John swArt

ever felt so at home, so comfortable, so relaxed, so right . . . at peace. This isn’t the dull, 40-watt light bulb of recognition coming on; this is the 3,000-watt searchlight probing the dark for Russian spies.

You’re not reading Car & Driver or Cosmo, so you know it’s a bike story. Carbon, aluminum or steel, mountain, road, or ‘cross, it doesn’t matter.

This day, it’s my old aluminum R800 Cannondale with the triple, because you never know what the road will throw your way.

Things kept me off my bike this year. I’ve done less than 400 kilometres by early September, when I find myself heading to upstate New York, near Syracuse, on business.

The plan is to take the bike and catch two days riding in an area new to me, before my appointment. Day One, I’ll ride along the Erie Canal towpaths, out and back, to get back into the cycling groove. This idea lasts about three kilometres. Maybe in 20 years, eyebrow, ears and nose hair all equally gray and bushy, will this dull pedal be acceptable.

New plan: pick a destination, use the sun as my compass and road map, and just follow my handlebars. The compass is working overtime, shining mercilessly at 30°C or more, and there is no breeze. Not an inch of the route will be flat, but there’s no traffic in this forgotten part of America.

Decision made, I swing north toward Lake Ontario at the first paved road I encounter, and a smile creeps onto my face. I have missed this so much. At the next intersection, the sun casts Apple trees - dan says its shadow to my left, so his weird apple trees are that’s the way I should go. as high-tech as your di2.

24 PEDAL FALL 2016

To my right, the road’s freshly paved, slightly downhill to start, and then twists up and over a serious moraine. I choose right, sweating and puffing as I ride up and up, and my smile grows.

This is what I do. The fresh pavement ends. The downhill is broken asphalt with gravel pushing through erratically, and in my imagination I’m on some desolate descent in France that Phil and Paul will never report on, scaring myself to death.

My smile grows. This is why I do it.

In Marion, a sad little town that the new highway has passed by, I ask directions from two fathers and their kids. One of the kids, maybe 12 years old on a shiny BMX bike, stares me up and down, then asks if I want to race. Around the big town square, ignore stop signs and lights, standing start; those are his rules. Should I kick his ass or let him win? I drop him, but tell him afterwards that I love his bike, that he was way faster than I expected, that I had too many gears for him, and that he shouldn’t race for money with strangers just yet. His dad laughs, my smile grows. Only on a bicycle.

I see a vintage Harley-Davidson sidecar parked in a driveway, and stop. I meet Jim, a veteran who came back home to this quiet countryside to retire and chill with his Harleys. We talk for an hour while he shows me seven more bikes, each with its own story. My smile grows. Put yourself out there on a bike, and the world will open up to you.

Next, I ride by Klaus, sitting in his walker, struggling to pick the tomatoes in his garden.

Evey, his wife, shuffles ever so slowly up their driveway with her walker, a few ears of fresh corn on its seat. Klaus is 87, used to bike a lot in the old country, and thinks it’s what has kept him healthy all these years. He’s glad a Canadian isn’t afraid to ride amongst all the “Repeal the S.A.F.E. Act” (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Act of 2013) signs on lawns here. My smile grows. Strangers to kindred souls in five minutes thanks to the bike.

Dwight and Jean at the lunch deli ask how far I’m riding, and tell me to ride safe. When Dan sees me checking out his weird apple trees, he responds to my interest by proudly explaining high-density farming for 15 minutes. My smile grows. So it continues around every corner.

Those 3,000 watts of recognition come on as I throw the bike on the car. The smile is joined by a tiny tear of joy. I’m back on my bike – this is who I am.

Continued from page 22 In 2015, to mark the 35th anniversary of Terry Fox’s run, a group of B.C. cyclists rode 350 kilometres in one day from B.C.’s Kamloops to Valemont, close to where Mount Terry Fox is located.

One of the six cyclists was Terry’s younger brother Daryl, the senior advisor to the Terry Fox Research Institute.

“Last year, rather spontaneously, six of us decided to ride 350 kilometres from Kamloops to Mount Terry Fox in Valemount to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope,” explained Daryl. “Needless to say, it was not easy, but it pales in comparison to running close to 26 miles every day for 143 days on an artificial walking leg crudely modified for running. We stopped every 35 kilometres to reflect and take a pic with a ‘Terry’ quote.”

At press time, rider organizer Simon Blythe said that plans for 2016 include a 360km ride on Sept. 2, also from Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops, B.C. to Mount Terry Fox. Another event on the menu is a hike up 2,650-metre/8,694-foot Mount Terry Fox on Sunday, Sept. 4.

For more information, visit www.terryfox.org/TF360.html.

criTerium NaTioNaL

Marie-Soleil Blais

Alexis Cartier

For the second year in a row, Criterium National attracted some of the best racers in the country to the site of the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Montreal WorldTour race. Run on the rest day between the Quebec City and Montreal races, Criterium National offers a challenging course and a large purse for the riders.

Marie-Soleil Blais (Happy Tooth Pro Cycling) took the women’s win in a bunch sprint. Emily Flynn (The Cyclery-Opus) claimed second, with Raphaele Lemieux (Ibike) in third.

Cyclery-Opus animated the race with countless attacks, really demonstrating the strength of the team.

The men’s race was won by Alexis Cartier (Garneau-Quebecor), with teammate Michael Rice (AUS) in second, followed by Samuel Blanchette (Norco-Premier Tech p/b Chew Pod) in third. This race of attrition saw the three escape the dwindling pack before Cartier attacked in the closing laps to finish solo. www.pedalmag.com

photos: peter krAiker

By JOHN SWArT

BIKE TEST

TREK Boone 7 Disc

by Tim Lefebvre

THE BIKE Price:

$5,399

Weight:

17.3 lb.

Components:

SRAM Force 1 Hydraulic Disc

Frame/Fork:

OCLV carbon frame (600 series) / Full carbon fork with 15mm thru-axle

Geometry:

Head Angle 73.3, Seat Angle 72.3

Sizes:

50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm

Comments:

Improvement upon improvement

the ride The Trek Boone has been gracing cyclocross races and endure events for a number of years now with even legendary Belgian rider Sven Nys aboard one. With many accolades and rave reviews, the pressure is always on to tweak and refine the ride with current technology.

The brand new 2017 Trek Boone 7 Disc has been designed on the engineering tables of Waterloo Wisc. and constructed in Taiwan. Using their 600 Series OCLV carbon that has been their go-to for years, the complete frame is carbon with IsoSpeed technology, E2 tapered head tube, BB90, disc-balanced post mount, hidden fender mounts, internal control routing and a 3S chain keeper. The fork is also full carbon including the tapered steerer boasting a 15mm thru-axle.

The big news is the IsoSpeed decoupler, which is a pivot that actually separates the seat tube from the top tube and seat stay junction. It is purported to provide vertical compliance to the frame. After an 18-month study to help address a comfort and performance issue, the decoupler has been unveiled, dressed in a sparkly flake paint job that brings us back to the bass boat paint jobs of the late nineties on the Schwinn line. The initial look takes some getting used to with orange and light blue upon a teal green background. Nevertheless, it stands out and as I stated previously, it grows on you.

The build is SRAM’s Force 1 hydraulic disc setup, incorporating the XSync single ring with the Force 1 11-speed rear derailleur turning a 40-tooth front ring on an 11-28 cassette. Bontrager Affinity Elite Tubeless ready rims are coupled with Bontrager CX 3 team issue 120tpi aramid bead 700 x 23 tires.

26 PEDAL FALL 2016

Bontrager takes care of the rest with a Paradigm model saddle, a Ride Tuned seat-mast, Race Lite Isozone bar and Race X Lite alloy stem as well, creating a nicely weighted ride.

The geometry is race proven and hasn’t strayed from the course on this build. It is the decoupler that can make a difference, especially if your seat is jacked back on the post and you tip the scales over 160lbs. It is enough to take away that annoying sharp jut that is transferred through the frame over rocky, even rough surfaces. www.pedalmag.com

The big news is the IsoSpeed decoupler, which is a pivot that actually separates the seat tube from the top tube and seat stay junction.

Long live the 15mm thru-axle that bigger riders will also cheer as the increased stiffness provides a great front-end feel. Taking this rig onto the gravel roads of Northern Ontario was a great test in comfort and performance. The bike tracked exceptionally well on the loose gravel descents and provided a great feeling of quickness on the climbs.

Braking on the Boone 7 Disc is everything we hoped for. Under extreme pressure there is almost no instability in the front end, creating a nice responsive feel as you bounce over logs and bunny-hop that rock garden. Shifting www.pedalmag.com

under load receives an A once you get used to the SRAM shifting index as it differs greatly from Shimano and Campagnolo.

The lightweight frame creates a nice lively feel out of corners and small steep hills. The entire build together runs a nice stiff line that is truly responsive in all conditions. From the hard–to-find gravel roads to the local cyclocross venue, this bike has everything you could ask for and then some. www.trekbikes.com FALL 2016 PEDAL 27

BIKE TEST

GIANT TCR Advanced Pro 0

by Tim Lefebvre

THE BIKE Price:

$5,299

Weight:

14.2 lb. (Size M)

Components:

Shimano Dura Ace 9000 11-speed mechanical

Frame/Fork:

Advanced-Grade Composite, Full-Composite OverDrive 2 Steerer

Geometry:

Head Angle 73°, Seat Angle 73°

Sizes:

S M M/L L

Comments:

Incredible value for the money

the ride A brand new series of TCR bikes are hitting the floor and Pedal magazine was lucky enough to get its hands on the TCR Advanced Pro 0, one down from the TCR Advanced SL. Billed as the “total race bike”, this machine has been redesigned and overhauled to create a ride that surpasses today’s race standards at an attractive price point. One of the main goals was to increase the stiffness-toweight ratio while still having a frame that can absorb shock and retain some comfort.

The frame is built in-house at Giant Taiwan to their Compact Road design.

Composed of the Advanced SL grade composite carbon and finished in a matte black/glossy scheme, the bike screams race machine upon first glance with rounder, smoother tubes than its predecessor.

Slight are the changes to the new TCR, but collectively they will make a difference. One of the biggest changes is the new Variant integrated seatpost design, which replaces the old Vector post, a change that will allow some softening for the rider. With the sloping top tube, the seatpost will gather some attention, especially since the rear end of that top tube is now even slimmer and more tapered, creating a nice arrow effect.

An Overdrive headtube houses a 1.25” fork steerer, which again increases stiffness and reduces weight but can limit your choice of stem if you wanted to switch out. Other changes include fewer holes within the cable routing, as more cables share fewer ports. A slightly slimmed-down headtube and fork design increases aerodynamics but retains important stiffness through the front end.

The TCR Advanced Pro 0 is equipped with Shimano’s 11-speed mechanical Dura Ace 9000 groupset and a KMC chain, while Giant is pleased to complete the build with its SLR 0 DBL WheelSystem, 23mm P-SLR1 tires and Contact SL 28 PEDAL FALL 2016

handlebars, stem and saddle.

Back to these in-house-built wheels which use full composite, tubeless-compatible rims (30mm high, 23mm wide) and their own alloy hubs with the rear being a DT Swiss star rachet hub. The new system is called the Dynamic Balance Lacing Wheelsystem with two models available, either a climbing or aero system (50mm rim).

Lively and responsive is what you feel as you stomp on the new TCR Pro 0, allowing for a great sensation of lightness and quickness. Their goal for a lighter and more competent frame has been accomplished, but it is important to consider everything else, as making a lighter frame can sometimes compromise performance. www.pedalmag.com

Lively and responsive is what you feel as you stomp on the new TCR Pro 0, allowing for a great sensation of lightness and quickness.

It rides straight as an arrow with very little lateral movement as the big climbs are tackled. Power to weight is accepted through the massive bottom bracket and shifting is perfect under load. The most impressive difference is the incredible braking performance both wet and dry on all road surfaces with minimal force on the levers.

Descents and corners are a joy with this machine, with no oversteer and great back-wheel comfort and control as the sloped top tube and wheels create that great arc feeling when you let the back end do its best (or worst).

Comfort over continual long days in the saddle is not the primary goal of this build, but with everything else it has to offer you would be hard-pressed to complain. The carbon and geometry which is virtually unchanged in the www.pedalmag.com

2016 line goes a long way to create an incredible feeling of performance and reliability.

Giant’s 2016 TCR Advanced range is split into three levels: TCR Advanced (2 models), TCR Advanced Pro (2 models), and TCR Advanced SL (3 models). TCR Advanced and TCR Advanced Pro bikes share the same frameset with a conventional seatpost while the TCR Advanced SL frameset is made from lighter materials with nanotechnology and has an integrated seatpost.

The TCR Advanced Pro 0 is available in one colour only – black – and is backed by a lifetime warranty for the frame, 10 years for the forks and one year for the components and paint. www.GiantBicycle.com FALL 2016 PEDAL 29

cyclocross 2016 preview to the season

by Mike Sarnecki

Major Cyclocross Races Sept. 21 - UCI World Cup Las Vegas, Nevada USA Sept. 24 - UCI World Cup Iowa City, Iowa USA Oct. 23 - UCI World Cup Valkenburg NED Oct. 29 - Pan-American Continental Championships Covington USA Nov. 5 - Canadian National CX Championships Sherbrooke, Quebec Nov. 20 - UCI World Cup Koksijde BEL Nov. 26 - UCI World Cup Zeven GER Dec. 1-2 - Masters CX World Championships Mol BEL Dec. 18 - UCI World Cup Namur BEL Dec. 26 - UCI World Cup Heusden-Zolder BEL Jan. 15 - UCI World Cup Fiuggi-Roma ITA Jan. 22 - UCI World Cup Hoogerheide NED Jan. 28-29 UCI World CX Championships Bieles LUX 30 PEDAL FALL 2016

photos: peter kraiker

W

hen fall comes around, many cyclists start thinking about putting aside their mountain and road bikes in favour of dusting off their cyclocross racing machine. August morning chills signals the time is near – cyclocross season is nigh.

Cyclocross draws from a wide cross-section of cycling participants, and the sport’s mass appeal contributes to the growth of the discipline. Due to the short duration of a race, usually 45 minutes to one hour in length, racing and training for cyclocross can be easier than mountain bike or road racing. Featuring short, fast courses, cyclocross races are full of excitement, usually taking place on a grass/ dirt circuit, with pavement and sandpit sections included. Course set-ups vary with different man-made and natural obstacles, often forcing a dismount and remount of your cyclocross bike. But many top riders have honed their bunny-hopping skills, eliminating the need to dismount over some of the barriers and obstacles on course. Multiple laps of a 2-3km course are timed and the race is designed to end for the winner at the prescribed time (i.e., 60 minutes for Elite men).

Cyclocross continues to progress, as many ’cross bikes on the market feature new technologies such as hydraulic disc brakes, electronic shifting, 1x11 speed drivetrains and thru-axle frame and front forks.

Bringing mountain bikers and roadies together, the weekends of the fall season are jammed with cyclocross events all across the country. British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have solid provincial cyclocross series, while Saskatchewan and the Maritimes are hosting more and more events.

Parc Jacques-Cartier in Sherbrooke, Que., will play host to the 2016 National Championships in early November with organizers looking to build upon the momentum created by the group in Winnipeg, which brought us the successful 2014 and 2015 Canadian championships. Look for 2015 champions Raphael Gagne (Red Truck-Garneau) and Mical Dyck (Naked Factory Racing) to return to defend their Elite men’s and women’s titles, respectively.

Many C1- and C2-sanctioned events are run in the US, beginning in September with the Rochester Cyclocross in Rochester, NY, all the way to the Highlander ’Cross Cup in Waco, Tex. Valuable UCI points will be up for grabs for North Americans as the CincyCX will once again host the Pan-American Continental Championships in Devou Park in Covington, Ky. on Oct. 29.

Some of Canada’s best cyclocross racers will travel to contest the expanded World Cup series, with a calendar that begins in mid-September and culminates in January of 2017. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, ’Cross Vegas will once again be hosting a UCI World Cup for the second consecutive year in late September.

The event will kick off the 2016-17 edition of the Telenet UCI Cyclocross World Cup series. New to this year’s Elite calendar is the Jingle Cross World Cup in Iowa City, Iowa, being held three days after round one in Vegas. What began as a small local race in 2004 has exploded in participation and risen to the highest level of a UCI-sanctioned event. Other stops include Valkenburg and Hoogerheide in the Netherlands; Koksijde, Namur and Heusden-Zolder in Belgium; Zeven in Germany; and Fiuggi-Roma in Italy.

Located between Belgium, France and Germany, the small country of Luxemburg will host the 2017 UCI World Cyclocross championships. After a 49year hiatus, this is the fifth time the country has hosted the championships. It was 1968 when (top) Raphael Gagne, 2016 Elite men’s cyclocross Luxemburg last hosted the Cyclocross Worlds. national champ Wout Van Aert (BEL) and Sanne Cant (BEL) (left) Mical Dyck took the Elite will look to repeat their World Cup overall vicwomen’s title tories as Van Aert and Thalita De Jong (NED) will (opposite) Maghalie Rochette attempt to defend their rainbow championship won last year’s Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross jerseys.

www.pedalmag.com

www.pedalmag.com

FALL 2016 PEDAL 31

nipika mountain resort

fatbiking

Fatbiking appeals to a wide range of enthusiasts: roadies, mountain bikers and even urban commuters are drawn to it during the winter. Bikers just want to stay on their bikes year-round.

32 PEDAL FALL 2016

Nipika Mountain Resort is adding more than 30 kilometres of dedicated and groomed fatbiking singletrack trails that supplement the resort’s staggering 50 kilometres of cross-country trails.

www.pedalmag.com

Nipika Mountain Resort Just Got a Lot Fatter

by Jack Cracker

N

ipika Mountain Resort is quickly becoming a premiere destination for fatbiking in Western Canada with the addition of more than 30 kilometres of dedicated and groomed singletrack trails that supplement the resort’s staggering 50 kilometres of cross-country trails.

Owned and operated by former National cross-country ski team coach Lyle Wilson, Nipika been a winter mecca for cross-country skiers and a summer destination for mountain bikers for almost 40 years.

According to Wilson, “At the current growth rate in fatbiking, it is not unreasonable to project that there may be as many fatbikers using our trails as there are cross-country skiers in the years to come. With climate change and tough ski conditions at times in many locations, fatbiking may just be the best alternative to bad snow. We think the love affair with fatbiking is just beginning.”

Fatbiking appeals to a wide range of enthusiasts: roadies, mountain bikers and even urban commuters are drawn to it during the winter. Bikers just want to stay on their bikes year-round, and the wave of enthusiasm for the sport across the country shows no sign of slowing down.

“With the rapid growth of fatbiking in Western Canada, we feel we have the opportunity to show leadership in the sport by constructing a network of specifically designed trails suitable for winter biking,” says Steve Wilson, Nipika’s operations manager. “We believe that fatbiking will go the same route as cross-country skiing did over the past few decades, with participants preferring well-designed, groomed and maintained trail systems.”

Fatbikes were originally used in the snow and sand for trail riding and racing through snow in Alaska. While frigid Canadian winters force most riders to train indoors, the fatbike alternative is catching on, and e-bike manufacturers have noticed as well, with numerous companies introducing e-fatbikes, allowing the adventurous even more options.

Cruising over scenic packed and groomed trails in the fresh winter air is also gaining traction with Quebec, as the province launched its inaugural fatbike championships last year, with Canadian MTB star Raphael Gagné capturing the first victory.

Mont-Ste-Anne of World Cup and MTB Worlds fame features seven loops for a grand total of 26 kilometres of fatbike trails for all levels of riders. Mont-Tremblant has also embraced fatbiking, with 35 kilometres of dedicated trails, including guided moonlit tours.

The Canmore Nordic Centre in Alberta offers up more than half of its singletrack MTB trails for fatbiking, having watched the sport grow exponentially over the past several years. Other hotbeds in Alberta include Devon and the Edmonton River Valley with its 45NRTH Fat Bike Triple Crown series.

Wilson notes that there has been much debate about how to accommodate just the facts fatbikers while keeping trails safe and secure for cross-country skiers. “There’s Nipika Mountain Resort no question that fatbikes can carve up ski trails in soft conditions, making it a www.nipika.com, 877-647-4525 challenge for some centres. Generally, summer biking trails don’t offer quality Canmore winter biking, and we’re designing our dedicated fatbike trails accordingly,” www.albertaparks.ca/canmorehe added. nordic-centre, 403-678-2400 Nipika is also keen to see the development of an etiquette that is beginning Mont-Tremblant to develop at cross-country ski areas south of the border as well: give way to www.mont-tremblant.ca/en/ cross-country skiers and snowshoe’ers, especially on downhills; do not ride in discover/fat-bike-2/, 877-425-2434, the Classic tracks, rather ride on the packed snow on the outside edge of the 819 425-2434 ski trails; call ahead when overtaking other trail users; when passing other trail Edmonton River Valley users, ride single-file; and do not ride on ski trails in soft conditions when tires www.edmonton.ca can dig into the trail surface!

