“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Canadian Road Championships back to Western Canada. Last held in 2010, we know that Edmonton will deliver some challenging and exciting courses for our athletes which will no doubt put the spotlight on some great performances,” said Jolène Dupuis, Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager. “The organizers are encouraging the larger cycling community to participate by including an Urban Gran Fondo during the Championship weekend that is open to riders of all ages. Creating opportunities like this for the community is a great example of what Cycling Canada is working to promote and achieve through its events.”
Saturday and Sunday will see the Road Race titles awarded, where riders will be completing a 14.4-kilometer loop around the city of Edmonton, with the race starting and finishing in front of the Alberta Legislature Building. Eight different para-cycling categories will kick off the competitions on Saturday, completing between 28.8 and 72 kilometers, followed by Junior women (73 km) and men (116.8 km) in the afternoon. On Sunday, the U23 and Elite fields will compete together, with the women racing 116.8 kilometers, while the men will tackle 11 loops of the course for a total of 160.6 kilometers.
The event will conclude on Monday with the fast-paced Criterium races for Junior, U23 and Elite athletes, taking place in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona district with an exciting Whyte Avenue finish. Junior athletes will be competing for 30 to 45 minutes in the early afternoon, while Elite races will be held in the evening for a total of one hour each.
All age groups are expected to be highly competitive, with prominent athletes such as double 2021 national champion Alison Jackson (Liv Racing-Xstra), 2021 U23 champion Ruby West (Jukebox Cycling) and Olympians Derek Gee (Israel Cycling Academy), Michael Foley (X-Speed United) and Ariane Bonhomme set to compete. With the men’s title up for grabs, Human Powered Health’s Pier-André Côté should be a strong contender, as well as 2017 Canadian champion Matteo Dal-Cin (Toronto Hustle) and Benjamin Perry (WiV SunGod). Select U23 riders might mix up the cards as well, including 2021 Canadian champion Carson Miles (Premier Tech U23 Cycling Project) and recent Giro Giovani stage winner Riley Pickrell (Israel Cycling Academy), to name only a few.
The women’s competitions are expected to be as fierce as Jackson will be looking to defend her titles against athletes such as Marie-Soleil Blais (Team Farto – BTC), Pan American Games medallist Maggie Coles-Lyster (DNA Pro Cycling) and former Junior national champion Simone Boilard (St Michel – Auber93 WE). On the para-cycling side, Paralympians Marie-Ève Croteau, Charles Moreau, Joey Desjardins, Marie-Claude Molnar, Keely Shaw and Shelley Gautier will be onsite and looking to add 2022 Canadian champion to their long list of accomplishments.
Full event information can be found here, while results will be uploaded here during the week. Media requiring an accreditation to the event are asked to fill out the registration form before Monday, June 20.
Source: Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is one of the oldest national sport organizations in Canada and has one simple purpose: to inspire Canadians to cycle. Cycling Canada administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country, hosts national and international events and manages the National Team in all levels of international competition.