One week after the opening rounds of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Papendal, Netherlands, Team Canada took part in Rounds 3 and 4 in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, was again Canada’s top performer, finishing fifth in Elite Men in both events.
The BMX World Cups have introduced a new format for 2017, with two events held on consecutive days in one location. Nyhaug, the 2015 Pan Am Games Champion who finished fifth at the Rio Olympics, made the Final in both races, finishing fifth each time. Nyhaug is the only rider to make the Final for Elite Men in all four World Cups this season, and sits third overall in the standings. Both Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, and James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, made the one-sixteenth round in Round 3, with Palmer making the quarter-finals on Sunday in Round 4. Palmer is 31st in the overall standings after four rounds.
“It was an exhausting weekend, but I’m happy that I made the Main and the top-5 both days,” said Nyhaug. “This sets me up well in the standings for the World Cup Finals in Argentina.”
In the Elite Women’s competition, Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, made the quarter-finals in Round 3 and the semi-finals in Round 4. Mechielsen has moved up to 19th overall in the standings after four rounds.
“I wasn’t getting the best starts,” explained Mechielsen, “but I’m really happy with my riding and my jumping, and I was really battling so that I could make the semi-final.”
Adam Muys, Project Manager and BMX NextGen Coach – West, summarized the two weekends of competition, saying, “I’m really happy with how the project went. We got some good results and, moving forward with the program, what we have worked on over the winter seems to be coming together.”
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.