Devon Bicycling Association The resort offers rentals, lessons, day-lodge and accommodation facilities, devonbicycleassociation.com along with over-the-top Rocky Mountain scenery. With a whopping 80+ kilo45NRTH Fat Bike Triple Crown metres of trails, it’s got veteran fatbikers and newbies covered. www.triplecrownseries.com/ www.pedalmag.com

FALL 2016 PEDAL 33

rio 2016 olympic GAmEs

34 PEDAL FALL 2016

www.pedalmag.com

two oLyMPIc BroNZE MEDALs For cANADA

by John Symon, Ben Andrew and Jack Cracker

Team Canada brought home two medals from the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The women’s Team Pursuit squad of Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay, Allison Beveridge, Georgia Simmerling and Laura Brown won bronze to match the team’s London 2012 performance. Catharine Pendrel delivered an inspirational and dramatic comeback ride in the Elite women’s MTB race to capture bronze as well.

cor vos

This was Cycling Canada’s best Games result since 2004, while the team’s alltime Olympic showing was in 1996 in Atlanta, where it earned five medals. In the nation’s overall Rio-medal count, Canada achieved a top-10 finish in the medal standings with 22 medals – four gold, three silver and 15 bronze – for a historic Games performance.

www.pedalmag.com

(left) Canada’s Alison Beverage, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Georgia Simmerling on their way to bronze in the women’s Team Pursuit race at rio.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 35

RIO – TRACK Women’s Team Pursuit The Canadian women’s Team Pursuit squad continued their excellent season, winning the bronze medal just behind Great Britain and the U.S. to match their performance from the London 2012 Games. The team of Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Laura Brown and Georgia Simmerling set a new Canadian record, finishing fourth in the first round to advance to the semifinals, where they faced Great Britain, the defending Olympic champions, who qualified first with a world-record time of 4:13.260. The Canadians lost to the Brits, who set yet another new world record, while the Canucks faced New Zealand for the bronze. In the final for the gold, Great Britain defeated the U.S., cracking yet another new world record of 4:10.236. Kirsti Lay replaced Brown as the Canadians took control from the start in the bronze-medal race, steadily increasing their lead over the Kiwis from six-tenths of a second after 1,000 metres to one second by mid-race, ending up nearly four seconds ahead at the finish, setting yet another new Canadian record in a time of 4:14.627. Simmerling became the first Canadian athlete to compete in three different sports at three separate Olympics. “That Olympic medal FEELING!! So proud of this team! @TeamCanada #bronze,” tweeted Glaesser.

Women’s Keirin Canada’s two entries, Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien, did not advance past the first-round Repechage in the women’s Keirin. Sullivan drew a tough firstround heat with multiple world and Olympic champions and finished sixth, and in her Repechage, she placed fifth. O’Brien was sixth in her first heat and came close in her Repechage, placing second, as only the winners advanced to the second round. “I really wish I could have done better,” said Sullivan, who was sixth in the Keirin at the London Olympics and fourth at this year’s Track Worlds. “The team has been so good all year, and we all wanted to do more and show the work we’ve been doing. But it wasn’t enough today.” O’Brien also hoped for a better day on the track. “I wasn’t super-happy with the first ride,” admitted O’Brien. “I kind of got into a situation where I had no idea what I was doing. But in the second ride, I went out and executed the way I wanted to and rode from the front. I was a bit delayed when the Russian [Anastasiia Voinova] jumped, and after that, she just out-rode me. The Keirin is still a bit daunting, to be honest, but I just rode the best that I could, and, unfortunately, I didn’t come out on top.”

Women’s Sprint In the women’s sprint, things started well as O’Brien qualified 12th and Sullivan followed in 17th to advance to the 1/16 finals, however neither Canadian prevailed. Sullivan lost to Katy Marchand (GBR), while O’Brien was defeated

by Natasha Hansen (NZL). In their last-chance Repechage, the two Canucks battled with Miriam Welte (GER), seeing O’Brien finishing second and Sullivan third to end their day. Kristina Vogel (GER) took the gold medal in the final

36 PEDAL FALL 2016

ahead of Rebecca James (GBR), who set a new Olympic record in the earlier rounds, but she couldn’t outmatch the German. Marchand rounded out the final podium.

“Around 11 seconds is what I rode at Worlds,” said O’Brien, “but I wasn’t comfortable on this track, so, to be honest, it’s more than I expected. In the Repechage, I was hoping to snag the front, but the chance didn’t come. Miriam is a savvy rider who has been around for a long time, so you can’t just sneak by her.”

“It was a big disappointment not to deliver in the Keirin, so this morning it was hard to turn it around,” said Sullivan. “I got some help from the staff, who told me to enjoy it and to be grateful to be here. I’ve heard people say that in interviews before and I kind of thought it was a cop-out, but I’m realizing that it’s not a cop-out. It’s the hardest thing in the world when you are disappointed to still be grateful to be here and appreciate the opportunity.”

Men’s Keirin Canada’s Hugo Barrette faced a tough draw in his first round in the men’s Keirin, battling against five-time Olympic gold medalist Jason Kenny of Great Britain and former world champion Maximilian Levy of Germany. Barrette finished fourth, with only the top two moving onto the next round. In his Repechage, Barrette looked strong, but finished second to Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia, and was eliminated from the competition, finishing 13th overall, as Kenny went on to win gold.

“It’s a big disappointment, but knowing where I came from [injury]; it’s been a hard season,” said Barrette. “So I need to remind myself of that. I was so close to not even being here, so at least I had a chance to go for a medal. I cherish that and I’m proud of myself for making it here. I really thought that I had a shot at winning, and then I finished 13th. It’s a hard blow, but it’s something to cherish; being part of Team Canada for the first time at the Olympics.”

Women’s Team Sprint The Canadian pair of Kate O’Brien and Monique Sullivan began the women’s Team Sprint competition by qualifying with a time of 33.735, advancing them to the next round in seventh place. Matched against Russia, the eventual silver-medal winners, the duo was able to shave 0.051 off its previous time, however this was not enough to advance to the medal rounds, and Canada finished eighth overall. China set a new world-record time of 32.107 on its way to the gold over Russia, while Germany rounded out the podium with bronze.

Men’s Sprint The men’s sprint was dominated by Great Britain, with Kenny and Callum Skinner qualifying first and second as the former set an Olympic record of 9.551. The duo rode strong through the 1/16 and 1/8 finals, with each man winning their quarterfinal and semifinal events as well to qualify for the gold-medal final. Denis Dmitriev (RUS) and Matthew Glaetzer (AUS) faced off for the bronze medal. Kenny took both heats for the fifth gold medal of his Olympic career, with Skinner settling for the silver. Dmitriev took a convincing win over Glaetzer in both heats for the bronze.

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John Tolkamp/Cycling Canada Cyclisme

(above) Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit squad celebrate their bronze medal with Cycling Canada support staff (front l-r) Roger Friesen, Jasmine Glaesser, Kirsti Lay, Georgia Simmerling, Laura Brown, Alison Beverage, Andrea Wooles; (rear l-r) Dan Peters, Jacques Landry, Craig De Veer, Craig Griffin, Kris Westwood, Emily Wood, Mike Patton

Men’s Team Pursuit

The first day of track racing at the Rio Olympic velodrome saw the British men’s Team Pursuit squad, captained by Bradley Wiggins, set the fastest qualifying time, with Denmark a surprising second. World champion Australia slotted into third over three seconds back, with (facing bottom left) Canadians Kate New Zealand fourth, as the Dutch squad O’Brien and Monique Sullivan finished crashed, ending its medal hopes. In the 8th overall in the Women’s Team Sprint. heats, Australia moved past Denmark (facing bottom right) Canada’s Hugo to take the first spot in the gold-medal Barrette battles Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia in the men’s Keirin. match, while Great Britain set a new world record, outpacing the Kiwis. (bottom right) Great Britain dominated with six golds overall, including the Great Britain then faced off against Ausmen’s Team Pursuit title. tralia for the gold, with Denmark and New Zealand racing for bronze. In the gold-medal race, Australia was on pace to take the win, but a late surge by the British squad and the loss of one of the Aussies with six laps to go put the gold firmly in the hands of Great Britain, besting its own world record with a new time of 3:50.265. In the bronze-medal contest, Denmark set a strong pace and took the medal with a time of 3:53.789, nearly three seconds ahead of New Zealand.

her progress, placing her ninth in the Individual Pursuit, and 15th in the Elimination race to sit 13th behind leader Laura Trott of Great Britain after Day One. Still in pain, Beveridge rode strong, finishing ninth in the 500-metre time trial and then sixth in the Flying Lap to move up to 10th overall. In the final 25km Points race, Beveridge finished with the pack, ending up 11th as Trott took the gold, with Sarah Hammer (USA) winning silver and Jolien D’Hoore (BEL) earning the bronze.

“That was one of the toughest races of my life to get through mentally,” commented Beveridge. “Anything can happen out there, and I have to accept that, but I would like to come back and have a different experience than this event.”

Men’s Omnium In the men’s Omnium, the opening Scratch race was marred by a mid-race crash that Mark Cavendish (GBR) would later take responsibility for, in which defending champion Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN) took the win. In the Individual Pursuit, Hansen set an Olympic record on his way to taking another win, with Cavendish and Elia Viviani (ITA) just behind. Viviani won the Elimination race, sitting second overall behind Thomas Boudat (FRA), as Day One concluded with Cavendish in third. In the next day’s 1,000-metre Kilo, Viviani moved into the lead with a third-place finish followed by a strong ride to claim second in the Flying Lap, with Cavendish third and Hansen fourth. Viviani held on through the final Points race to win his first Olympic gold and then wept in the arms of his coach. Cavendish took the silver and Hansen the bronze.

Men’s Team Sprint Great Britain continued its dominant streak, winning the men’s Team Sprint for a third consecutive Olympic gold as Philip Hindes, Kenny and Skinner set a Games record in qualifying 42.562 over the 750-metre event. The New Zealand squad qualified only 0.111 behind, while Australia at 0.596 back rounded out the top three. In the heats, France and Australia advanced to the bronze-medal match, where the French squad triumphed in the end. New Zealand trumped Great Britain with yet another new Olympic record in its heat, promising a close final. The gold-medal race was neck-and-neck until Skinner put in a fantastic final lap to set another new Olympic record of 42.440, as Great Britain took the top spot on the podium yet again. photos: cor vos

Women’s Omnium Canada’s Allison Beveridge had a difficult start to the women’s Omnium, being taken down by a German rider in the opening Scratch race, the first of the six events, finishing 14th. Injuries to her hip along with several contusions hampered www.pedalmag.com

FALL 2016 PEDAL 37

rio – MTB MTB XCO - Women Canada’s Catharine Pendrel delivered an inspirational and dramatic comeback to capture her first Olympic medal, taking home a hard-earned bronze in the 24.75km women’s MTB XCO race. She was followed closely by Emily Batty, who threw down an incredibly strong ride as well to finish a bittersweet fourth.

The six-lap race went all but smoothly for Pendrel, two-time UCI World champion, who battled back from an early crash, a mechanical issue and a lastlap tumble to finally capture third place.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Pendrel. “Before the race, I would have been happy with my career if I didn’t have an Olympic medal, but I’m sure happy that I do!

It’s such a feeling, and we’ve worked so hard for this for so many years with my coach and my team and my husband; it’s just amazing that it came together.”

However, it was the 35-year-old Kamloops, B.C. resident’s sheer strength and determination that made the medal a reality after a rough start that saw her caught up in a crash during the 570-metre start loop and sitting 25th out of 29 riders.

By lap one, she found herself a whopping 50 seconds in arrears of the leader, a charging Linda Indergand (SUI). Not far behind were eventual winner Jenny Rissveds (SWE) and heavy favourites Maja Wloszczowska (POL) and Jolanda Neff (SUI). Pendrel’s shifting was stuck in a too-heavy gear due to her early crash and left her struggling until she reached the tech zone.

Meanwhile, Brooklin, Ont.’s Batty, a bronze medalist at the 2016 MTB Worlds, rode extremely well, using focus and tactical smarts, and stayed within sight of the medals.

As Indergand was caught and Rissveds, Neff and Wloszczowska took control, Pendrel battled back despite a seemingly insurmountable gap of more than one-and-a-half minutes. In 12th by the end of the second lap, soon she was just behind Batty, who was in seventh as the two Canucks continued to move up. By the start of the fifth lap, Pendrel passed her teammate, moving into fourth, with Batty fifth.

On the final lap, Rissveds delivered a final decisive attack on Wloszczowska, as Neff was fading and Pendrel took over third, with Batty fourth. Turning on the afterburners in pursuit of Wloszczowska, Pendrel gained 35 seconds over Batty, but crashed again within 200 metres of the finish line, allowing Batty back into contention for the bronze. But Pendrel was on a mission and regrouped, holding off her compatriot by a mere two-second margin at the finish.

“I raced clean and felt strong riding in the top five off the start loop, so from that point on, I knew I was going to be a contender for the medals,” said Batty.

“I’m so filled with mixed emotions right now. After London’s experience with

38 PEDAL FALL 2016

a broken collarbone to now, finishing literally 10 feet off the podium . . . it’s some heartbreak. So I’m happy, but also really sad.”

For Pendrel, it was an emotional finish to her third Games, finally taking home a medal. “It was just such a relief to cross the line. As much as I wanted to get a medal for myself, I also wanted to help Team Canada,” she added. “It’s exciting and it bolsters all of us when we do well.”

MTB XCO – Men The rain that turned a previously dry course into a slick mess for the seven-lap men’s MTB race made the event even more spectacular for fans. Arguably, it was reigning world champion Nino Schurter’s (SUI) race to lose, and he rose to the challenge, adding gold to his collection of Olympic medals.

Schurter immediately established himself amongst the top three as Italy’s Marco Aurelio Fontana took the holeshot. With them was the reigning Road Worlds champion, Peter Sagan (SVK), who impressively catapulted himself from a 50th start position into third place within half a lap.

Yet Sagan’s Olympic off-road bid was short-lived when he flatted on the second lap and abandoned after another flat. Fontana also suffered a puncture, which took him out of contention.

On the second lap, 2012 Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE) assumed the lead, followed by Victor Koretzky (FRA), with Schurter in striking distance. Meanwhile, another favourite, Julien Absalon (FRA), was not having a good day, and was never a threat.

Canada’s Léandre Bouchard worked his way into the 20’s, but crashed in the feed zone as a Russian rider suddenly cut him off. Quickly back on his bike, Bouchard dropped into the 30’s before ending up a solid 27th.

“I am happy just to be here at the Olympics. It’s really amazing, everything is so big and it was like magic,” said Bouchard. “After our teammates Catharine

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[Pendrel] and Emily [Batty] did so well, it helped my preparation. It was inspiring to see them, and I know that at my age I can still progress. This was a good experience (facing top left) Women’s MTB XCO winner Jenny Rissveds (Swe) for future Olympics.”

Canadian teammate Raphael Gagné (facing top right) Nino Schurter (Sui) won men’s MTB XCO gold. struggled valiantly, but just had a bad (facing bottom) Canada’s Raphael day and eventually finished 40th. “It Gagné (l) had a tough day in the saddle; was definitely a hard race and I am disapLéandre Bouchard claimed a solid 27th. pointed with my result. I have no regrets; (bottom right) Catharine Pendrel I prepared as best as I could, and July and finally claimed the Olympic medal August were really good training. I just she was after. didn’t have it today,” said Gagné.

Crashes and flat tires were rampant, constantly sidelining riders, including Koretzky, but Schurter remained a constant, and the battle for gold came down to him and Kulhavy. Behind them, Carlos Coloma (ESP) and Maxime Marotte (FRA) were engaged in a hotly contested back-and-forth scrap for the bronze.

Late in the second half on the penultimate lap, Schurter stormed away, increasing his lead to 30 seconds by the beginning of the final lap to 50 seconds at the finish for the gold. Kulhavy took home the silver, while Coloma dug deep to best Marotte for the bronze. www.pedalmag.com

photos: michal cerveny

(above) Canadians Catharine Pendrel and Emily Batty just behind put on a dazzling show.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 39

rio – ROAD

Women’s ITT Canada’s multi-decorated Tara Whitten finished a strong seventh in tough, cold, rainy conditions in the women’s 29.9km ITT at Rio 2016, while American Kristin Armstrong made history, winning her third consecutive Olympic time trial. Russian Olga Zabelinskaya won a controversial silver, with Anna Van Der Breggen of the Netherlands, taking home the bronze after capturing gold in the women’s road race. Canada’s Karol-Ann Canuel claimed 13th.

Armstrong also won gold in the Olympic ITT in 2008 and 2012. Zabelinskaya had just served an 18-month suspension for doping, yet the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled she was allowed to compete, despite the somewhat conflicting circumstances pertaining to Russian doping.

“It was not fun in those [weather] conditions, but I was actually happy that it was not hot,” said Whitten, who was in the hot seat for some time. “The rain made it very technical on the descents, and we had to change the front wheel because of the gusting winds. I took the descent quite cautiously because the roads were pretty slippery. I noticed my rear wheel was slipping even on some of the climbs when getting out of the saddle. I felt like I was a medal contender here, so it’s disappointing.”

Canuel hoped for more in the challenging conditions, commenting, “It was raining and cold, and I had been hoping for a hot, sunny day. It was hard today, and I gave it 100%. This is what I was capable of today. I know I have to keep working on my time trial to get better.”

According to Armstrong, practice makes perfect. “I’ve probably ridden my time-trial bike in the rain more than anyone else out here,” quipped the winner.

Men’s ITT The men faced tough conditions as well including rain and winds at the beginning, with Canada’s lone starter, Hugo Houle, finishing a respectable 21st in the men’s 54.6km Olympic time trial. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) captured the gold for a memorable end to his career, as he’ll be retiring at the end of this season. Tom Dumoulin (NED) claimed the silver despite fracturing his wrist just two and a half weeks prior, while Tour de France winner Chris Froome (GBR) settled for bronze again.

“For me, it was a personal-best performance,” said Houle. “The result is not 40 PEDAL FALL 2016

as good as I would have liked; I would have liked to finish between 10th and 15th. But I did my best with what I had; it was as fast as I could go. In a time trial, you have to keep pushing, keep pushing.

“It was a really technical course, especially with the rain at the beginning.

On the descents, I went pretty conservative because I didn’t want to crash. It was a really nice course, but you had to really manage your power and pace yourself. The climbing was hard, especially the really steep part on a time-trial bike. It had a bit of everything, so it was a good course for an Olympic time trial. It was an honour to be here and represent Canada.”

This is the second Olympic gold for Cancellara, having won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and now at the Rio Games. “Olympic champion . . . what a crazy day. #gold I am so proud and still without words,” tweeted the winner.

Women’s Road Race Van Der Breggen (NED) claimed Olympic gold in a dramatic finish to the 136.9km women’s road race amidst wind and rain, with Emma Johansson (SWE) winning silver and Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA) taking the bronze. Karwww.pedalmag.com

Men’s Road Race Greg van Avermaet (BEL) secured the biggest win of his career, claiming the gold in the men’s 237.5km road race. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) took home the www.pedalmag.com

photos: cor vos

courtesy of Antoine Duchesne

ol-Ann Canuel was Canada’s top finisher in 25th, with Leah Kirchmann 38th, while Tara Whitten DNF’d.

The 68-rider peloton saw multiple at(facing left) Hugo Houle claimed a respectable 21st-place finish in the men’s tacks and breakaway attempts that gradOlympic time trial. ually whittled down the field that hit the last big climb with approximately (top left) Men’s road-race winner Greg van Avermaet (BEL).

25 kilometres to go, where the final se(top right) Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) lection unfolded. Dutch rider Annemiek won gold in the women’s road race.

Van Vleuten battled with the U.S.A.’s (above l-r) Canada’s Tara Whitten, Mara Abbott at the front, establishing a Hugo Houle, Antoine Duchesne and 30-second gap that looked good for the Michael Woods during a training win, but on the final descent, Van Vleuride break in Rio. ten had a horrific crash, somersaulting (right) Karol-Ann Canuel battles tough conditions in the women’s ITT. over her bike, suffering broken bones and a concussion. Van Der Breggen’s small group caught Abbott on the final run into the finish, as she took home the biggest win of her career.

