Cycling Canada has selected a team of 16 athletes to represent Canada at the fifth round of the Track World Cup, to take place in Cambridge, New Zealand on January 18-20. Nine riders will compete on the following weekend in Hong Kong, China, at the final round of the World Cup.
The Cambridge World Cup team will include members of Canada’s Elite squad for both Sprint and Endurance events, as they prepare for the Track World Championships at the end of February, and collect valuable Olympic qualifying points.
Hugo Barrette, who won a silver medal in the men’s Keirin at Round 2 of the World Cup, leads the Sprint squad. The women’s endurance team includes two members of the 2016 Olympic bronze medal Team Pursuit squad – Allison Beveridge and Georgia Simmerling. The men’s endurance team includes Derek Gee, who has finished in the top-10 twice in Omnium this season at World Cups.
“As one of the last two World Cups of the season, the Cambridge World Cup forms a critical part of World Championship and Olympic qualifying,” said Jono Hailstone, Men’s Track Endurance coach. “Cycling Canada is sending a strong contingent and will be looking to take advantage of a slightly weaker field outside of Europe to put some top results on the board. Travelling to the Southern Hemisphere also provides the opportunity to log some training hours in a warm environment, which will greatly assist our preparation for the World Championships at the end of February.”
The Hong Kong event, to be held January 25-27, will offer a final opportunity for Barrette to gain points before the world championships and is the site of his first World Cup silver medal in 2016. Aidan Caves will be the only men’s endurance athlete attending, as he looks to ensure Canada qualifies for the Omnium at the world championships. The women’s endurance team will consist of NextGen athletes as part of the development program.
“I am really excited to see what the NextGen group can do in Hong Kong,” said Jenny Trew, Women’s NextGen coach. “Last year in Minsk the development team put together a fantastic ride in the Team Pursuit. We are early in the preparation camp, but I look forward to seeing how they can push each other over the next month to pull together a strong team performance.”
World Cup #5 – Cambridge, New Zealand
Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles de la Madeleine, QC [Sprint, Keirin]
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, ON [Team Sprint, Sprint (Keirin reserve)]
Lauriane Genest – Levis, QC [Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin]
Nick Wammes (P2M trade team) – Bothwell, ON [Sprint, Keirin]
Men’s Endurance
Derek Gee – Ottawa, ON [Team Pursuit]
Adam Jamieson – Barrie, ON [Team Pursuit]
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit (and Omnium reserve)]
Michael Foley – Milton, ON [Omnium]
Jay Lamoureux – Victoria, BC [Team Pursuit]
Vincent De Haitre – Ottawa, ON [Team Pursuit]
Women’s Endurance
Allison Beveridge – Calgary, AB [Omnium, Madison, Team Pursuit]
Steph Roorda – Vancouver, BC [Madison (Omnium reserve)]
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton, AB [Team Pursuit (Madison reserve)]
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, QC [Team Pursuit]
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, ON [Team Pursuit]
Georgia Simmerling – Vancouver, BC [Team Pursuit]
World Cup # 6 – Hong Kong, China
Sprint
Hugo Barrette – Iles de la Madeleine, QC [Sprint, Keirin]
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, ON [Team Sprint, Sprint (Keirin reserve)]
Kelsey Mitchell – Edmonton, AB [Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin]
Men’s Endurance
Aidan Caves – Vancouver, BC [Omnium (Reserve: Michael Foley)]
Women’s Endurance
A team of five NextGen riders will be selected at a later date to compete in Team Pursuit, Omnium, Scratch and Madison.
Source: Cycling Canada
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.