A team of eight BMX riders have been representing Canada in Europe over the past three weeks, with the project culminating over the next two weekends with UCI BMX Supercross World Cup competition in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Members of the NextGen squad, under the leadership of National NextGen Coach, Brendan Arnold, have been competing in Germany and the Netherlands at three Nations Cup and European Cup events.
“The trip has been an excellent opportunity for the Canadian NextGen riders to race against the best in the World,” said Arnold. “There is no Under-23 category in BMX so, although the competition is fierce, riders have realized that as soon as the gate drops anything can happen and opportunities must be taken to get themselves in the mix in races; it has been an excellent opportunity for them. Sometimes you learn more in defeat than victory.”
Daina Tuchscherer and Alex Tougas made the Elite Finals at the 3 Nations Cup, while Drew Mechielsen made it to the final round at the Kampen European Cup event. They will be joined by Tory Nyhaug and James Palmer for the World Cup events beginning this weekend in Papendal, Netherlands and continuing the following weekend in Zolder, Belgium.
“The Canadian BMX Team has been in Europe for three weeks,” said Adam Muys, National BMX Coach. “The trip has been a productive one with Alex Tougas, Daina Tuchscherer and Drew Mechielsen making finals at the three Nationals Cup in Germany and the European Cup in the Netherlands. The Canadian riders are excited to race the Papendal World Cup and we are looking for some solid performances this weekend.”
Elite Women
Drew Mechielsen – Langley, BC
Daina Tuchscherer – Chestermere, Alberta
Elite Men
Gaby Malenfant – Drummondville, Quebec
Tory Nyhaug – Coquitlam, BC
James Palmer – North Vancouver, BC
Josh Samells – Milton, Ontario
Alex Tougas – Pitt Meadows, BC
Junior Men
Aidan Weber – Comox, BC
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, Cycling Canada aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic, and World Championship medal performances. With the vision of being a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased national participation and world class event hosting, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country. Cycling Canada programs are made possible through the support of its valued corporate partners – Global Relay, Lexus Canada, Mattamy Homes, Louis Garneau and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.