“The first circuit went well and we were always in good position,” commented Canuel. “Leah did an amazing job to stay with me and positioned us well. She wasn’t feeling good and said it was better to support me, yet still tried to bridge across to a break, which was a good move, but it was brought back.

When we hit the final circuit, I didn’t have the legs and had to climb at my own pace, finishing with a small group behind, but I had a pretty good day.”

“It was really tough out there,” agreed Kirchmann. “This is one of the toughest one-day courses I have ever raced on. The riders were really aggressive, and we had the wind and the steep climbs – so overall it was a really hard day. It was a Classics course mixed with a Giro stage. After the first circuit, I wasn’t feeling great on the climbs, so either I needed to get in a breakaway to anticipate the final climb, or if I was still in the group, work to put Karol-Ann in good position, and that’s what our plan became.” (facing top) Canada’s Leah Kirchmann (l) and Tara Whitten in the mix during the women’s road race.

silver, while Rafal Majka (POL) claimed the bronze. Canadian Michael Woods finished 55th, while his teammates Antoine Duchesne and Houle, who were supporting him, did not finish.

After a breakaway group gained more than eight minutes on the field, the chase turned it into a race of attrition, with only 63 finishers out of 143 starters. On the final big climb to the finish, Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) attacked, taking Majka (POL) and Sergio Henao (COL) with him as the three looked poised to land on the final podium.

But fate was not kind to Nibali and Henao, as they suffered a dramatic crash on the last big descent leading to the finish, changing the outcome. Majka was caught with approximately one kilometre to go as Van Avermaet attacked to capture the gold.

Duchesne and Houle put in a big effort to assist Woods, including spending time at the front of the peloton in the chase group.

“Hugo and Antoine did an amazing job of keeping me well-positioned in the decisive moments of the race. I came into the climb third wheel, in the best position possible,” said Woods.

“But the second time up the climb, I just came apart with about three kilometres to go and lost the wheel in front of me, and went through a bad patch mentally. This is, without a doubt, the hardest race I’ve ever done. The wind, the heat and the 5,000 metres of climbing . . . throughout the day, it was just so hard. I’ve never gone that deep before,” he added.

“Antoine and I just tried to keep Mike as safe as we could and keep him to the front of the race. With the cobblestones and the climbs and steep descents, we saw a lot of crashes . . . but we placed Mike the best we could for the last circuit, and then Mike had to do the best he could because we were out of the game,” said Houle.

Duchesne commented, “There were a lot of crashes and broken bikes, so we tried to keep him safe and protected for the first three-quarters of the race, and that’s what we did.”

Jacques Landry, head coach, noted, “Sure, one can be disappointed in the result, but there is nobody in Canada at the moment who could have done well on this course, barring Mike. There is a bright future ahead for these three guys, and I am proud of the way they rode.”

FALL 2016 PEDAL 41

Rio 2016 Olympic Games Results

rio – BMX

Aug. 5-21, 2016 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Men’s Team Sprint 1. Great Britain (Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner) 42.440; 2. New Zealand (Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, Edward Dawkins) 42.542; 3. France (Gregory Bauge, Francois Pervis, Michael D’Alemeida) 43.143; Women’s Team Sprint 1. People’s Republic of China (Gong Jinjie, Zhong Tianshi) 32.107; 2. Russian Federation (Daria Shmeleva, Anastasiia Voinova) 32.401; 3. Germany (Miriam Welte, Kristina Vogel) 32.636; Canadians 8. Canada (Kate O’Brien, Monique Sullivan) 33.684; Men’s Team Pursuit 1. Great Britain (Edward Clancy, Steven Burke, Owain Doull, Bradley Wiggins) 3:50.265 World Record; 2. Australia (Alexander Edmondson, Jack Bobridge, Michael Hepburn, Sam Welsford) 3:51.008; 3. Denmark (Lasse Norman Hansen, Niklas Larsen, Frederik Madsen, Casper Von Folsach) 3:53.789; Women’s Team Pursuit 1. Great Britain (Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell-Shand) 4:10.236 World Record; 2. United States (Sarah Hammer, Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente) 4:12.454; 3. Canada (Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay, Georgia Simmerling) 4:14.627; Men’s Sprint 1. Jason Kenny (GBR); 2.

Callum Skinner (GBR); 3. Denis Dmitriev (RUS); Women’s Sprint 1. Kristina Vogel (GER); 2. Rebecca James (GBR); 3. Katy Marchant (GBR); Men’s Omnium 1. Elia Viviani (ITA) 207 points; 2. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 194; 3. Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN) 192; Women’s Omnium 1. Laura Trott (GBR) 230 points; 2. Sarah Hammer (USA) 206; 3. Jolien D’Hoore (BEL) 199; Canadians 11. Allison Beveridge (CAN) 104; Men’s Keirin 1. Jason Kenny (GBR); 2. Matthijs Buchli (NED); 3. Azizulhasni Awang (MAS); Women’s Keirin 1. Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands); 2. Rebecca James (Great Britain); 3.

Anna Meares (Australia) Canadians 13. Kate O’Brien (Can); 25. Monique Sullivan (Can).

BMX Men 1. Connor Fields (USA) 34.642; 2. Jelle Van Gorkom (NED) 0.674; 3. Carlos Ramirez (COL) 0.875; Canadians 5. Tory Nyhaug (CAN) 1.032; Women 1. Mariana Pajon (COL) 34.093; 2. Alise Post (USA) 0.342; 3.

Stefany Hernandez (VEN) 0.662.

Road Men’s RR 1. Greg van Avermaet (BEL) 6:10:05; 2.

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN); 3. Rafal Majka (POL) 0:05; Canadians 55. Michael Woods (CAN) 0:20; DNF Antoine Duchesne (CAN); DNF Hugo Houle (CAN); Women’s RR 1. Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) 3:51:27; 2. Emma Johansson (SWE); 3. Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA); Canadians 25. Karol-Ann Canuel (CAN) 5:07; 38. Leah Kirchmann (CAN) 10:02; DNF Tara Whitten (CAN); Men’s ITT 1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) 1:12:15; 2. Tom Dumoulin (NED) 0:47; 3. Chris Froome (GBR) 1:02; Canadians 21. Hugo Houle (CAN) 4:47; Women’s ITT 1. Kristin Armstrong (USA) 44:26.4; 2. Olga Zabelinskaya (RUS) 0:05.6; 3. Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) 0:11.4; Canadians 7. Tara Whitten (CAN) 0:34.7; 13. Karol-Ann Canuel (CAN) 2:04.5.

MTB Men 1. Nino Schurter (SUI) 1:33:28; 2. Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE) 0:50; 3. Carlos Coloma (ESP) 1:23; Canadians 27. Léandre Bouchard (CAN) 9:15; 40. Raphael Gagné (CAN) -2 laps; Women 1. Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 1:30:15; 2. Maja Wloszczowska (POL) 0:37; 3.

Catharine Pendrel (CAN) 1:26; Other Canadians 4.

Emily Batty (CAN) 1:28.

42 PEDAL FALL 2016

Canadian Olympic Committee

Track

T

ory Nyhaug, Canada’s lone entrant in the Rio 2016 Olympic BMX competition, had a strong showing throughout the competition as he progressed from the qualifier through the heats and into the finals. The 24-year-old from New Westminster, B.C. finished fifth overall, a great result for himself and Team Canada.

Nyhaug finished 18th among 32 competitors in the Aug. 17 time trial (TT) on the opening day of BMX competitions at 0.805 seconds behind the top finisher, Joris Daudet (FRA).

The time-trial (TT) portion of the competition serves to seed and qualify riders for the quarterfinal round, which took place the following day.

“The track is fast,” commented Nyhaug. “I made a couple of mistakes, but it’s alright for a TT. It’s our first time on the track; I’ll be good to go for the racing in the motos. It’s definitely really hot, and that’s something I’m going to have to be aware of, and really hydrate. It would have been nicer to have a faster lap for sure, but it doesn’t change anything for tomorrow. A race is different than a TT, and I’m ready to go.”

During the quarterfinals, Nyhaug faced stiff competition in his eight-rider heats, including No. 2 seed David Graf (SUI) and two-time Olympic champion Maris Strombergs (LAT). Nyhaug won his first two heats, and took second on the last, qualifying him for the semifinals.

“To go 1-1-2 on the first day is pretty much as good as it could go, so I’m definitely stoked and ready to go for tomorrow. I’m just doing the best I

can, and I had a ton of fun today,” he commented.

Despite a far from optimal lane draw, Nyhaug advanced through the semifinals with superb riding to make the men’s gold-medal final. Finishing sixth in his first semifinals heat, Nyhaug rallied to finish third in heats two and three to qualify for the finals.

In the final, he had a slow start and was seventh coming into the first turn, but managed to move through the group and cross the line in fifth.

Connor Fields (USA) won gold, followed by Jelle Van Gorkom (NED) in second, with Carlos Ramirez (COL) in third.

The women’s event began on Aug. 17 with the seeding runs as Colombian Mariana Pajon won ahead of Caroline Buchanan (AUS) and Laura Smulders (NED). This was the beginning of a dominant performance by Pajon, as she won every race on her way to the finals while Buchanan, a former BMX World champion, would crash out in the heats. Racing for the women picked up again on Aug. 19 with the semifinals, followed by the finals. Throughout the semifinals, Pajon, as well as American Alise Post and Stefany Hernandez of Venezuela consistently placed 1-2-3.

This propelled all three into the finals, which saw them all land on the final podium with Pajon taking the gold medal, Post claiming the silver and Hernandez the bronze. (above) Canada’s lone BMX entrant at Rio, Tory Nyhaug, finished fifth overall, a great result for himself and Team Canada.

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Toronto International Bicycle Show March 3-5, 2017 • Better Living Centre • Exhibition Place • Toronto

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2016

bc biKE rAcE wHo, wHAt, wHEN, wHErE AND wHy

toDD weseLAke

By CArSTEN IVANy

44 PEDAL FALL 2016

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Besides the stellar singletrack, another highlight of the BC Bike Race (BCBR) was meeting people from all over the world from different walks of life who all came together because of our singular love of riding. It was an eye-opener seeing how such a diverse community buzzed with the collective anticipation of hundreds of racers from 36 countries at the riders’ meeting in North Vancouver on Day Zero. Being given the opportunity by Pedal to take part in this unforgettable week of mountain biking was a dream come true.

DAve siLver

Day one - cumberland

MArGus riGA

A

fter much brain-wracking, and with the advice of friends who had done the race before, I sidelined my usual hardtail 29’er climb crusher and selected my five-inch-travel dual-suspension trail slayer for the job this time around. It is beefier overall, but way more fun on the downhills and easier on the butt for the promised seven days of rugged, techy B.C. trails.

Post-meeting and a transfer to Horseshoe Bay where BC Ferries sailed us to Vancouver Island, we spent our first night in base camp in Cumberland provided with pre-pitched tents, shower and bathroom trucks with hot water, racer-relations services, and a huge massage and medical tent that included a chiropractor and naturopath. The “Bears Den” was the central hub, where participants could charge devices or connect to WiFi.

harder, but as happens when fatigue sets in, I misjudged a corner and slid off the trail, falling victim to the B.C. rainforest’s unforgiving terrain.

Only one major climb stood out, definitely not the biggest climb, but it stung my legs and my back after having navigated numerous rolling hills earlier in the stage. A raucous Hawaiian party, complete with music and costumed volunteers, helped take my mind off the pain.

Near the finish, I used my road skills to catch and pass a several riders. Our roadie-style sprint finish on the gravel path was marred by my only major crash of the week, as handlebars snagged and three of four of us went down as we slid toward the finish line.

That evening, after relaxing and doing some bike maintenance while watching a large group of riders being led through a seaside yoga class, I wandered to the Bears Den to check how things were at home.

A nice surprise awaited me in my inbox. I was pumped to be one of a lucky few who had won a random draw for a flight with Harbour Air across the water to Earls Cove for the start of Stage Three.

Rainy, muddy, longer than expected – these were things I most remember about (facing) Women’s overall winner Kelli Emmett (USA) followed by Pedal’s Carsten Ivany.

Day One. Being the first stage, starts were staggered to keep us from being too (top) A lucky few won a draw for a flight with Harbour Air to Earls Cove. clumped on the trails. I had missed the (above) A raucous Hawaiian party motivated riders first two waves and had to start way back. on day Two in Powell river.

Once on the trails, there were very few Day three - Earls cove good spots to pass, but I did manage to to sechelt connect with two other quick guys and we blasted ahead.

As we stood in Saltery Bay, I watched floatplanes land and drift At the end of the day, we filed onto a bus and were off to our secover to the dock where we waited to board. The short flight treated ond ferry voyage of the week to Power River on the scenic Sunshine passengers to a bird’s-eye perspective.

Coast. The ship’s cabin was warm and dry, and to my amusement, The weather quickly changed from promising white clouds and everyone found a spot to hang their soggy riding clothes and lie blue sky to threatening, dark and rainy. At 15 minutes before the down or put their feet up. Jerseys, shoes, gloves and various pieces start, the heavens opened and unleashed a mini-monsoon. In spite of riding kit hung all over the passenger deck. of the rain, we pedaled up and away from the coastline, drenched by the spray of water off of knobby tires as we rode toward the trails. We cruised through undulating doubletrack before hitting a Day two - Powell river fast, rocky descent. Unexpectedly, in twos and threes, riders pulled After more rain during the night, the morning air was fresh. Based on off to the side just after a loose, fast descent, and I passed nearly a my previous day’s finishing time, I was assigned to start in the first dozen people fixing flats. I was lucky to pass unscathed. wave. Initially, the pack hit a nice long section of paved and gravel The trails for the day were not technical, but we faced some road before we saw any trails – a great way to separate riders before the steep climbs to soften our legs in the first half. As soon as we crestensuing narrow, long sections of singletrack, which felt like an endless ed one rise, we would descend for a short while, before facing anstring of dirt just diving in and rising through the trees. other wall.

The constant tangle of roots under my tires demanded unreThe finish at Kinnikinnick Park was sunny and warm, and lenting focus as I diligently navigated obstacles while pumping I enjoyed some downtime, as my legs were already starting to the dips. My confidence grew and I started to push the corners www.pedalmag.com

FALL 2016 PEDAL 45

erik peterson

MArGus riGA

feel cumulative fatigue. Being the first sunny day, everyone around the camp hung his or her wet riding gear on anything that would hold it; the camp looked like a laundry truck that had exploded.

(above left) Second-place Solo Men’s finisher Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona Endurance (above right) Solo Men’s winner Canadian Cory Wallace (Kona Factory)

Day Four - sechelt to Langdale Sunshine! The classic BCBR rubber-chicken rooster call woke us early. It’s not as funny on Day Four as it is on the first morning. With no transfer required, it was nice to kick off the stage in the same place as the previous day’s finish.

A police escort chaperoned us through the outskirts of Sechelt on our way to the first trailhead. Despite the early start, bright-eyed locals cheered us on.

Because of the slower-paced rollout, I worked my way up to the front racers and hung with them for a bit until we turned a corner and were confronted with an asphalt wall. The road appeared vertical and I couldn’t even see the end. I struggled to turn over the gear and get to the top, motivated by the promise of awesome trails. Finally, I hit the sweet ribbons of anticipated Sunshine Coast flow that made the suffering worthwhile. I blasted through the forest over and around massive cedars.

As the day wore on, my legs rebelled. I felt flat as I pedaled squares through the transition doubletracks and up the hills, biding my time until I could let loose on the descents. I poured everything I had left into the last downhill that almost made me forget how tired I was. I plunged up and over and around, drifting and carving all the way down the hill to the Langdale Ferry Terminal, and felt I earned my foam mattress in the new North Vancouver base camp.

course and headed into trails I had never ridden. I railed through corners on my way to the next climb, which was a winding singletrack beautifully carved into the forest floor. Still losing places on the climb, I hoped my familiarity with riding in slippery conditions would aid me. Squamish trails can get pretty hairy in the summertime when they’re dry, but with the rain, those roots get mighty slippery.

Concentrating on flowing rather than racing made the Tsugas and Half Nelson Trails a totally new experience. Instead of fighting on the edge of traction, I confidently jumped all the doubles and lipped off any little rock or root I could see. I dove into berms and shoved my bike through corners. With my new approach, I rode the most technical trail of the day much more relaxed than if I had been charging hard in a one-day race. The Plunge is a tricky trail demon I’ve never mastered, but this particular day on the slimy rocks, I was able to let go and get loose as the bike bounced and slid underneath me. I’ve never descended that trail so fast or with such a big smile.

In the afternoon, once everyone had finished, a party atmosphere pervaded camp, partly because of the sunshine and everyone’s realization that we had nearly reached our goal. Shimano gave away some nice swag and racers enjoyed good food and beer.

Day seven - whistler The excitement was tangible as the crowd of racers gathered at the start line near Creekside for the culmination of an epic week.

The speed was so high after the gun went off that even easy open trails started to become more technical. Because I flew through the forest so fast, I came up on the first climb unprepared. The grade started off mellow, so I hit it hard, but when the doubletrack rounded a corner, I was smacked with a monster steep, loose climb.

Several riders dismounted on the steepest parts, and as I passed them, I seriously thought of following suit. Just as I thought it was time to start walking, I caught sight of the trailhead for our first descent.

I shredded over big rocks, around fast corners and along a brand-new loamy fresh-cut section of brown pow. It was over much too quickly, and before I knew it, I was crossing Highway 99 on my way to the next section of trails.

After another grunt, I was treated to a long, winding, flowing trail to the finish, making sure to relish this last descent, aware that the finish line was just ahead.

Finishers were celebrated with a big party, attended by many cheering spectators at a beautiful park on the shores of Alta Lake. On crossing the line of the final stage, I received my hard-earned belt-buckle medal and finisher’s T-shirt.

With everyone milling around, we regaled one another with our stories from our eventful week. The party atmosphere was contagious, spreading to the families and friends of everyone there. I soaked it all in, knowing that I would always remember this amazing week as I contentedly checked it off my bucket list.

Day Five - North vancouver (North shore tt) It rained again during the night, and by now, I was getting tired of wet roots and mud, tired of being soggy and putting on a wet helmet, shoes and gloves.

The format for the day was a time trial. I hammered off the line to wake up my legs. About a minute after the start, I hit the infamous Old Buck doubletrack climb, which I knew well from past encounters. I decided to get it over with quickly, and passed riders the entire way up.

The descent was the most technical of any so far. Regardless, I continued to pass fellow riders as I thumped and aired my way over rocks and roots. I had a great day, charging past riders, and finished feeling strong.

Day six - squamish By the time we got up, the overnight rain had stopped. Squamish felt like home, as the town has been a fixture of my mountain-biking experience from the beginning, when I completed my first Test of Metal back in 2002.

I went all in at breakfast. There was bacon! Expecting to feel strong due to the previous day’s shorter stage and my familiarity with the trails, my legs were of a different mind. Even before the first climb began in earnest, I was suffering, and wisely switched to damage-control mode.

During the first little descent, we veered off the classic Test of Metal race 46 PEDAL FALL 2016

BC Bike Race July 8-13, 2016 Solo Men 1. Cory Wallace (Kona Factory Racing) 15:48:09; 2. Spencer Paxson (Kona Endurance Team) 15:49:07; 3. Stephen Ettinger (RideBiker Alliance) 15:54:39; Solo Women 1. Kelli Emmett (Juliana/SRAM/Lululemon) 19:31:05; 2. Sammi Runnels (RideBiker Alliance) 20:47:17; 3. Kaysee Armstrong (Kona Super Grassroots) 21:08:43; Solo Masters Men 1. Eric Tourville (Hype Ski Velo) 16:47:28; 2. Udo Bolts (GER) 17:48:19; 3. Dwayne Kress (CAN) 17:55:31; 4. Chris Christie (@christieimages) 18:03:13; 5. Morten Solvang (NOR)18:07:05; Solo Masters Women 1.

