The 2017 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships took place on Saturday, October 28 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where nearly 400 riders from across Canada competed for national titles in the Junior, Under-23, Elite and Masters categories.
BC’s Michael van den Ham (Garneau – Easton p/b Transitions Lifecare) won the Elite men’s race followed closely by fellow BC rider, Geoff Kabush (Scott Sports – Maxxis), in second place and Alberta’s Mark McConnell (Hot Sauce Cycling) in third. Quebec racer and Rio Olympian, Raphael Gagne (Cannondale 3Rox Racing), along with another BC rider, Craig Richey (Garneau – Easton p/b Transitio), came within one second of each other for the fourth and fifth spots. BC definitely had a strong showing at this year’s national championships owning three of the top five spots in the Elite men’s category.
“It feels amazing,” said van den Ham. “I’ve gone into the last three Nationals ranked Number One, so, to be honest, this feels like a weight off my back. It feels good to finally get the maple leaf jersey; I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time. I didn’t have a great start, so I decided to sit tight for a lap or two and follow the front group. I could see Mark [McConnell] was starting to make mistakes, and I could ride the run up, that was my secret weapon. I got five seconds and then just rode it steady.”
The Elite women’s race was won by Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (SAS Macogep Aquisio) of Quebec who beat out defending champion Maghalie Rochette (Clif Pro Team) also from Quebec. Mical Dyck (Naked Factory Racing) of B.C. took the bronze medal.
Click here for the 2017 Canadian Cyclocross Championships full results (PDF).
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.
