Team Canada added a silver and a bronze medal to their tally on the final day of the Pan American Track Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico. In the women’s Keirin, Lauriane Genest won silver and Amelia Walsh bronze, to bring Canada’s five day medal total to seven – two gold, two silver and three bronze. The team also set four Canadian records during the event.
Vancouver, BC’s Steph Roorda won a silver medal in the women’s Madison alongside Allison Beveridge from Calgary, Alberta. BC’s other riders, Maggie Coles-Lyster finished 13th in the women’s 500 metre time trial and Aidan Caves finished ninth overall in the men’s Omnium, after winning the first of four events. Coles-Lyster finished 4th overall in the women’s Points race and was also part of the Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit, along with fellow BC rider, Erin Attwell of Victoria, that won a bronze medal.
“Our results here in Aguascalientes help set us up for the World Cup season,” said Kris Westwood, High Performance Director at Cycling Canada. “Hugo [Barrette] in particular really needed a strong kickoff to Olympic qualifying, and he delivered [two gold medals]. We also saw four new Canadian records, which shows our athletes are progressing, and it was great to give some of our development athletes a shot at this level. I really want to thank our staff for stepping up in the wake of Stefan’s [Ritter] crash. He’s flying back to Edmonton on Tuesday and we’re hopeful he will recover quickly.”
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. With the vision of becoming a leading competitive cycling nation, 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, lululemon, 4iiii, Argon18 and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.