Christine Soucy (Hype Ski Velo) 23:31:37; 2. Nicole Goebel (Team Mac) 24:17:15; 3. Shelagh Coutts (CAN) 25:32:34; 4. Sandra Garnier (ASM) 26:43:18; 5. Lauren Costantini (USA) 26:44:50; Teams of Two (Open Men) 1. Mark Beaudry/Matt Rotroff (Team WPBP) 21:34:58; 2. Dominic Jean/Martin Roy (Team SportOlympe) 23:09:57; 3. Shawn Barden/Matthew Koleba (Rolling Blunder) 23:19:26; 4. Martin Bussiere/ Samuel Bouchard (LB Cycle 2) 24:54:43; 5. Murray Smith/Martin Alberts (Clothesline) 25:37:56; Teams of Two (Open Women) 1. Bobbi Handford/Lisa Floe (“Sistahs ““R”” ”) 23:16:58; 2. Kirsten Jensen/Leah Kiviat (Queens of Dirt/Jack’s Bicycle) 24:28:15; 3. Linda Corrigan/Kelly Mapleston (We Got This) 30:49:25; 4. Joanna Reardon/Diana Daghofer (Jo Mamma) 32:28:23; Teams of Two (Open Mixed) 1. Justin Rinehart/ Jenna Rinehart (Nicollet Bike) 20:22:40; 2. Norbert Geisler/Natascha Binder (r2bike.com MTB Racing) 21:57:06; 3. Martine Stenbro/Jorgen Ertnes (Team Ibis Norway) 22:01:06; 4. Shawna Palanuk/Joel Palanuk (Blazin Saddles) 23:18:42; 5. Julia Hofmann/Tobias Woggon (EVOC) 23:45:52. www.pedalmag.com

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batty brings home bronze

MTB World Championships

by Sarah Victor

A month and a half before the Olympics in Rio, the world’s top mountain-bike racers gathered in Nove Mesto na Morave, a town with just 10,500 inhabitants in the Czech Republic that swelled to 23,000 for the UCI MTB World Championships June 29-July

came home with a bronze medal, courtesy of Emily Batty in the Elite women’s race, along with several personal-best performances.

Eliminator To kick the weekend of racing off, the Eliminator drew in spectators and showcased some of the more technical aspects of the course. No Canadians were on the start line, but in the Elite men’s race with 32 starters, Daniel Federspiel retained his world title, while Linda Indergand kept her gold medal in the 15-strong women’s race.

Team Relay In a departure from previous years, no Canadians took part in the Team Relay in Nove Mesto so as to focus on the cross-country competitions. Traditionally, it’s been a good race-opener for Canadians, and in 2015, the team placed eighth. But this year, France once again defended its Team Relay 48 PEDAL FALL 2016

photos: Michal Cerveny

3. Canada fielded a strong team of 28 riders and

title while hometown crowds cheered as the Czech Republic team took second, with Switzerland rounding out the podium.

Junior XCO The junior races are the ones worth paying attention to if you’re looking for who will be the next Emily Batty or Geoff Kabush, and this year’s crop of new racers didn’t disappoint.

In the 15.1km junior women’s race,

(top) Canada’s Emily Batty is all smiles with her bronze medal. (opposite) Canada’s Pendrel (#7) battles in the lead group with Neff, Nash, Langvad and Wloszczowska (hidden). (below l-r) Sean Fincham, Sidney McGill, Quinton Disera, Sophianne Samson, Marc-André Fortier, Soren Meeuwisse, Derek Zandstra and Catherine Fleury

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Sidney McGill was the top Canadian in 21st, with Sweden’s Ida Jansson leading from tape to tape to win the first XCO rainbow jersey of the weekend.

Austria’s Lisa Pasteiner claimed the silver, while defending champion Martina Berta of Italy finished third. Team Canada’s Sophianne Samson placed 24th, with Erica Leonard in 28th; unfortunately, Emily Handford suffered a flat, landing her in 39th after sitting in the top 15 for the first part of the race.

“It is really a different experience than I am used to back home in Alberta, between the amount of spectators and noise, and the intense and intimidating start,” said McGill. “But it was awesome to race so many fast juniors from around the world, and with my Canadian teammates.”

In the junior men’s race, Thomas Bonnet (FRA) dominated the race from www.pedalmag.com

start to finish, while Vital Albin (SUI) claimed second and Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR) finished third.

Sean Fincham shocked Canadians with a brilliant ride to eighth place in a stacked field of 99 men. But he wasn’t the only Canadian with a stellar placing: Ontario’s Quinton Disera finished 12th, with Gunnar Holmgren in 16th, putting three Canucks in the top 20, with Victor Verreault in 33rd at his first World Championship event.

U23 Women/U23 Men XCO In the U23 women’s competition, 35 women took to the start line, and Sweden’s Jenny Rissved simply controlled the race from start to finish. Catherine Fleury had the best result for the Canadians with a 22nd-place finish, FALL 2016 PEDAL 49

Annika Langvad (DEN) was unstoppable in her first Worlds win, taking the title with plenty of time to celebrate, as American Lea Davison (USA) won silver. The last lap of the race saw dramatic shake-ups as second-placed Sabrine Spitz (GER) flatted, putting Wloszczowska and Davison in second and third respectively, with Batty and Pendrel just behind. Then Wloszczowska’s rear wheel punctured, allowing Davison and Batty to move into second and third.

Wloszczowska recovered and fought back, but Batty held her off in a very close and dramatic sprint battle for the bronze.

The 62-woman race saw six Canadian starters that included Batty, Pendrel, Cindy Montambault, Rebecca Beaumont, Sandra Walter and Haley Smith. Walter ultimately placed 29th, Montambault 36th, Beaumont 40th and Smith finished one lap down after being caught in the crash on the first lap.

“The most rewarding sprint of my life. Never stop fighting everyone! Overjoyed with a BRONZE MEDAL at WORLD CHAMPS,” tweeted Batty post-race.

“Today was a great day for the Canadian team. It’s gearing up to be a very exciting Olympics,” added Walter, summing up the Worlds weekend.

Elite Men Xco Olympic-hopeful Léandre Bouchard brought home Canada’s best Elite men’s result with a 20th-place finish, while Switzerland’s Nino Schurter controlled the race and claimed his fifth Worlds title. But while Schurter seemed to completely dominate, he was dogged by Czech Republic crowd-favourite Jaroslav Kulhavy, who finished second, with Julien Absalon (FRA) settling for third.

“It feels awesome to be in the top-20,” concluded Bouchard. “It’s been my best year so far, and I’m looking forward to representing Canada in Rio at the Olympic Games.”

Six Canadians were slotted into the starting grid, including Derek Zandstra, who finished in 33rd, with Andrew L’Esperance in 53rd, Olympic-hopeful Raphael Gagné in 54th and Geoff Kabush finishing down one lap. Evan McNeely suffered a mechanical early in the race and did not finish.

“I’m really satisfied with my race as the top Canadian and meeting my objective,” said Bouchard. While Bouchard’s placing was impressive, L’Esperance arguably had the hardman ride of the day, moving up 48 spots and setting the passing record at this year’s Worlds. “I started No. 101 and finished up 53rd, 48 passes. Everything just worked today,” he said. followed by Frédérique Trudel in 25th and Soren Meeuwisse in 30th. Alessandra Keller (top) Léandre Bouchard met his objective, bringing home Cana(SUI) was briefly at the head of the race with da’s best Elite men’s result with a Rissveds right on her heels, but by the second 20th-place finish. lap, Rissveds had opened a steadily increasing (above) Canada’s Sandra Walter gap. By the last lap, Rissved’s lead was more finished 29th for a top-30 result in than a minute, while Keller’s second place the Elite women’s race. was stolen by Sina Frei (SUI) in the final minutes of the race.

With 104 competitors, the U23 men’s field rivaled the Elite men’s in size, and the Canadian men had a hard day of racing thanks to brutal temperatures and pile-ups around the course. Marc-André Fortier was the top Canadian in 36th, as Samuel Gaze (NZL) won the exciting race, with Victor Koretzky (FRA) in second and Marcel Guerrini (SUI) in third. Behind Fortier, Peter Disera finished 41st, Marc-Antoine Nadon was 52nd and Alexandre Vialle placed 68th.

Fortier’s race started at the back, and he spent each lap steadily moving up in the field, though it was Disera’s blistering pace early on that had him in 31st, with Nadon right behind. A dropped chain for Nadon and a slowdown for Disera allowed Fortier to move into top Canadian spot over the 80 minutes of racing.

Elite women Xco The Elite women’s race was arguably the most dramatic and exciting of the championships, with Emily Batty going head to head in an all-out sprint to the line against Maja Wloszczowska (POL) to claim the bronze for Canada and her first Worlds podium. Former MTB Worlds champion Catharine Pendrel finished fifth, making Canada arguably the most successful nation in the race.

50 PEDAL FALL 2016

2016 UCI MTB World Championships Nove Mesto, Czech Republic - June 29-July 3, 2016 Eliminator: Men 1. Daniel Federspiel (AUS); 2. Simon Gegenheimer (GER); 3. Fabrice Mels (BEL); Women 1. Linda Indergand (SUI); 2. Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI); 3. Ramona Forchini (SUI); Team Relay 1. France (Victor Koretzky, Benjamin Le Ny, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Jordan Sarrou) 0:59:49; 2. Czech Republic (Matej Prudek, Richard Holec, Katerina Nash, Jaroslav Kulhavy) 1:00:05; 3. Switzerland (Filippo Colombo, Vital Albin, Sina Frei, Lars Forster) 1:00:26; 4. Germany (Manuel Fumic, Niklas Schehl, Helen Grobert, Ben Zwiehoff) 1:00:33; 5. Denmark (Simon Andreassen, Christian Storgaard, Annika Langvad, Sebastian Carstensen Fini) 1:00:55; XCO: Elite Men 1. Nino Schurter (SUI) 1:28:20; 2. Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE) 0:17; 3. Julien Absalon (FRA) 0:30; 4. Ondrej Cink (CZE) 2:25; 5. Stephane Tempier (FRA) 2:30; Canadians 20. Léandre Bouchard (CAN) 5:04; 33. Derek Zandstra (CAN) 6:45; 53. Andrew L’Esperance (CAN) 9:25; 54. Raphael Gagne (CAN) 9:25; 68. Geoff Kabush (CAN) -1 Lap; DNF Evan McNeely (CAN); Elite Women 1. Annika Langvad (DEN) 1:30:13; 2. Lea Davison (USA) 1:12; 3. Emily Batty (CAN) 1:44; 4. Maja Wloszczowska (POL) 1:44; 5. Catharine Pendrel (CAN) 2:53; Other Canadians 29. Sandra Walter (CAN) 11:15; 36. Cindy Montambault (CAN) 12:47; 40. Rebecca Beaumont (CAN) 14:12; 42. Haley Smith (CAN) 15:18; U23 Men 1. Samuel Gaze (NZL) 1:17:57; 2. Victor Koretzky (FRA) 0:50; 3. Marcel Guerrini (SUI) 1:04; 4. Georg Egger (GER) 1:52; 5. Arnis Petersons (LAT) 2:03; Canadians 36. Marc-André Fortier (CAN) 8:00; 41. Peter Disera (CAN) 8:20; 52. Marc-Antoine Nadon (CAN) 9:42; 68. Alexandre Vialle (CAN) 13:57; U23 Women 1. Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 1:16:08; 2. Sina Frei (SUI) 1:04; 3. Alessandra Keller (SUI) 1:22; 4. Evie Richards (GBR) 2:55; 5. Malene Degn (DEN) 3:53; Canadians 22. Catherine Fleury (CAN) 10:36; 25. Frederique Trudel (CAN) 11:41; 30. Soren Meeuwisse (CAN) 13:53; Junior Men 1. Thomas Bonnet (FRA) 1:08:32; 2. Vital Albin (SUI) 0:36; 3. Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR) 1:00; 4. Christopher Blevins (USA) 1:15; 5. Benjamin Le Ny (FRA) 1:45; Canadians 8. Sean Fincham (CAN) 2:28; 12. Quinton Disera (CAN) 2:50; 16.

Gunnar Holmgren (CAN) 3:20; 33. Victor Verreault (CAN) 5:40; Junior Women 1. Ida Jansson (SWE) 1:02:30; 2. Lisa Pasteiner (AUT) 0:25; 3. Martina Berta (ITA) 1:50; 4.

Sophie Wright (GBR) 2:36; 5. Anna Spielmann (AUT) 3:23; Canadians 21. Sidney McGill (CAN) 9:22; 24. Sophianne Samson (CAN) 10:03; 28. Erica Leonard (CAN) 10:58; 39. Emily Handford (CAN) 16:06. www.pedalmag.com

THANK YOU for your support!

Tour de france 2016

Froome Triumphs

by Sandra Walter

C

hris Froome (GBR, Team Sky) successfully fended off attacks from all of his challengers over the 21 stages and 3,535 kilometres of the 103rd Tour de France. By Stage Eight, he had earned his first stage win of the 2016 Tour and assumed the yellow jersey. He did not relinquish the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) for the remainder as he secured a career-third Tour de France victory.

Romain Bardait (FRA, AG2R La Mondiale) earned the second spot on the overall podium, followed by Nairo Quintana (COL, Movistar) in third. Peter Sagan (SVK, Team Tinkoff) captured the green sprinter’s jersey, Rafael Majka (POL, Team Tinkoff) took home the climber’s prize and Adam Yates (GBR, ORICA BikeExchange) won the Young Rider’s Classification, finishing fourth overall. Canada’s lone entrant, Antoine Duschesne (CAN, Direct Energie), finished his first Tour de France in 107th overall.

The former Canadian U23 champion, Duchesne raced for his teammate,

52 PEDAL FALL 2016

young French sprinter Bryan Coquard, with wildcard invitational-team Direct Energie. On the 162km Stage Seven Duchesne gave Canadian fans a big boost, racing at the front of a 29-strong rider break that included the yellow jersey’d, Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team. While the break was caught, it was a savvy move by the 24-year-old Canuck at his Tour debut. This was only his second Grand Tour, after riding the Vuelta a España last year.

Sprinting sensation Mark Cavendish (GBR, Dimension Data) made his mark in the history books when he accelerated to a record 30th stage victory after winning a total of four stages in this year’s edition, including the opening day, which finished at Utah Beach and saw him wear yellow for the first time ever.

He later abandoned the Tour, citing his focus on preparing for the Rio Summer Olympic Games the following month.

Only four riders wore the yellow jersey this edition, starting with Cavendish www.pedalmag.com

do). The trio got into a controversial scrimmage with a motorbike blocked by fans and went down behind the motorbike. Fan interference at races has been a growing concern and can be frustrating for riders as it was on this occasion.

While Porte remounted quickly, the other two could not. Froome’s race machine malfunctioned, but his team car was nowhere in sight. It was the first time the almost-robotic race leader seemed to lose his cool. First, he shouldered his bike and began to run up the mountain and then ditched it as neutral support gave him a replacement bike. But when Froome attempted to ride it, the pedals were incompatible with his shoes, so he abandoned it as well. Finally, the Sky team car reached him and he obtained a more suitable spare with which to complete the stage. He crossed the line more than a minute and a half behind his rivals, but in the end, the race jury awarded him the same time as the group he had been with before the unfortunate incident, keeping his GC advantage safe.

Froome further proved his abilities when he finished second in the first of two Individual time trials on Stage 13, won by Tom Dumoulin (NED, Giant Alpecin). Out of respect for the victims of the Nice terrorist attack, victories weren’t celebrated at the end of the 37.5km stage, but it would be Dumoulin’s second win of the Tour, while Froome bolstered his lead in the overall with a second-place finish.

Froome followed up with another stage win on the 17km Stage 18 uphill time trial, all but securing his overall triumph.

Things got a bit dicey for Froome on Stage 19 as Bardet rode away from the yellow-jersey group in the downhill preceding the final ascent to Le Bettex.

Froome, and then GC second-place Mollema, crashed in that descent and the Dutchman lost his podium spot as Bardet won the first stage of the Tour for the French and moved up to second overall with two days to go. Froome was relatively unscathed and didn’t lose significant time over his closest challengers.

(ESP, Team Tinkoff), who already hit the deck on the first two days and then bowed out due to illness after Stage Nine.

Froome’s 2016 performance was perhaps more impressive than his previous victories, as he showed his strength as a Canada’s lone entrant at his debut Tour, Antoine Duschesne gave fans rider beyond the mountains. He achieved a big boost on Stage 7, racing at the his Stage Eight win by out-descending evfront of a 29-strong rider break. eryone else on the road down the Col de Final jerseys: Peter Sagan (Points), Peyresourde. He went on to finish second Chris Froome (GC), Adam Yates (Best Young Rider), Rafael Majka (KOM). behind Sagan on the flat Stage 11 finish into Montpellier, which had been promised to the sprinters. When Sagan attacked 12 kilometres from the line, Froome responded and both riders were able to escape the peloton with a teammate each. At the finish, the Slovakian took his second stage win and increased his hold on the green jersey, and Froome gained 12 seconds over his rivals on GC. Despite Froome’s domination of the race, it wasn’t without drama. No one could have anticipated the story that unfolded during Stage 12 on the legendary Mont Ventoux. As Thomas De Gendt (BEL, Lotto-Soudal) took the stage victory from a breakaway, Froome battled farther back in a chase group with opponents Richie Porte (AUS, BMC) and Bauke Mollema (NED, Trek-Segrafre-

André Greipel (GER, Lotto-Soudal) won the prestigious final stage on the Champs-Elysées, with Froome and Team Sky finally free to revel in the overall GC victory. After 21 stages, Froome and his armada had fended off bids from such numerous top racers as Contador, Quintana, Yates and Bardet, but in the end, none had the stamina, consistency and all-round strength of the Briton.

photos:cor Vos

and followed by Sagan, who also carried the leader’s jersey for the first time in his career after winning on an uphill sprint finish on Stage Two at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. He remained in the leader’s jersey for three stages before handing it off to Van Avermaet (BEL, BMC Racing). Even though his time in the race lead was over, Sagan continued to compete in his characteristic flashy style, picking up points in the sprint classification and winning a total of three stages.

On Stage Five, the first day in the mountains, it was Van Avermaet’s turn to add a yellow jersey to his palmares. He rode his fellow breakaway companions off his wheel on the climbs and soloed into Le Lioran. Not a pure climber, Van Avermaet was a bit of a surprise winner. The Belgian did his best to defend the GC lead, holding it for three stages until it finally went to eventual champion Froome.

Although Majka won the polka-dot jersey, a stage victory eluded him throughout the 2016 Tour, and he was unable to add to his three-win tally from the 2014 and 2015 editions.

Winner of the white jersey, Yates was ranked second overall for six days, and even though he didn’t pose a serious threat to Froome, he proved himself a contender of the future.

Meanwhile, the Tour bid farewell to retiring rider Fabian Cancellara (SUI, Trek-Segrafredo), who celebrated his final career Tour de France. It was bittersweet for the Swiss, as he was denied victory in his hometown of Bern on Stage 16, which was won by Sagan.

Team Sky rode with their trademark precision to keep their leader out of trouble. Despite their attentiveness, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, and Froome was still tangled up in crashes. He remained healthy, unlike many riders who succumbed to injuries and ailments and were forced to abandon. One such rider was GC contender and two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador

Chris Froome resorted to running up Mont Ventoux with his damaged bike following a controversial crash on Stage 12, for an unheard of twist to this year’s Tour.

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Tour de France July 2-24, 2016 Final GC 1. Chris Froome (GBR, Team Sky) 89:04:48; 2. Romain Bardet (FRA, AG2R La Mondiale) at 4:05; 3. Nairo Quintana (COL, Movistar) 4:21; 4. Adam Yates (GBR, ORICA BikeExchange) 4:42; 5. Richie Porte (AUS, BMC Racing Team) 5:17; 6. Alejandro Valverde (ESP, Movistar) 6:16; 7. Joaquin Rodriguez (ESP, Team Katusha) 6:58; 8. Louis Meintjes (RSA, Lampre-Merida) 6:58; 9. Daniel Martin (IRL, Etixx/Quick-Step) 7:04; 10. Roman Kreuziger (CZE, Team Tinkoff) 7:11; Canadians 107. Antoine Duschesne (CAN, Direct Energie) 3:44:54.

Points Classification 1. 1. Peter Sagan (SVK, Team Tinkoff) 470 points; 2. Marcel Kittel (GER, Etixx/Quick-Step) 228; 3. Michael Matthews (AUS, ORICA-BikeExchange) 199; Canadians 110. Antoine Duchesne (CAN, Direct Energie) 9.

Mountain Classification 1. Rafal Majka (POL, Team Tinkoff) 209 points; 2. Thomas De Gendt (BEL, Lotto Soudal) 130; 3. Jarlinson Pantano (COL, IAM Cycling) 121.

Young Rider Classification1. Adam Yates (GBR, ORICA-BikeExchange) 89:09:30; 2.

Louis Meintjes (RSA, Lampre-Merida) 0:02:16; 3. Emanuel Buchmann (GER, Bora-Argon 18) 0:42:58; Canadians 16. Antoine Duchesne (CAN, Direct Energie) 3:40:12.

Team Classification 1. Movistar Team 267:20:45; 2. Team Sky 0:08:14; 3. BMC Racing Team 0:48:11.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 53

Four Medals and

World Title for Ritter Team Canada Outperforms at Junior Track Worlds

by John Symon

Team Canada delivered a record performance with four medals including a World title rainbow jersey at the UCI Junior World Track Championships in Aigle, Switzerland from July 20-24. Edmonton, Alta.’s Stefan Ritter raced to a stunning gold in the Kilo, also claiming sprint bronze, while Devaney Collier, also from Edmonton, won silver in the Scratch race, and Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge, B.C. earned bronze in the women’s Omnium. (top) Stefan Ritter from Edmonton claimed stunning gold and the world title in the Junior Men’s Kilo. (left) B.C.’s Maggie Coles-Lyster battled back to win bronze in the women’s Omnium. (right) Stefan Ritter also took home bronze in the men’s sprint

photos: Guy Swarbrick

(far right) Women’s Scratch race podium (l-r) Devaney Collier (CAN), Rebecca Raybould (GBR), Kristina Clonan (AUS)

54 PEDAL FALL 2016

www.pedalmag.com

O

n the opening day, Canada’s Collier, Coles-Lyster, Erin Attwell and Laurie Jussaume set a new Canadian record with a strong fourth in the women’s Team Pursuit qualifications, advancing to the first round.

Meanwhile, the men’s Team Pursuit squad of Cameron Fitzmaurice, John Willcox, Jordann Jones and Tristan Guillemette finished 10th, just outside of the top eight, and did not advance.

On Day Two, the women’s Team Pursuit squad set a new Canadian record again in the first round against Italy, where they were second, but their fast time put them in the bronze final against France later that day, where they were caught and settled for a stellar fourth place overall.

In the men’s Keirin, Ritter advanced steadily through the qualifications and heats to the finals, where he ultimately finished fourth for another solid day for Team Canada. Nick Wammes was fifth in his heat and did not advance past the first-round Repechages. In the men’s Scratch race, Guillemette did not finish his heat.

Canada’s big day in Aigle came on Day Three as Ritter won the men’s 1,000-metre time trial, while Collier took home silver in the women’s Scratch race. Ritter was the 21st competitor out of 36 starters and set a best time of 1:1.673, averaging 58.372kph, setting a new Canadian record for juniors, and only 0.297 seconds off the world record.

“This is pretty unbelievable,” said Ritter. “I felt pretty confident about my ride, and I knew I was going pretty good after all the training we did at the [training] camp. There are some great riders out there, and I haven’t done a lot of international racing, so I don’t really know them. I knew I had the speed and I felt good, but I didn’t think I was that fast. I still can’t believe it.”

In the women’s mass-start Scratch race, Rebecca Raybould (GRB) attacked with 11 laps to go to take the gold medal. Collier began chasing alone with four laps remaining and crossed the finish line alone in second place, only a few metres behind Raybould.

“It’s really cool and maybe slightly unexpected,” said Collier, “but it just worked out really well. I think all the training really paid off. The World Championships was No. 1 on the list of goals this year. I was really happy just to get selected, and to get a good result is icing on the cake.”

Day Four saw Ritter advance to the quarterfinals in the men’s sprint, while Coles-Lyster contested the first three of six events in the women’s Omnium – the Scratch race, Individual Pursuit and Elimination, which she won to sit fourth overall.

On the final Day Five, Ritter claimed bronze in the men’s sprint, while ColesLyster battled from behind and a crash in the final Points race to claim bronze in the women’s Omnium, moving to within four points of the silver by the finish.

“On this track, it’s very hard to come from the back,” explained Ritter, “so I went from the front. It was hard because it’s at the end of the Worlds and a lot of racing; I did seven sprints today. But it’s pretty amazing to come away with two medals.”

For Coles-Lyster, it was a stellar end to the competition. “I took as many points as possible early in the race [winning three of the first four sprints].

Then I got caught in a crash in the middle of the race, but came back and was able to get enough points to keep third. I’m really happy because this was my first Worlds and I didn’t know what to expect,” she commented.

The total Junior Worlds medal count in Aigle matches the senior squad’s Worlds tally from London in March, with four medals each. Other members of the 13-athlete dream team include Ali van Yzendoorn and Adam Lefebvre.

“Our kids have had to work hard for all of their rewards here in Aigle, and they showed a lot of fight and determination. I’m thrilled to see us come home with four medals, but beyond that, we’ve set personal bests and national records almost across the board. We couldn’t ask for any more from these riders; I’m incredibly proud of them all,” said Ian Melvin, men’s track-endurance coach at Cycling Canada and team leader in Switzerland.

Junior Track World Championships Results July 20-24 - Aigle, Switzerland Men’s Team Pursuit 1. New Zealand 4:01.409; 2. Denmark 4:04.877; 3. Great Britain; 10. Canada (Cameron Fitzmaurice, John Willcox, Jordann Jones, Tristan Guillemette); Women’s Team Pursuit 1. Italy 4:31.157; 2. New Zealand 4:38.732; 3. France; 4.

Canada (Devanney Collier, Maggie Coles-Lyster, Erin Attwell, Laurie Jussaume); Men’s Keirin 1. Conor Rowley (AUS); 2. Martin Cechman (CZE); 3. David Orgambide (ESP); Canadians 4. Stefan Ritter (CAN); Women’s Keirin 1. Sara Kankovska (CZE); 2. Gloria Manzoni (ITA); 3. Yufang Guo (CHN); Men’s Kilo Time Trial 1. Stefan Ritter (CAN) 1:01.673; 2. Bradly Knipe (NZL) 1:01.897; 3. Junggyu Na (KOR) 1:02.573; Women’s 500m Time Trial 1. Pauline Sophie Grabosch (GER) 34.023; 2. Yufang Guo (CHN) 34.571; 3. Soo-Hyun Kim (KOR) 34.710; Men’s Scratch Race 1. Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (MGL); 2. Daniel Babor (CZE); 3. Moreno Marchetti (ITA); Women’s Scratch Race 1. Rebecca Raybould (GBR); 2. Devaney Collier (CAN); 3. Kristina Clonan (AUS); Men’s Omnium 1. Campbell Stewart (NZL) 224 points; 2. Tomas Contte (ARG) 218; 3. Julius Johansen (DEN) 204; Women’s Omnium 1. Elisa Balsamo (ITA) 209 points; 2. Michaela Drummond (NZL) 196; 3. Maggie Coles-Lyster (CAN) 192; Men’s Sprint 1. Bradly Knipe (NZL); 2. Conor Rowley (AUS); 3. Stefan Ritter (CAN); Women’s Sprint 1. Pauline Sophie Grabosch (GER); 2. Yufang Guo (CHN); 3.

Hetty Van de Wouw (NED); Men’s 3km Individual Pursuit 1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) 3:12.416; 2. Rasmus Pedersen (DEN) 3:18.254; 3. Bastian Flicke (GER); Canadians 21. John Willcox (CAN); 36. Felix Pelletier (CAN); Women’s 2km Individual Pursuit 1. Maria Novolodskaya (RUS) 2:23.745; 2. Jade Haines (AUS) 2:25.859; 3. Ellesse Andrews (NZL); 10. Erin Attwell (CAN); 14. Laurie Jussaume (CAN); Men’s Points Race 1. Szymon Krawczyk (POL) 53 points; 2. Matt Walls (GBR) 44; 3. Wen Chao Li (TPE) 44; Canadians 16. Jordann Jones (CAN) 3; Women’s Points Race 1. Letizia Paternoster (ITA) 35 points; 2. Jessica Roberts (GBR) 32; 3. Wiktoria Pikulik (POL) 30; Canadians 15. Ali van Yzendoorn (CAN); Men’s Team Sprint 1. Russia; 2. Australia; 3. Germany; Women’s Team Sprint 1. New Zealand; 2. Italy; 3. China; Men’s Madison 1. Switzerland; 2. New Zealand; 3. Australia. www.pedalmag.com

FALL 2016 PEDAL 55

Sprockids

riding the path of success

by Paul Newitt

S

prockids, a renowned youth-development mountain biking program founded by B.C.’s Doug Detwiller in 1990, continues to make great strides and cycling’s recent success as a lifestyle choice in cities around the world is music to Detwiller’s ears.

What started more than 26 years ago as a program to empower young people with the knowledge, enthusiasm and confidence to make positive choices, both on and off the trail, has become a worldwide mountain-biking phenomenon with no signs of slowing down. The Sprockids program has helped guide hundreds of thousands of kids in 21 countries to lead healthier, happier lifestyles while simultaneously developing personal skills to help them succeed in all aspects of their lives.

“Sprockids is an entity that has taken on a life of its own and has continued to evolve and expand over the last quarter of a century,” says Detwiller. “Many mountain bike programs, camps and organizations have come and gone over the years, but Sprockids just keeps on rolling.” He says the flexibility of the program and those that get involved is critical to its success. “They make it their own and adapt it to work within the framework of their own organization, whether that be a high school programs:, a special needs group like the Canucks Autism Network, or an organization such as the Aboriginal Sport Rec-

56 PEDAL FALL 2016

reation and Physical Activity Partnership Council.” Detwiller points out that Sprockids does no advertising yet continues to expand worldwide thanks to the passionate people who get involved.

You would think that 26 years of running a cycling program for kids might slow you down a bit, but Detwiller shows no signs of fatigue. In fact it’s the opposite. Detwiller discusses the latest accomplishments and future plans of Sprockids with the same enthusiasm he possessed when he first launched it in 1990. “So much has happened over the last three years since I retired from full-time teaching. I have moved from the Sunshine Coast of B.C. to North Vancouver, we have partnered with Giant Bicycles Canada, trained 441 new Sprockids leaders worldwide, expanded east into Newfoundland and into our 21st country, Panama, set up programs with Tim Hortons, the Canucks Autism Camps and Aboriginal communities, and we are beginning to work with the medical community.”

According to Detwiller, Giant Canada has been a huge support to Sprockids, helping to create a new logo for the organization and produce new manuals in both English and French. It seems the support from Giant has taken Sprockids to a new level and allowed Detwiller to expand the programs locally and globally. www.pedalmag.com

photos: courtesy of Sprockids

(opposite) Sprockids founder Doug Detwiller has been empowering kids through his innovative cycling program for 26 years. (top) Kids learn new skills in a safe, supportive, fun and collaborative setting with physical, social and self-esteem benefits. (above) The program has trained over 400 Sprockids leaders and expanded into 21 countries worldwide.

“We just want to get kids on bikes and fall in love with this sport. We want them to feel that sense of freedom and be active. Riding in the woods is truly magical,” said Sarah Sangster from Giant Canada. “Giant’s partnership with Sprockids is also the perfect way to strengthen our ties as well as dealer ties to community, while actively and positively engaging youth in the sport of cycling.”

One of the highlights of that expansion, over the last three years, took place in Eastern Canada.

Detwiller, describes Newfoundland as “a mountain bike culture similar to B.C. 30 years ago.” In November 2014, thanks to the generous support of Bicycling Newfoundland and Labrador along with Parks Canada (Terra Nova National Park), a small group of bikers nestled away on the Eastport Peninsula www.pedalmag.com

on Newfoundland’s northeast coast were treated to a Sprockids training camp

by Detwiller.

Physical education teacher Andy Poole was key in introducing Sprockids to his students. “It is becoming ever-apparent to parents, teachers, health care providers and governments that our youth are increasingly inactive and subsequently unhealthy,” Poole says. “The idea is that through the Sprockids program we can bring mountain biking to our towns and watch it grow – grow participation, community development, youth engagement and inter-generational opportunities. Maybe in the future, even tourism, employment and so on.” All important goals considering that Statistics Canada identifies Newfoundland and Labrador as having one of the highest obesity rates in Canada.

The year 2014 also saw the new Sprockids-Giant partnership team up with Tim Horton Children’s Foundation to offer the Sprockids programs to the five Tim Horton Children’s Foundation camps across Canada. “Sprockids is all about changing the role and definition of sports in our society,” says Detwiller.

“Sprockids is all-inclusive. Nobody sits on the bench in our sport. The program appeals to a large segment of young people, including those youth who would never consider themselves athletes. Mountain biking is all about having adventure, fun, adrenaline and discovery. For these reasons, the Sprockids program is a perfect fit with the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation.”

Detwiller also took that message to the Aboriginal communities last year.

During October 2015, a Sprockids leader training session was hosted by the Kwakiutl District Council Health Centre located on the We Wai Kai First Nation in Campbell River, B.C. The event was a joint venture funded by the Aboriginal Sport Recreation and Physical Activity Partnership Council and Patrick Lucas’s Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program. During the weekend, Detwiller trained 16 new leaders to work specifically with First Nations’ youth. “The Sprockids program was very well received with leaders doing a fantastic job of engaging these young riders and teaching them a variety of riding skills,” says Detwiller. “The cycling allows a reconnection between generations and gets the kids reconnected with nature, which is so important.”

Closer to home, Detwiller and Sprockids teamed up with the Canucks Autism Camps. In March 2016, staff and volunteers from the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) gathered at their head offices in Vancouver to take the Sprockids leader training.

CAN program co-ordinator Caitlyn Van Dijk said the program “offers an opportunity for individuals to learn new skills in a safe, supportive and collaborative setting. CAN also sees the potential for teaching parents how to mountain bike, which would provide them with the necessary skills to be able to ride and experience cycling with their children.”

“These are exciting times,” adds Sangster. “Together with Doug we’ve built a vast collection of resource material that we provide to people who then take it and make it their own. Communities throughout Canada and the world are embracing mountain biking like never before, and the demand for the program just keeps on growing.”

Connecting with kids and allowing kids to gain confidence and life skills both on and off the bike is what Detwiller and Sprockids continues to be about.

Poole, the Newfoundland phys-ed teacher, tells the story of Tyler, a “spunky, fun, and active” primary student. Tyler had unique physical challenges that made it difficult for him to take part in many activities, particularly those that may result in a bump or fall. A special bike and protective equipment that fit his abilities and physical challenges was designed, and Tyler was able to take part in a week-long summer Sprockids camp, with recognizable benefits. Georgina Butt, Tyler’s mother, was quoted as saying “Being in Sprockids has been a tremendous experience for Tyler. When asked what he thought of the program he said what any eight-year-old would say, ‘It was really fun!’ My thoughts on it are that it has been extremely beneficial physically as well as socially; physically in that it has helped strengthen his legs and socially in that it has given him more time interacting with others and improving his self-esteem.”

With so many kids and adults entertaining themselves in an augmented virtual reality, it’s comforting to know that there are inspirational individuals like Doug Detwiller and healthy programs like Sprockids still teaching kids and adults how to connect with each other offline and capture real-life experiences.

For more information visit www.sprockids.com.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 57

COMPETITION | BY Chris Redden

ROAD

Tour of Alberta 2016

photos: chris redden

Cataford Top Canadian in Fifth Overall

T

he Tour of Alberta, Sept. 1-5, crowned a new champion as Robin Carpenter (USA, Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team) secured the title on the final day over defending champion Bauke Mollema (NED, Trek-Segafredo). Alexander Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) claimed the red jersey as the top Canadian. The Tour covered 606 kilometres over five stages and showcased the province’s stunning features and diverse landscapes while entertaining fans with some of the top teams from around the world.

Team Canada’s Antoine Duchesne claimed a strong fifth on the 106.9km Stage One in Lethbridge as the Tour of Alberta got underway. Colin Joyce (USA, Axeon Hagens Berman) took the win over Alex Howes (USA, Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling) in second, with Carpenter in third in the final sprint to the line.

A large group of 26 riders escaped, including Duchesne and Silber Pro Cycling’s Cataford, Matteo Dal-Cin and Nigel Ellsay. Joyce and two others bridged and the break stretched to more than three minutes. By midway through the nine-lap stage, the gap started to come down and a group of 58 PEDAL FALL 2016

approximately 10 riders splintered off the break for the final selection.

In the final sprint to the line, Joyce took the win, with Duchesne just behind in fifth, followed by Cataford in ninth and Ellsay in 10th. Duchesne took the red jersey as the top Canadian and wore red at the start of Stage Two. “I was a little bit surprised that such a big break went away,” said Duchesne. “For the sprint, I was well-positioned, but I didn’t have the legs for it; still for me, fifth place in a sprint is alright.”

Stage Two saw Team Canada’s Alexis Cartier of Saint-Adèle, Que. on the podium in second as the peloton raced from Kananaskis to Olds on an 182km course amid stunning mountain backdrops. However, heavy winds, rain and bitterly cold single-digit temperatures hammered the riders, especially in the second half of the race.

Cartier was a late addition after his Garneau-Quebecor teammate, Bruno Langlois, the reigning National road champion, suffered a broken collarbone.

A small three-rider break went clear before the halfway mark, with Cartier and Tanner Putter (USA, UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team) going it alone with 80 kilometres to go. The pair held off the charging field at the finish, as Putter outsprinted Cartier for the win. Cataford, now fifth overall, took over the Best Canadian jersey.

“It was pretty hard,” commented Cartier, “but at least we were pushing on the pedals to keep warm. We knew if we got to the final section before the finish with the tailwind that it would be hard for the pack to catch us. Bruno gave his spot [on the team] to me, so I’m happy to make him proud.”

Silber’s Kris Dahl put Canada on the podium in third as Cataford took fifth, with race leader Evan Huffman (USA, Rally Cycling) winning the 181.2km Stage Three from Rocky Mountain House/Clearwater County to Drayton Valley. Carpenter was now second on the GC, with Mollema in fifth.

The race heated up on the penultimate Stage Four as Mollema took his first stage victory, winning the 12.1km Individual time trial over the Saskatchewan River with teammate Ryder Hesjedal, the top Canadian in fourth. Carpenter finished third and took over the race lead with Mollema in second and one www.pedalmag.com

(above) Team Canada members Alec Cowan, David Drouin and Antoine Duchesne (left) Silber Pro Cycling celebrates winning the Team Classification. (opposite from top) Canada’s Nigel Ellsay (Silber) finished 7th overall and Michael Woods (Cannondale) was 28th. (opposite far right) Final GC podium (l-r): Bauke Mollema (NED) 2nd, Robin Carpenter (USA) first and Evan Huffman (USA) 3rd. (opposite right) Alexander Cataford (Silber Pro Cycling) in the red jersey as top Canadian finisher in 5th overall (opposite below) Team Canada’s Alexis Cartier of Saint-Adèle, Que. landed on the Stage Two podium in second.

stage remaining. Cataford, who was 10th on the day, held onto the red jersey as the top Canadian overall.

“It was different than using a normal time-trial bike,” said Cataford. “But I was still confident, as I’m a strong time-trial’er. I’m happy to keep the red jersey, but the goal is the big picture and to see if we can move up on the overall GC.” Francisco Mancebo (ESP, Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team) soloed to victory on the final 124.1km Stage Five in Edmonton, while Carpenter took the overall GC win by one second over Mollema. Cataford claimed the red jersey as the top Canadian, finishing fifth overall. Peter Disera (H&R Block Pro Cycling) was the top Canuck on the final stage, finishing fourth, with Dahl sixth and Ellsay (Silber Pro Cycling) seventh and Duchesne eighth, putting three Canadians in the top 10 of the final GC standings. Canada’s Silber Pro Cycling squad was the top team overall.

The final day also saw the inaugural Velothon Edmonton, now part of the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) new Velothon Majors circuit, a unique www.pedalmag.com

mass-participation ride aiming to create premier urban-cycling events in major cities around the globe, including Wales, Berlin, Stockholm and Stuttgart.

Participants enjoyed a “Pro-experience” on fully closed roads, with feed stations, full support and announced by the same professional emcees of the Tour of Alberta. Riders competed on a 20km loop in the 60km or 100km event as well as a 5km family event.

Tour of Alberta Sept. 1-5, 2016 Final GC 1. Robin Carpenter (USA, Holowesko/Citadel p/b Hincapie Sportswear) 13:35:31; 2. Bauke Mollema (NED, Trek-Segafredo) 0:01; 3. Evan Huffman (USA, Team Rally) 0:07; 4. Colin Joyce (USA, Axeon Hagens Berman) 0:18; 5. Alexander Cataford (CAN, Silber Pro Cycling) 0:32; 6. Daniel Eaton (USA, UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team) 0:35; 7. Nigel Ellsay (CAN, Silber Pro Cycling) 0:52; 8. Antoine Duchesne (CAN, Team Canada) 0:53; 9. Alex Howes (USA, Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling) 1:01; 10. Angus Morton (AUS, Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis) 1:03.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 59

COMPETITION | BY Jack Cracker

ROAD

Pasquale Stalteri

Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec et Montréal

Pasquale Stalteri

Top Pros Do Battle in Canada

R

eigning road world champion Peter Sagan (SVK, Team Tinkoff) won the seventh annual 16-lap, 201.6km Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec over Olympic champion Greg van Avermaet (BEL, BMC Racing Team), with Anthony Roux (FRA, FDJ) in third.

Team Canada’s Guillaume Boivin, a former National road champion who races for the Cycling Academy, was the top Canadian finisher in 17th at his first race back after suffering a broken shoulder in June and then requiring 13 stitches to his knee following a training accident.

Boivin’s teammate Nicolas Masbourian was also prominent in Quebec City, as he and Jan Barta (CZE, Bora-Argon 18) bridged to an early break of six riders who stayed away for most of the race. Masbourian battled with Twan Castelijns (NED, Team Lotto NL-Jumbo) for King of the Mountain (KOM) points as the break gained more than four minutes.

With approximately 60 kilometres to go, Lars Bak (DEN, Lotto Soudal) attacked the break and it splintered as the remnants were caught. Bak was reeled in by Julian Alaphilippe (FRA, Etixx Quick-Step) and Luke Rowe (GBR, Team Sky) with 40 kilometres to go, while behind, the peloton split in several groups, but the trio was caught.

Matej Mohoric (SLO, Lampre-Merida) and Paul Voss (GER, Bora-Argon 18) tried their luck in vain as the finish line beckoned. With two kilometres to go, Alaphilippe went again, aided by teammate Matteo Trentin and Gianni Moscon (ITA, Team Sky), who went on to win the KOM classification.

But the three were also tamed as last year’s winner Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team) attacked in a last-gasp attempt to retain his title. The Colombian was 100 metres short of becoming the first man to 60 PEDAL FALL 2016

keep his Quebec crown as Sagan surged to the front in the final 50 metres to beat Van Avermaet. Boivin finished in a small group at five seconds back.

“I’m surprised because I didn’t really prepare for theses races. After the Tour de France, I trained for the mountain bike in Rio and then I was sick,” said Sagan. “I’m very happy to win because I didn’t feel very good and had cramps towards the end. It’s too early to talk about Montreal – we’ll take some rest tomorrow and then we’ll see.”

“This race is one of the hardest races in the season,” said Boivin. “I had a pretty good 10 days of training [after his crash], and I thought I felt not too bad. But training and racing are different beasts, so it is hard to know how your form is. With four laps to go, I was feeling pretty good, and just to be here was a bit of a miracle, so I’m definitely happy with the result. Hopefully, I can build on that for Road World Championships in mid-October.”

GP Cycliste de Montréal

Belgium’s Van Avermaet (BEL, BMC Racing Team) got his revenge at the 205.7km Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal as he outmanoeuvred the rest of the favourites to power his way to an emphatic victory. Sagan (SVK, Team Tinkoff) had to be content with second place ahead of Diego Ulissi (ITA, Lampre Merida).

Team Canada’s Ben Perry gave local fans something to cheer about, winning the KOM competition as he and his Silber teammate Matteo Dal-Cin were members of a six-rider breakaway that formed in the first few kilometres and stayed away for most of the race.

“It was a really long time off the front,” said Perry. “A guy from Bora-Arwww.pedalmag.com

Pasquale Stalteri Pasquale Stalteri

peter kraiker

gon 18 went and I followed him, and then Matteo caught us and eventually there were six of us. Kevin [Field], our (opposite) Reigning world road champ director, thought it was more realistic Peter Sagan (SVK) wins in Quebec City. for us to play our cards in the long-shot (top left) Canada’s Ben Perry won odds of a breakaway, and also go for the King of the Mountain competition in Montreal. the KOM. Matteo rode like an absolute tank the whole day, keeping me safe, (top right) Ryder Hesjedal finished his last race in Canada, as he retires at the so it’s due to him that I made it. I havend of this season. en’t done many races over 200km, and (above) Belgium’s Van Avermaet I’m happy that I could do it on such a (BMC Racing Team) claimed victory in hilly race – for me that means a lot.”

Montreal.

With 165 starters, a youthful break of six under-25 riders soon got away. The peloton was content to let them go and their lead grew steadily to reach six minutes after 40 kilometres. Sagan’s Team Tinkoff teammates seized the reins, maintaining the gap at approximately 5:30. The peloton raised the tempo during the last five laps as the break started to splinter.

As attacks began from the chasing group, the gap began coming down fast as remnants of the break were caught and all were together with two laps remaining in the 17-lap event.

The big battle started on the final ascent of Camilien-Houde when Ryder Hesjedal (CAN, Trek-Segafredo), Romain Bardet (FRA, AG2R La Mondiale) and Rui Costa (POR, Lampre-Merida) attacked in turn. Costa, the 2011 winner, caught his rivals off-guard and led on his own for the last five kilometres (opposite top) Guillaume Boivin was the top Canadian in Quebec City.

www.pedalmag.com

before being reeled in shortly after the flamme rouge.

Alberto Bettiol (ITA, Cannondale-Drapac Procycling Team) tried to launch the sprint from afar, but Van Avermaet manoeuvred better and powered his way to an aptly deserved victory for the Olympic champion after three previous podiums in Canada.

“I came here many times and I had not managed to win yet, so I’m very happy I’ve done it. It’s been an incredible year. I hope I can continue like this and win races like Flanders or Paris-Roubaix,” said Van Avermaet.

Top Canadian Hesjedal finished 19th in his last race in Canada, as he retires at the end of this season. “I really wanted to finish well, and with my Trek-Segafredo teammates, we tried to toughen the race on the last lap. I’m the best Canadian today, and it’s not so bad. Thanks to @GPCQM and everyone on the road,” tweeted Hesjedal.

Grand Prix Cycliste Québec et Montréal Sept. 9-11, 2016 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec 1. Peter Sagan (SVK, Team Tinkoff) 5:07:13; 2. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel, BMC Racing Team); 3. Anthony Roux (Fra, FDJ); Canadians 17. Guilllaume Boivin (Can, Team Canada).

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 1. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel, BMC Racing Team) 5:27:04; 2. Peter Sagan (Svk, Team Tinkoff); 3. Diego Ulissi (Ita, Lampre-Merida); Canadians 19. Ryder Hesjedal (Can, Trek-Segafredo).

KOM 1. Ben Perry (Can, Team Canada).

FALL 2016 PEDAL 61

REPOUR COMPETITION | BY Gaelen Merritt

ROAD Road Nationals

ivan Rupes

New Champions Crowned

T

he 2016 National Road Championships were held from June 25-28 in the Ottawa, Ont. area. As the weekend approached, a heat wave swept its way into the Ottawa Valley along with the nation’s best riders – the combination of which provided dramatic racing in all events.

Road Races

Ontario’s Jamie Gilgen (Visit Dallas DNA) attacked early, building nearly a two-minute gap over the rest of the field. A few cohesive chase groups were attempted, but the frenetic effort of the main field to chase them down resulted in the peloton splintering under the strain. This brought Gilgen’s lead down to just 40 seconds, and finally a chase group was formed that contained Gillian Ellsay (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes), Annie Foreman-Mackey (The Cyclery-Opus) and Alizee Brien (Team TIBCO-SVB).

These three linked up and extended their lead on the bunch led by Leah Kirchmann (Team Liv-Plantur). Shortly after catching Gilgen on lap six of 11, Ellsay was dropped, followed by Gilgen on the next lap, leaving Foreman-Mackey and Brien off the front with 30 kilometres to go.

The gap held at 1:50, while the desperate peloton began attacking itself.

Foreman-Mackey’s Cyclery-Opus teammates did an excellent job marking moves and discouraging chase efforts. With 14 kilometres to go, Foreman-Mackey made the decisive move and quickly built up an insurmountable lead to claim the title. The charging peloton swallowed up Brien, as Joelle Numainville (Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling) and Kirchmann duked it out in the bunch sprint, taking second and third respectively. Ariane Bonhomme gave Cyclery-Opus its second victory, winning the U23 title, with Sara Poidevin (Rally Cycling) in second and Kinley Gibson (Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes) rounding out the podium.

The following day saw the 180km U23/Elite men’s start line facing tempera62 PEDAL FALL 2016

Pasquale Stalteri Pasquale Stalteri

Pasquale Stalteri

The junior men’s 120km event kicked things off in the morning before the heat and wind could pick up – this set the group up for a high-stakes bunch sprint.

Thierry Kirouac Marcassa (Équipe du Québec) dove into the final corner first and successfully held off the rest of the field to become the 2016 junior men’s National champion. Ontario’s Jordann Jones (NCCH p/b DEC Express) and B.C.’s Cameron Fitzmaurice (TaG Race Team) finished second and third respectively. The junior women’s 80km road race saw Erin Attwell (Cycling BC) triumph, as a five-rider break came to the finish with Devaney Collier (Team Alberta) claiming second and Simone Boilard (Équipe du Québec) taking third.

The 110km Elite/U23 women’s road race faced the afternoon heat as tures in the mid-30°s by 1:00 p.m., along with high humidity and a strong breeze (top) Elite men’s RR podium (l-r): Ben blowing from the northwest. A stacked Perry, Bruno Langlois, Will Routley field, with WorldTour riders Svein Tuft (above) Annie Foreman-Mackey takes (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Hugo Houle the Elite women’s RR title.

(AG2R La Mondiale), saw an early break (far left) Elite women’s TT winner Tara Whitten; (left) Alex Catford of seven that included Matteo Dal-Cin wins Elite men’s TT jersey (Silber Pro Cycling) and Rob Britton (Ral(opposite left to right) Kinley Gibson ly Cycling), along with Garneau-Que- wins Elite women’s Criterium; Elite becor and H&R Block Pro Cycling rep- men’s Crit winner Ben Perry; Thierry resented. As their lead grew, Tuft and Kirouac Marcassa takes junior men’s RR title; junior women’s RR podium Houle formed an unholy alliance and Devaney Collier, Erin Attwell, dropped a watt-bomb on the 141-strong Simone Boilard pack coming through Tunney’s Pasture, and gaps appeared as the peloton exploded into several groups.

With the gap coming down, Ben Perry (Silber Pro Cycling) and Olivier Brisebois (Garneau-Quebecor) bridged to the leaders, as only 30 riders remained with Tuft and Houle. During a brief lull, Will Routley (Rally Cycling), Nicolas Masbourian (Silber Pro Cycling) and Bruno Langlois (Garneau-Quebecor) seized the opportunity and bridged up to the break.

As Tuft and Houle relinquished their effort, the lead break was down to 10 riders, and, with five laps remaining, threatened to lap the main bunch. Race officials made the unprecedented decision to pull nearly the entire field, leaving only 18 riders on course. The heat, wind and distance took its toll, and eventually a final selection of Dal-Cin, Perry, Langlois and Routley was formed.

Silber’s chances looked strong as Dal-Cin, just off his Redlands victory, was leading as they headed into the final corner at high speed, but he slid out, smashing into the curb. Perry crashed into his teammate, while Routley held it together, but also went down on the grass. Behind Langlois, 37, entered the corner in control and breezed ahead to claim his first National road title.

Perry was able to untangle himself, crossed the line in second and defended his U23 crown as Routley remarkably had to run the final 100 metres, carrying his bike with a rolled tubular to take the final podium spot. Brisebois and Masbourian would take the final U23 podium spots as a banged-up DalCin crossed the line in 10th.

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“I tried to attack at the end because I don’t have a good sprint, but the other guys were too strong. At the end, the other guys went too fast into the last corner and, unfortunately, they crashed, so I was able to come around,” commented Langlois. “I think I’ve done all the top 10 places, except the win,” added Langlois. “Nationals is always a game of poker, especially on a course like this. Everybody wants this, and I’ve been chasing it for a long time.”

The brutal heat, wind and humidity had diminished to reasonable levels as Boilard (Équipe du Québec) won the 16km junior women’s race, with Dana Gilligan (Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave) in second and Ruby West (Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave) in third. The 26km junior men’s race was dominated by Ontario riders, sweeping the top five positions. Jones won the National title, followed by runner-up Matt Staples (Team Ontario) and Nickolas Zukowsky (Kallisto-FCV p/b Toyo Tires) in third.

The women tackled the 26km course as Bonhomme took her second U23 title, barely edging out Poidevin, with Gibson third in the road race. The Elite women’s time-trial crown was won decisively by Tara Whitten (The Cyclery-Opus), with Karol-Ann Canuel (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) placing second and Numainville finishing third.

Legendary Tuft, with nine National time-trial titles to his name, led WorldTour contenders that included Houle and Michael Woods (Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling), who was just back from his hand injury. But it was Silber’s day as Ryan Roth added the time-trial champion’s jersey to his impressive palmares, with local Ottawa star Alex Cataford edging out Tuft for the silver by four-tenths of a second. The U23 honours went to Alexander Cowan (Team RaceClean), with Jack Burke (H&R Block Pro Cycling) and Adam Roberge (Equipe Cycliste) placing second and third respectively.

Criterium

The next day saw the National Criterium Championships held in Aylmer, Que. on a 1.4km course. The junior women’s 30-minute race was won by B.C.’s Maggie Coles-Lyster (TaG Race Team) in a two-up sprint against Boilard of Équipe du Québec. B.C.’s Attwell rounded off the podium. The junior men’s 45-minute contest was a race of attrition, as by the end, all but 25 riders were pulled. The final selection of nine sprinted for the win, and Kurt Penno (Accent Inns/Russ Hays p/b Champion) triumphed over Tristan Guillemette (Équipe du Québec), who took a close second, with Charles-Étienne Chrétien (Iamgold) finishing third.

The U23/Elite women’s Criterium featured nonstop attacks from the gun, but nothing cohesive would stick. Eventually, the field shattered under the unceasing accelerations, and a selection of 15 to 20 riders was made as the rest of the field was pulled. Again, the attacks began in earnest, with Gibson and Justine Clift (The Cyclery-Opus) establishing a gap as Gilgen went to work www.pedalmag.com

pasquale stalteri

van Rupes

After a rest day, the time-trial events were held on June 28 in Gatineau Park on rolling hills, inexorably moving up to Champlain’s Lookout (for the 36km events) at its highest point before returning to the start/finish. The course required a keen grasp of optimal pacing to ensure enough was left in the tank following the uphill first half to allow a reasonable effort on the way back.

Ivan Rupes

Time Trials

Ivan Rupes

chasing. The gap stretched out to almost a minute, and in the two-up sprint, Gibson triumphed over Clift, with Gibson’s teammate Ellen Watters winning the bunch sprint for third.

The U23/Elite men’s 60-minute + three-lap Criterium had close to 90 starters, and also featured nonstop attacks as Roth mixed it up at the front with Olympian Rémi Pelletier-Roy (Garneau-Quebecor). They were eventually caught and dropped by what turned out to be the winning selection of Silber riders Perry, Kris Dahl and Elliot Doyle, Garneau riders Marc-Antoine Soucy and Brisebois, and a lone H&R Block rider, Danick Vandale. Behind, Silber controlled as Vandale made a savvy attack near the finish, but this move was chased down. After a long series of attacks and counterattacks, it was Perry who made the winning move and successfully defended his National title.

Dahl pipped Soucy at the line for second, making it a 1-2 Silber finish.

Canadian Road Championships 2016 June 25-29, 2016 - Ottawa, Ont./Gatineau, Que. Elite/U23 Road Race: Men 1. Bruno Langlois (QC) Garneau-Quebecor 4:17:23; 2. Ben Perry (ON) Silber Pro Cycling 0:27; 3. Will Routley (BC) Rally Cycling 1:03; 4. David Boily (QC) Garneau-Quebecor 1:05; 5. Rob Britton (BC) Rally Cycling 1:23; Women 1. Annie Foreman-Mackey (ON) The Cyclery-Opus 2:52:44; 2. Joelle Numainville (QC) Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling 01:18; 3. Leah Kirchmann (ON) Team Liv-Plantur; 4. Tara Whitten (AB) The Cyclery-Opus; 5. Alison Jackson (AB) TWENTY16 RideBiker. Time Trial: Men 1. Ryan Roth (QC) Silber Pro Cycling 48:15.63; 2. Alex Cataford (ON) Silber Pro Cycling 19.83; 3. Svein Tuft (BC) Orica-GreenEDGE 20.29; 4. Hugo Houle (QC) AG2R La Mondiale 47.61; 5. Rob Britton (BC) Rally Cycling 50.19; Women 1. Tara Whitten (AB) The Cyclery-Opus 37:40.66; 2. Karol-Ann Canuel (QC) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team 48.47; 3. Joelle Numainville (QC) Cervélo-Bigla Pro Cycling 01:46.6; 4. Jasmin Glaesser (BC) Rally Cycling 01:59.3; 5. Annie Foreman-Mackey (ON) The Cyclery-Opus 03:27.2.

Criterium: Men 1. Ben Perry (ON) Silber Pro Cycling 1:06:54; 2. Kris Dahl (AB) Silber Pro Cycling; 3. Marc-Antoine Soucy (QC) Garneau-Quebecor; 4. Danick Vandale (MB) H&R Block Pro Cycling; 5. Olivier Brisebois (QC) Garneau-Quebecor; Women 1. Kinley Gibson (AB) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Home 1:07:17; 2. Justine Clift (BC) The Cyclery-Opus; 3. Ellen Watters (NB) The Cyclery-Opus 0:21; 4. Sara Bergen (BC) Trek Red Truck p/b Mosaic Homes; 5. Marie-Soleil Blais (QC) Cycle Neron/Specialized.

Juniors Road Race: Junior Men 1. Thierry Kirouac Marcassa (QC) Équipe du Québec 2:51:07; 2. Jordann Jones (ON) NCCH p/b DEC Express; 3. Cameron Fitzmaurice (BC) TaG Race Team; 4. Noah Simms (ON) Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave; 5. Gabriel Drapeau-Zgoralski (ON) Team Novo Nordisk; Junior Women 1. Erin Attwell (BC) Cycling BC 2:14:08; 2. Devaney Collier (AB) Team Alberta; 3. Simone Boilard (QC) Équipe du Québec; 4. Dana Gilligan (ON) Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave; 5. Laurie Jussaume (QC) Équipe du Québec 0:05. Time Trial: Junior Men 1. Jordann Jones (ON) NCCH p/b DEC Express 37:47.40; 2. Matt Staples (ON) Team Ontario 35.78; 3.

Nickolas Zukowsky (ON) Kallisto-FCV p/b Toyo Tires 46.70; 4. Graydon Staples (ON) Team Ontario 01:02.9; 5. Michael Foley (ON) Independent 01:04.5; Junior Women 1.

Simone Boilard (QC) Équipe du Québec 25:08.25; 2. Dana Gilligan (ON) Team Ontario/ Centurion Next Wave 25.87; 3. Ruby West (ON) Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave 26.33; 4. Laurie Jussaume (QC) Équipe du Québec 42.77; 5. Erin Attwell (BC) Cycling BC 51.46. Criterium: Junior Men 1. Kurt Penno (MB) Accent Inns/Russ Hays p/b Champion 52:28; 2. Tristan Guillemette (QC) Équipe du Québec; 3. Charles-Étienne Chrétien (QC) Iamgold; 4. Jake Allaire (ON) Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave; 5. Thierry Kirouac Marcassa (QC) Équipe du Québec; Junior Women 1. Maggie Coles-Lyster (BC) TaG Race Team 39:11; 2. Simone Boilard (QC) Équipe du Québec; 3. Erin Attwell (BC) Cycling BC 0:12; 4. Devaney Collier (AB) Team Alberta; 5. Ann-Pascale Ouellet (QC) Équipe du Québec.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 63

COMPETITION | by Sandra Walter

MTB

Canadian MTB XCO Championships 2016

T

he lovely Charlevoix region of Quebec hosted this year’s Canadian MTB XC Championships on July 14-17, which featured the headliner XCO races, as well as action-packed Eliminator and Team Relay events. BaieSt-Paul’s XC course has been a fixture on the Canada Cup circuit and is known for its challenging, root-strewn punchy and techy course, which received some excellent improvements and additions for the 2016 Nationals.

Photos: pierre bouchard

Charlevoix Region Hosts Nationals

(above) Ontario’s Derek Zandstra (Scott-3 Rox Racing) reclaimed the Elite men’s title. (left) Emily Batty (ON, Trek Factory Racing) was the clear favourite in the Elite women’s race and did not disappoint. (facing) 2016 National championship jersey winners on podium.

Eliminator

The XCE event got things started in Baie-St-Paul after heavy summer thundershowers doused the course. In both the women’s and men’s competitions, the qualification time trials were telling, as top-seeds Anne-Julie Tremblay (QC, Cyclone d’Alma) and Rhys Verner (BC, Kona Factory Team/Cycling BC) took home the Canadian champion titles in their respective big finals.

Julia Long (BC, Cycling BC) and Marie Corriveau (QC, Mont-Ste-Anne) finished second and third in the women’s showdown, while Quinton Disera (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau) and Tyler Orschel (ON, Team Ontario/Trek Canada MTB Team) sprinted to silver and bronze in the men’s face-off.

XCO Elite Men

Three riders separated themselves early in the 29.5km Elite men’s race – Derek Zandstra (ON, Scott-3 Rox Racing/CRCS), 2015 champion Raphael Gagne (QC, Cannondale 360Fly p/b Sugoi) and Léandre Bouchard (QC, Cyclone d’Alma-Devinci). Farther back, multiple Canadian champion Geoff Kabush (BC, Scott-3 Rox Racing) led the chase with Jeremy Martin (QC, Fo64 PEDAL FALL 2016

cus Bikes-iWill Cycling Team) and David Ross (ON, AWI Racing), who has begun appearing consistently among the top riders at National competitions this season.

It was clear Gagne didn’t have the legs, as he was unable to stay with a storming Zandstra and Bouchard. Finally, with only one-and-a-half laps remaining, Zandstra went clear, opening a gap on Bouchard, to ultimately snatch victory with a 42-second advantage over the 23-year-old from Alma, Que. Kabush reeled in Gagne on the final lap for the bronze medal.

“I had some good feelings going into this,” said Zandstra. “Training has been going really well, and the whole race, right from the go, the pace felt light to me. I just used some good old tactics to pull off the win. I was glad there were no mechanicals for the top riders today, really showing who’s strong.”

Bouchard reflected on his effort: “I was hoping to be a bit stronger and attack at the end, but it was Derek who did that finally. I really enjoy riding at the front for a long part of the race.”

Elite Women

Emily Batty (ON, Trek Factory Racing) was the clear favourite in the Elite women’s race as her biggest rival, 2015 Canadian champion Catharine Pendrel www.pedalmag.com

(BC, LUNA Pro Team), had elected to sit out the event to focus on her Olympic preparation.

“I was able to pull off a good result, but unfortunately Catharine [Pendrel] decided not to race, and I was looking forward to that battle. Still, I had a great race, so I’m happy,” said Batty after taking the victory.

She and silver medalist Sandra Walter (BC, Liv Cycling Canada) pulled away from the rest of the field on the first lap of four on the 5.9km track, riding together until Batty eventually shed Walter to ride solo for the remainder of the day. Cindy Montambault (QC, Équipe du Québec/Trek GPL) fought hard to earn her first Canadian Championship medal in the discipline.

“I’m really pleased with my silver medal, especially considering the increasing depth in the Canadian women’s program,” said Walter. “Having a strong ride at the Canadian Championships is always a goal for me, and I was very happy with my result. There were lots of people all over the course cheering me on and I had an awesome support crew in the feed zone.”

U23 Men

Peter Disera (ON, Norco Factory Team) was thrilled to seize the U23 men’s title in an epic contest with his peers. “In the end, Marc-André Fortier (QC) threw down one massive attack that I was able to follow,” explained Disera. “I

countered him when the pace settled and didn’t look back.” By the finish, Disera had a 30-second lead over Fortier. Felix Burke (QC, Équipe du Québec-Jo Velo Tremblant) had a great ride, finishing third.

U23 Women

Catherine Fleury (QC, Cyclone d’Alma) overcame an injury that forced her to sit out two World Cups in the spring to finally realize her dream of wearing the Maple Leaf jersey when she dominated the U23 women’s contest, winning by nearly two minutes ahead of second-place Frederique Trudel (QC, Specialized Racing Canada). Freshly crowned Eliminator champion Tremblay grabbed the third podium spot.

Junior Men

Fellow B.C. rider Sean Fincham (BC, Cycling BC) nabbed the junior men’s title after shedding his closest opponent, powerhouse Quinton Disera (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau). Gunnar Holmgren (ON, My Progressive p/b 3 Rox Maverix) snagged the bronze.

Junior Women

Emily Handford (BC, Rocky Mountain Factory Team) continued her stellar season to clinch the red-and-white jersey in the junior women’s race in a fight to the line with eventual silver-medalist Sophianne Samson (QC, Sigma Assurances), who rolled across a mere five seconds behind the winner. Dana Gilligan (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau) finished third.

Cadet Men

Tyler Clark (ON, Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave) earned top honours in the cadet men’s competition ahead of Charles-Antoine St-Onge (QC, Équipe du Québec/Dalbix) in second. The 2015 champion, Vincent Thiboutot (QC, CVM Sigma Assurance), captured bronze.

Cadet Women

Roxane Vermette (QC, Équipe du Québec-Club Cycliste MSA) bagged the cadet women’s victory in a close finish with second-place Mireille Larose-Gingras (QC, CVM Sigma Assurance). Marianne Theberge (QC, Mathieu Performance) placed third.

Team Relay

The Team Relay event, a UCI World Championship discipline, included teams of four riders, each crushing a full-gas lap of the course before tagging off to the next rider. It was exciting for spectators, as positions changed constantly throughout.

The Norco Factory Team proved the strongest snappping up the title with a comfortable 26-second margin over Équipe du Québec 1-Turbo Power. Team B.C. 1 finished third, a further 29 seconds back.

Canadian MTB XCO Championships 2016 Eliminator Men 1. Rhys Verner (BC, Kona Factory Team/Cycling BC); 2. Quinton Disera (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau); 3. Tyler Orschel (ON, Team Ontario/Trek Canada MTB Team); 4. Vincent Belhumeur (QC, Mathieu Performance); 5. Antoine Bélanger-Rannou (QC, Équipe du Québec/EC Gatineau/ CVM de la Gatineau); Women 1. Anne-Julie Tremblay (QC, Cyclone d’Alma); 2.

Julia Long (BC, Cycling BC); 3. Marie Corriveau (QC, Mont-Ste-Anne); 4. Evelyne Ward (QC, Club Dalbix de Sherbrooke); 5. Rachel Pageau (QC, Cycles Devinci).

XCO Elite Men 1. Derek Zandstra (ON, Scott-3 Rox Racing/CRCS) 1:33:22.5; 2.

Léandre Bouchard (QC, Cyclone d’Alma) 00:42.2; 3. Geoff Kabush (BC, Scott-3 Rox Racing) 02:15.8; 4. Raphael Gagné (Cannondale 360Fly p/b Sugoi) 02:19.3; 5. Davis Ross (ON, AWI Racing) 02:26.8; Elite Women 1. Emily Batty (ON, Trek Factory Racing) 1:28:35.8; 2. Sandra Walter (BC, Liv Cycling Canada) 01:24.4; 3. Cindy Montambault (QC, Trek GPL) 05:12.4; 4. Haley Smith (ON, Norco Factory Racing) 06:09.5; 5. Rebecca Beaumont (QC, Cyclone d’Alma/Marin Bikes) 06:24.2; U23 Men 1. Peter Disera (ON, Norco Factory Team) 1:16:15.4; 2.

Marc-André Fortier (QC) 00:29.6; 3. Felix Burke (QC, Équipe du Québec-Jo Velo Tremblant) 01:29.3; 4. Raphael Auclair (QC, Team Pivot Cycles-OTE) 02:52.5; 5.

Alexandre Vialle (QC, Specialized Canada) 04:10.2; U23 Women 1. Catherine www.pedalmag.com

Fleury (QC, Cyclone d’Alma) 1:34:37.0; 2. Frederique Trudel (QC, Specialized Racing Canada) 01:46.5; 3. Anne-Julie Tremblay (QC, Cyclones d’Alma) 04:00.7; 4. Soren Meeuwisse (ON, Trek Canada Mountain Bike Team) 05:05.1; 5. Florence Dostie-Menard (QC, CVM De La Gatineau/Équipe du Québec) 05:53.0; Junior Men 1. Sean Fincham (BC, Cycling BC) 58:37.2; 2. Quinton Disera (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau) 00:20.3; 3. Gunnar Holmgren (ON, My Progressive p/b 3 Rox Maverix) 01:07.5; Junior Women 1. Emily Handford (BC, Rocky Mountain Factory Team) 1:13:56.2; 2. Sophianne Samson (QC, Sigma Asurances) 00:05.6; 3. Dana Gilligan (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau) 02:14.3; Cadet Men 1. Tyler Clark (ON, Team Ontario/Centurion Next Wave) 1:02:10.8; 2. Charles-Antoine St-Onge (QC, Équipe du Québec/ Dalbix) 01:10.6; 3. Vincent Thiboutot (QC, CVM Sigma Assurance) 01:48.4; Cadet Women 1. Roxane Vermette (QC, Équipe du Québec-Club Cycliste MSA) 50:07.6; 2. Mireille Larose-Gingras (QC, CVM Sigma Assurance) 00:05.8; 3. Marianne Theberge (QC, Mathieu Performance) 00:25.5; Team Relay 1. Norco Factory Team (Haley Smith, Peter Disera, Quinton Disera, Andrew L’Esperance) 42:55.3; 2. Équipe du Québec 1-Turbo Power (Marc-André Fortier, Cindy Montambault, Felix Burke, Felix Longpre) 43:21.0; 3. Team B.C. 1 (Sean Fincham, Quinn Moburg, Emily Handford, Geoff Kabush) 43:50.3; 4. Team Ontario 1 (Derek Zandstra, Kaleb Hellreich, Elyse Nieuwold, Tyler Orschel) 44:54.8; 5. Pivot Cycles-OTE (Mathieu Belanger-Barette, Felix Belhumeur, Sophianne Samson, Felix Belhumeur 45:04.7.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 65

COMPETITION | BY Sarah victor

MTB

Canada MTB Cup 2016 Finale

XC XC #4 – St-Félicien, Que. – July 23

St-Félicien, Que., host of the 2015 Canadian XCO Championships, presented Round Four of the Canada Cup Series on a true mountain-biker’s course, featuring challenging climbs, natural technical passages, as well as fast and fun bike-park features. Sandra Walter (BC, Liv Cycling Canada) played it cool in the five-lap Elite women’s contest after an aggressive start by her fellow competitors. She moved into the lead halfway through the first lap and escaped to earn a solo victory, followed by Haley Smith (ON, Norco Factory Team) in second. Cindy Montambault (QC, Trek GPL) finished third, while Catherine Fleury (QC, Cyclone d’Alma) was the best-ranked U23 rider in fourth.

In the six-lap Elite men’s race, teamwork ruled the day as Norco Factory Team’s Andrew L’Esperance (NS, Norco Factory Team), Evan Guthrie (BC, Norco Factory Team), and Evan McNeely (ON, Norco Factory Team) rode away from the rest of the field to finish 1-2-3, all within 1.5 seconds of each other. It was L’Esperance’s first Canada Cup victory. The top U23 rider of the day was Marc-André Fortier (QC, Independent) in sixth.

66 PEDAL FALL 2016

peter kraiker

T

he final half of the 2016 Canada Cup MTB Series featured exciting racing as many of the country’s top riders battled for the red-and-white leader’s jersey at some of the nation’s best and most varied riding destinations.

With a new course, Whistler, B.C. was a fitting location for the Series finale.

peter kraiker

Overall Series Titles Awarded

Sophianne Samson (QC, Sigma Assurance) won the junior women’s competition in a Quebec podium sweep, as Leya Masson (QC, Club Cycliste MSA) sped to second, followed by Juliette Tétreault (QC, Équipe du Québec/ Skinouk-VDM) in third. Felix Longpré (QC, Club Cycliste MSA) was the top gun in the junior men’s race, dethroning local hero Victor Verreault (QC, Velo 2 Max), who was forced to settle for second. Emile Farrell-Dessureault (QC, Équipe Iris) powered to third.

XC #5 – Whistler, B.C. – July 19

The Crankworx festival atmosphere was a fitting way to finish the season. The XC racers were treated to a brand-new course on the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain, featuring long sweltering climbs and gnarly, dusty and rutted descents. Norco’s Smith took advantage of summer-heat adaptation and good form to cruise to a commanding victory over Walter in the Elite women’s race, at the same time capturing the overall Series title. Jean Ann Berkenpas (BC, Team Giant Vancouver) finished a strong third.

American Stephen Ettinger (USA, RideBiker Alliance p/b Focus Bikes) nabbed the “W” in the Elite men’s competition, as Geoff Kabush (BC, Scott-3 Rox Racing) paced himself to second place, and L’Esperance took third as well as the Series title.

Junior women’s Series champion Emily Handford (BC, Rocky Mountain) won the Canada Cup finale over local ripper Julia Long (BC, TaG Cycling/ Cycling BC). Savilia Blunk (USA, Bear Junior Development Team) finished www.pedalmag.com

third. Quinton Disera (ON, Angry Johnny’s Norco & Garneau) secured the junior men’s Series title as well as the top spot in the final round over a hardcharging Longpré and Verreault in second and third respectively.

Ryders) and Matthew Beer (BC, OGC/Intense/Fox) snapped up the remaining two spots, finishing second and third respectively.

DH #4 – Whistler, B.C. – Aug. 20

The Canadian Open DH, held in Whistler, B.C. during the famed Crankworx mountain-bike festival, was the most competitive event of the Canada Cup Series, and featured top riders from all over the world. Australia’s Tracey Hannah (AUS, Polygon UR) earned the Elite women’s crown, spanking her closest competitor, World Cupper Manon Carpenter (GBR, Madison Saracen Factory) by more than 10 seconds. Third place went to the fastest Canadian, Verbeeck.

Australia owned the Elite men’s race as well, as Troy Brosnan (AUS, Spe-

DH DH #2 – Blue Mountain Resort, Ont. – June 25-26

peter kraiker

Pasquale Stalteri

peter kraiker

Ontario was host to the province’s first Canada Cup DH event in nearly 20 years for Round Two of the Gravity Series. Collingwood’s popular bike park on the slopes of Blue Mountain offered up a challenging track on the rider-favourite Shotglass Trail, which was made even more difficult by deep piles of powdery midsummer dust.

Nicole Sculsby (BC, Independent) of Vancouver, B.C. took top spot in

(opposite left) Elite men’s XCO overall winner Andrew L’Esperance (Norco) (opposite right) Haley Smith (Norco) won the Elite women’s overall XCO title. (top) Ontario’s Quinton Disera took the junior men’s XCO overall crown. (above) Emily Handford (BC) was the overall junior women’s XCO winner (above right) Hugo Langevin (l) and Sky Follas took home the Elite DH Series jerseys.

the Elite women’s competition, besting second-place, young Ontario shredder Skye Follas (ON, Équipe Laferte/Trou du Diable) by a bit more than eight seconds. Jennifer Leblanc (ON, Independent) stopped the clock in third.

Hugo Langevin (QC, Cycles Performance) smashed the short track in a time of 2:08.94 to capture the Elite men’s win.

Samuel Thibault (QC, Major Cycles/Devinci) finished second, followed by Sid Slotegraaf (BC, Transition/Dunbar/OneUp/9.8 Components) in third, effectively shutting the host province out of the medals.

DH #3 – Panorama Mountain Resort, B.C. – July 17

The Canada Cup DH Series turned west to popular Panorama Mountain Resort for a rainy stop No. 3, where Georgia Astle (BC, Independent) schooled fellow top Elite women Vaea Verbeeck (BC, Rocky Mountain/Hope Tech) and Claire Buchar (BC, Kovarik Racing) with a blistering time of 3:57.9.

A storming Kirk McDowall (BC, Dunbar Cycles) nailed his run to log the fastest time of the day, 3:18.6. A 50-strong field of Elite men meant serious competition for the podium, as Forrest Riesco (BC, Intense/Fox/RaceFace/ www.pedalmag.com

cialized) belted out the fastest run in a time of 2:43.35. Second and third place went to fellow countrymen Jack Moir (AUS, Intense Factory Racing) and Mick Hannah (AUS, Polygon UR) respectively. Mark Wallace (BC, Devinci Global Racing) was the top Canuck in eighth.

Canada Cup MTB Update 2016 Results DH Overall standings after four events Elite Men 1. Hugo Langevin (QC, Cycles Performance) 477 points; 2. Sidney Slotegraaf (BC, Transition/Dunbar/OneUp/9.8 Components) 453; 3. Adam Robbins (ON, ESC North America/POC) 378; 4. Benjamin Després-Morin (QC, Roost Racing/Sports Aux Puces) 317; 5. Anthony Evans (BC, Sovereign Cycle) 311; Elite Women 1. Skye Follas (ON, Équipe Laferte/Trou du Diable) 375 points; 2. Stephanie Denroche (BC, Norco/C4/RaceFace) 365; 3. Georgia Astle (BC, Independent) 330; 4. Nicole Sculsby (BC, Independent) 330; 5. Vaea Verbeeck (BC, Rocky Mountain/Hope Tech) 310.

XC Overall standings after six events Elite Men 1. Andrew L’Esperance (NS, Norco Factory Team) 865; 2. Evan McNeely (ON, Norco Factory Team) 865; 3. Evan Guthrie (BC, Norco Factory Team) 790; 4.

Peter Disera (ON, Norco Factory Team) 695; 5. Derek Zandstra (ON, Scott-3 Rox Racing) 505; Elite Women 1. Haley Smith (ON, Norco Factory Team) 390 points; 2. Cindy Montambault (QC, Trek GPL) 390; 3. Emily Batty (ON, Trek Factory Racing) 575; 4.

Jena Greaster (USA, Women’s Pedal Project) 560; 5. Sandra Walter (BC, Liv Cycling Canada) 505; Junior Men 1. Quinton Disera (ON, Team Ontario/Angry Johnny’s p/b Norco & Garneau) 400 points; 2. Felix Longpré (QC, Club Cycliste MSA) 325; 3. Sean Fincham (BC, Cycling BC) 320; Junior Women 1. Emily Handford (BC, Rocky Mountain) 400 points; 2. Sophianne Samson (QC, CVM Sigma Assurances) 340; 3. Juliette Tétreault (QC, Équipe du Québec/Skinouk-VDM) 255.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 67

COMPETITION | BY SANDRA WALTER

Peter Kraiker

MTB

UCI MTB World Cup Canadians on the Podium

(above) Canada’s Léandre Bouchard earned a career-best 18th in Lenzerheide. (left to right) Julien Absalon (Fra) wins at MSA; Women’s series leader Annika Langvad (Den); Reigning XCO champ Derek Zandstra was the top Canuck at MSA.

he World Cup series resumed in lovely Lenzerheide, Switzerland on July 9-10 for Round Four of the XCO circuit and DH stop Round Five.

Pleasant weather treated racers to the full beauty of the Swiss Alps as they pushed the limits of bikes and bodies before taking up the pursuit of the World Cup leader’s jersey in legendary Mont-Ste-Anne, Que., in Canada on Aug. 6-7, the last stop before Rio. XCO #4 – Lenzerheide, Switzerland – July 10

Lenzerheide’s fun 4.4-km track at the base of the Rothorn gondola featured punchy climbs, lots of roots and rollercoaster descents amidst fields of alpine flowers and forests. The day belonged to Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds (SWE, Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team) as she stormed to her first Elite women’s victory, more than a minute ahead of series leader Annika Langvad (DEN, Specialized Racing). Catharine Pendrel (CAN, Luna Pro Team) powered to the best Canadian result in eighth after a series of crashes took her out of podium contention. “Frustrating,” said Pendrel of her mistakes, “but the form is there.” Meanwhile, Emily Batty (CAN, Trek Factory Racing XC) battled back to ninth from a first-lap flat tire.

Nino Schurter (SUI, Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team) gave Swiss fans something to cheer about when he secured the Elite men’s win 27 seconds ahead of archrival Julien Absalon (FRA, BMC Mountainbike Racing Team).

Canada’s Léandre Bouchard (CAN, Team Canada) had stellar legs on the day, delivering him to a career-best 18th-place finish. He had climbed as high as 13th before a puncture set him back on the final lap. “I lost a few spots, but I’m still really happy about how strong I rode, and it was my best finish position ever in a World Cup!” he said.

World Cup leader Sina Frei (SUI, Jb Brunex Felt Team) used her home-turf advantage to charge to the top of the U23 women’s podium, followed by Kate Courtney (USA, Specialized Racing) in second. No Canadians competed.

In the U23 men’s competition, Frenchman Titouan Carod (FRA, Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret) crushed his closest competitor, Simon Andreassen (DEN, Specialized Racing), by more than two minutes. Canada’s Alexandre Vialle (CAN, Specialized Canada) was the sole Canadian in the race, finishing 58th.

XCO #5 – Mont-Ste-Anne, Que., Canada – Aug. 7

Velirium, one last test of the legs for the Rio-2016-bound, was a huge success for Canadians, with Pendrel leading the way to capture a record fourth 68 PEDAL FALL 2016

Peter Kraiker

Peter Kraiker

T

Peter Kraiker

(opposite top) MSA Elite women’s XCO podium (l-r): Langvad 4th, Dahle Flesjaa 2nd, Pendrel 1st, Batty 3rd, Nash 5th (opposite below) Canada’s Finnley Iles (l) leads the junior men’s DH Series; Canadian Miranda Miller squeaked onto the Elite women’s DH podium at MSA.

victory at Mont-Ste-Anne in the Elite women’s competition. The only thing that made it better was fellow Canuck Batty’s podium, with a fantastic thirdplace ride, proving that the two Olympians were in top form going into the biggest race in four years. Langvad held on to her series lead, while Pendrel climbed into second overall.

Elite men’s World Cup leader Schurter skipped the Quebec event as part of his Rio-2016 prep, so Absalon took full advantage, snatching the win and moving into the series lead on the intensely steep and technical course.

Freshly crowned Canadian champion Derek Zandstra (CAN, Scott-3 Rox Racing) was the fastest Canuck of the day, finishing 32nd.

Frei kept up her winning streak at Mont-Ste-Anne to take the “W” in the U23 women’s category and maintain her top spot in the series rankings.

Catherine Fleury (CAN, Cyclone d’Alma) showed she’s back on track after a sprained ankle that sidelined her earlier in the season. The top Canuck finished seventh and rebounded to eighth in the overall.

Carod continued his domination of the U23 men’s field, and extended his overall lead as he won with more than two minutes to spare over his nearest chaser, teammate Antoine Bouqueret (FRA, Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret).

Peter Disera (CAN, Norco Factory Team), the speediest Canadian, had an awesome ride, finishing 14th.

DH DH #5 – Lenzerheide, Switzerland – July 9

The Queen of DH, Rachel Atherton (GBR, Trek Factory Racing DH), continued her reign in Lenzerheide. Atherton has dominated every women’s World Cup this season, but this was the first time it was actually close, with second-place Tahnee Seagrave (GBR, Transition Factory Racing/FMD) trailing by only seven-tenths of a second. Vaea Verbeeck (CAN, Rocky Mountain) was the only Canuck, finishing 16th. Another win adds to Atherton’s massive series points total of 1,220. The top Canadian in the series, Miranda Miller (CAN, Specialized Gravity p/b SRAM) sits in 16th.

The Elite men’s race saw the return of 2011 World champion Danny Hart (GBR, MS Mondraker Team) to the pinnacle of the sport after a long drought.

He bested top-gun Aaron Gwin (USA, The YT Mob) by less than a tenth of a second on the tricky, turny track after also logging the fastest qualifier.

Canadian Mark Wallace (CAN, Devinci Global Racing) finished 34th. Gwin still leads the series with 976 points over Hart’s 768, while Wallace is the best-ranked Canadian in 25th overall. www.pedalmag.com

Peter Kraiker

Meanwhile, Canada’s youngsters showed promise as Finnley Iles nabbed another junior men’s victory and fellow Canuck Magnus Manson (CAN, Team Canada) landed in the top 10 with eighth place. Iles leads the overall standings with 220 points.

DH #6 – Mont-Ste-Anne, Que., Canada – Aug. 6

It was no surprise when Atherton (GBR, Trek Factory Racing DH) won yet another World Cup, her 12th consecutive victory. After a close call in Lenzerheide, Atherton was back with a vengeance, dusting second-place Tracey Hannah (AUS, Polygon UR) by 11 seconds. Canada’s Miller squeaked onto the podium, blasting out a fifth-place time, while fellow Canuck Georgia Astle (CAN) also had a strong run to finish seventh.

In the Elite men’s ranks, Hart shook up the field, winning his second race in a row, proving that his top run in Lenzerheide was just the beginning of a new trend. Gwin was forced to settle for second again, this time by more than six-tenths of second. Wallace was the best-ranked Canadian in 25th. Gwin continues to lead the series standings, but Hart’s points total is creeping closer.

Iles earned another podium in the junior men’s contest, but it would be silver by the narrowest of margins for the young Canuck. Less than onetenth of a second decided that Gaetan Vige (FRA, Commencal/Vallnord) was the victor, but the Canadian’s series lead remained safe. Fellow countryman Manson had a great showing, finishing fourth. www.pedalmag.com

Peter Kraiker

Fraser britton

2016 UCI MTB World Cup XCO Overall standings after five events Elite Men 1. Julien Absalon (FRA, BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) 1,060 points; 2. Nino Schurter (SUI, Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team) 900; 3. Maxime Marotte (FRA, BH-SR Suntour-KMC) 798; Canadians 28. Léandre Bouchard (CAN, Cyclone d’Alma) 234; 33. Raphael Gagné (CAN, Cannondale 360fly p/b Sugoi) 196; 36. Derek Zandstra (CAN, Scott-3 Rox Racing) 188; 62. Evan Guthrie (CAN, Norco Factory Team) 47; 68. Geoff Kabush (CAN, Scott-3 Rox Racing) 34; 72. Jeremy Martin (CAN, Focus Bikes-iWill Cycling Team) 28; 73. Evan McNeely (CAN, Norco Factory Team) 28; 79. Andrew L’Esperance (CAN, Norco Factory Team) 25; 84. Davis Ross (CAN, AWI Racing) 21; Elite Women 1. Annika Langvad (DEN, Specialized Racing) 926 points; 2.

Catharine Pendrel (CAN, Luna Pro Team) 870; 3. Katerina Nash (CZE, Luna Pro Team) 630; Other Canadians 4. Emily Batty (CAN, Trek Factory Racing XC) 625; 32. Sandra Walter (CAN, Liv Cycling Canada) 211; 49. Haley Smith (CAN, Norco Factory Team) 93; 51. Cindy Montambault (CAN, Trek-GPL) 87; 58. Rebecca Beaumont (CAN, Cyclone d’Alma) 75; 67. Elyse Nieuwold (CAN) 38; 72. Heather Gray (CAN) 29; U23 Men 1. Titouan Carod (FRA, Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret) 400 points; 2. Samuel Gaze (NZL, Specialized Racing) 300; 3. Roman Seigle (FRA, Focus Rotor G-Skin Racing Team) 181; Canadians 30.

Peter Disera (CAN, Norco Factory Team) 23; 49. Marc-Andre Fortier (CAN, Team Canada) 5; U23 Women 1. Sina Frei (SUI, jb Brunex Felt Team) 360 points; 2. Kate Courtney (USA, Specialized Racing) 290; 3. Anne Tauber (NED, Habitat Mountainbike Team) 250; Canadians 8. Catherine Fleury (CAN, Cyclone d’Alma) 100; 21. Frederique Trudel (CAN, Specialized Canada) 35; 27. Amelie Simard (CAN) 24; 29. Soren Meeuwisse (CAN, Trek Canada) 23; 32. Anne-Julie Tremblay (CAN, Cyclone d’Alma) 20.

DH Overall standings after six events Elite Men 1. Aaron Gwin (USA, The YT Mob) 1,186 points; 2. Danny Hart (GBR, MS Mondraker Team) 1,008; 3. Troy Brosnan (AUS, Specialized Racing) 920; Canadians 24. Mark Wallace (CAN, Devinci Global Racing) 318; 41. Steve Smith (CAN, Devinci Global Racing) 207; 74. Forrest Riesco (CAN, OGC/Intense/Fox) 97; 127. Max Scharf (CAN, Skookum Cycle and Ski Ltd.) 13; 135. Hugo Langevin (CAN) 10; Elite Women 1. Rachel Atherton (GBR, Trek Factory Racing DH) 1,470 points; 2. Manon Carpenter (GBR, Madison Saracen Factory Team) 990; 3. Tracey Hannah (AUS, Polygon UR) 930; Canadians 11. Miranda Miller (CAN, Specialized Gravity p/b SRAM) 305; 18. Georgia Astle (CAN) 94; 20. Vaea Verbeeck (CAN, Rocky Mountain) 85; 43. Nicole Soulsby (CAN) 5; 44. Jaime Hill (CAN) 5; Junior Men 1. Finnley Iles (CAN, Specialized Gravity p/b SRAM) 220 points; 2. Gaetan Vige (FRA, Commencal/Vallnord) 165; 3. Matt Walker (GBR, Madison Saracen Factory Team) 120; Other Canadians 19. Magnus Manson (CAN, Team Canada) 14; 29. Henry Fitzgerald (CAN, Steve Peat Syndicate/Uberbike Global) 5; 30.

Adam Robbins (CAN, Eastern States Cup North American Downhill Team) 4.

FALL 2016 PEDAL 69

By WILLIAM HUMBEr

Back Pedaling

I

t will challenge the historians of sports to make sense of the real story about their respective competitions. Nothing will better puzzle latter-day storytellers than cycling, in which the viewer of the day saw Lance Armstrong drink champagne on the ride into Paris and accept the plaudits of victory in the Tour de France between 1999 and 2005 inclusive, only to have his seven triumphs erased from the record several years later with his grudging admission of using performance-enhancing substances.

Now don’t misinterpret me – I’m not suggest-

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HighPeakscyclery.com 70 PEDAL FALL 2016

ing that the wins of those who cheated against the rules of the day should have their behaviour overlooked, I’m just troubled by the nature of my enthusiasm at the time of victory. Nor is Armstrong’s fate the only example of such sporting misadventure, with the excitement of one day being overthrown by later revelations.

Canadians experienced this mighty dilemma (having lived for a weekend with the glee that their country’s man was a gold-medal winner at Seoul, South Korea’s Summer Olympics) in seeing Ben Johnson’s victory wiped away a few days later. To add to the ignominy of this famed “dirtiest race ever,” we now know that a majority of runners in that 100-metre competition were guilty of similar crimes to Johnson’s, either before or after those Games. Not that anyone is suggesting that Carl Lewis return the gold medal to Ben! The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) took away 111 football wins achieved

by Penn State between 1998 and 2011 because of that college’s despicable inability to deal with internal knowledge about child abuse by one of their coaches, but then gave them back. Now it appears their knowledge and lack of action are even deeper than originally thought, and possibly even more wins are in jeopardy. So, again, I come back to the place of the fan who left the stadium having seen his team win, only to see that victory abolished, reinstated and then possibly subject to further consideration.

Some crimes, however, evolve with the times.

Jim Thorpe, the great multi-sport Native American sport hero of the 1912 Olympics, had his two gold medals taken away after it was revealed some time after the Games in Sweden that he’d received a paltry sum for playing a baseball game in the months before those Games. Long after his death, the International Olympic Committee had a second thought on the matter and reinstated his honours.

But back to the use of performance-enhancing substances. Strychnine was an early performance-enhancing drug, almost certainly used by the winner of the 1904 Olympic marathon and the drug of choice for long-distance cyclists. As described, it . . . “causes the neurotransmitters to fire even when there is a low level of stimulus.

The constantly firing nerves cause people to get a rush of nervous energy, during which they feel the need to move and pace.” It also leads to convulsions and asphyxia.

cor vos

The Cycling Spectator’s Historic Dilemma

Tragically, the use of such stimulants took Lance Armstrong had his seven TdF triumphs erased many lives in the ear- from the record for using ly days of cycling and performance-enhancing may have played a role substances. in events leading up to the last ride of Britain’s brilliant Tommy Simpson one year after England had won that country’s only soccer World Cup in 1966. Perhaps it was his wish to continue Britain’s world-ranking sporting acclaim.

Alan Ramsbottom told Simpson’s biographer, “Tom went on the 1967 Tour de France with one suitcase for his kit and another with his stuff, drugs and recovery things,” which was confirmed by Simpson’s roommate Colin Lewis. Ramsbottom added, “Tom took a lot of chances. He took a lot of it [drugs]. I remember him taking a course of strychnine to build up to some big event. He showed me the box, and had to take one every few days.”

It was, however, probably a combination of other drugs that led to his death on Mont Ventoux. It was an era in which drug testing was not followed, but it was almost assumed that such resources were essential if one was to compete. It begs the question of how many winners were silent users of what today would be considered illegal.

Of course, some get caught and disqualified, others, such as Armstrong, have the penalty imposed on them after the fact, while some skirt attention and may even live with a victory tainted by a guilt known only to them and their followers. And our challenge as spectators is to make sense of what it is we are watching. www.pedalmag.com

BY ALEX STIEDA

Sportif Stieda

I

’ve seen it happen in many sports as my kids grew up. Kids love their sport and want to excel. Parents want their kids to be their best. So why not do more of the same sport to improve their chances of success? Sounds reasonable, right? After all, it’s all about making the rep or Provincial team before you’re 14 so you’ll be noticed at the National level – think about Penny Oleksiak, our Canadian hero at the Rio Olympics. Just 16 years old and the winner of four medals, including a tie for gold and an Olympic record.

I have no doubt that she was in the pool twice a day for four to six days a week for quite a few years. So far, this looks to be a success. However, who remembers U.S.-Canadian swimming phenom Missy Franklin from the 2012 Olympics, winner of five medals? Then 17, now 21, she was on the podium only once at this year’s Games as a relay-heat member.

Turning to cycling, I’d pose a question. How many Junior World cycling champions have gone on to successful cycling careers? Not many. I’d say that the only saving grace that cycling has is that when juniors train and race on the track with restricted gears, it builds a perfect physiological base to become a fast road rider as they mature into adulthood. The best example is that of Australia and Britain. These countries have focused their National team efforts to build exceptional track-cycling athletes, both in Endurance and sprint. Consequently, we see many Pros from these countries excelling at the international level as they move to the road.

At any rate, we should step back and determine what goals are set for our young athletes.

I would argue that it’s really about becoming well-rounded human beings, which provides them with the skills to be physically active for their entire lives. What is the best way for these humans to reach their full potential? It doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a full-time Professional cyclist, but earning a spot on an Olympic podium is certainly an admirable and attainable goal. My opinion and that of many others is that they participate in other “compatible sporting activities” during the non-competition time of the year. I introduced a 14-year-old member of our Juventus Junior program to Axel Merckx at the Tour of Alberta last year. Asked about winter-training ideas, the first words out of Merckx’s mouth were “do other sports.” Case closed.

So what would constitute a “compatible sportwww.pedalmag.com

ing activity” to cycling during our Canadian winter?

Let’s ask ourselves what cycling consists of? First and foremost, cyclists require a massive aerobic base to build each and every season on. Essentially, that means workouts that prescribe a heart rate (or wattage) at various work levels for extended periods of time, including adequate recovery periods. Other factors such as diet, hydration, mental relaxation and focus are also very important.

Some sports that would fit the bill would include cross-country skiing (skate or Classic), speed skating (indoor or outdoor) and Skimo. We’ve seen many examples of speed skaters crossing over to cycling and vice versa. Clara Hughes being a recent successful example, but Sylvia Burka and Eric Heiden are just a few who have also done well at both.

But, Skimo? What the heck is that, you may ask?

Skimo is short for Ski Mountaineering. The sport blends the aerobic power of cross-country skiing with the technical challenge of downhill skiing on a prescribed course, usually at an alpine-mountain facility. I’ve recently discovered it, but further research has opened up an entirely new world. The sport has been going strong in Europe for more than 30 years, attracting thousands of participants at events in amazing locations. A personal note: during the Cape Epic MTB stage race in South Africa, I asked the winning Grand Masters team what they did for training in Switzerland and Austria during the winter.

They shrugged and just said, “We ski up and down our mountain every day.”

At our Juventus Junior program, young athletes have come to our racing club from various other sports, including downhill skiing. By the time they are 13 or 14 years old, they already understand the concept of dryland workouts, building their base and preparing for competition.

This winter, we will be introducing some of these youngsters to Skimo. Living in the flatlands of Edmonton, Alta., we have small downhill ski areas in our river valley. Every second Monday, the Edmon-

Malcolm Taylor

Skimo and Youth Development Strategies

ton Ski Club offers us its T-bar run for training – without the lift operating! It’s very rudimentary, but effective. Put skins on your alpine-touring (AT) skis, “skin” up under the T-bar, take your skins off at the top (starting your recovery period), lock your heels and ski down. Take your skis off, apply the skins, skis back on with the heel-lock off and “skin” back up (starting a work period).

Perfect interval training. Oh, and by the way, often these kids know how to ski downhill fast! This makes it even more appealing for them! All they need to do is manage the intensity level during their climbing and workout period. That’s where a local coach comes in to carefully manage the intensity and recovery periods to control overtraining.

In Canada, Skimo is run by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). Contact your local ACC representative at www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/athletics/ski-mountaineering/ to become involved and change your game!

This winter, the Juventus Junior program will introduce some of the youngsters to Skimo, short for Ski Mountaineering, for off-season interval training.

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W I K E WALK AND BIKE FALL 2016 PEDAL 71

BY Curt Harnett

Last Word

M

uch has been said, much has been written and the debate will live on – was Rio 2016 a success? Well, it always depends on who you ask and what spin they are putting on it. Here’s mine.

The International Olympic Committee did it again – made a controversial decision by awarding the Olympic Games to a host country where controversy is its middle name. Perhaps, though, when you get down to brass tacks, what country doesn’t have its own controversy? Well, to find that out, all you have to do is award it the right to host the Olympic Games and let the world’s media and special-interest groups have at it. They’ll find the cracks in the façade.

Security. Zika. Budget. Government collapse. Will they be ready? Will anyone show up? I am sure that you remember those storylines. In most cases, they are similar to those we heard about the Games before these.

And before those. And so on, and so on.

Brazilians are a proud bunch – a proud bunch who are wrestling with one of the greatest recessions that they have ever faced. They put on a brave face when the world showed up with their white gloves on. And, Rio, as we all heard, had a lot of dust on its mantle.

There is no doubt the 2016 Olympic Games had its flaws. But in a humble “this is who we are” sort of way, the people of Rio wore it as a badge of honour. They were truly excited to host the world and they went out of their way to be hospitable. And they showed up in droves. And all the issues? Well, they would all work themselves out.

You remember the Zika virus, the mosquito-born disease that the media built into a sign of the pending Apocalypse? You know how many confirmed cases there were from the Rio Olympic Games? According to a study released by the World Health Organization, there were zero cases. Zilch.

Nada. Nenhum. You read that right – none. Now I am not saying that it was not a concern – microcephaly is a serious congenital disorder – but do you not think that the media’s coverage went a bit overboard? I do. What it did 72 PEDAL FALL 2016

Canadian Olympic Committee

Thank you Rio

do was give some (not all) athletes a scapegoat to withdraw from the Olympic Games to cover up their shoddy form. But I digress.

What Rio did very well was ensure that the athletes, all 10,900 from more than 205 countries, had access to world-class facilities and comfortable living conditions. Sure, you could see where budget constraints had their impact – a lot of “out-of-camera-shot” facility overlay was missing – but, in most cases, the field of play and village were first-class.

And Canada’s athletes performed.

Going into the Games, the Canadian Olympic Committee targeted a top12 finish in the medal standings with a projection of 19 medals being the number of medals needed to achieve that target. The result? Not only did Team Canada achieve a top-10 finish in the medal standings with 22 medals (four gold, three silver and 15 bronze), it also achieved a record 45 topfive finishes and more than 70 top-eight finishes! This was a historic performance by Team Canada at the Olympic Games.

Much has been written about the reason behind that success: a targeted approach to the investment made in sports and athletes, the wave that was created from Team Canada’s performance at the 2015 Pan Am Games held in Toronto, Ont. and the fact that the Russians were banned from competing in many events.

A review of the Canadian sport policy will soon be underway. It is a fact that the system isn’t perfect, but then again, I think that perfection will never be achieved. Somebody or something will always fall through a crack. An effective sport policy will constantly require review and revision, but I think it would be hard to argue that it is flawed. If you do, you’d have a hard time convincing the 1.87 million people who tuned in (on average) every night during the Olympic broadcast on CBC of this. Just saying.

I guess it all depends on how you want to spin it.

Rio 2016 delivered and Team Canada athletes achieved a historic Olympic performance.

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