2018 GLOBAL RELAY CANADIAN ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS P/B QUEBECOR OPEN ON THURSDAY

Cycling Canada – Saguenay, Quebec, June 20, 2018 – The 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Quebecor for Para, Junior, Under-23 and Elite riders will begin on Thursday in the beautiful Saguenay region of Quebec. Athletes have traveled from all over Canada and around the world to compete in the Time Trial, Road Race and Criterium events for the maple jersey awarded to the winners in each category.

First up will be the Individual Time Trial, with riders racing against the clock on a rolling course north of Chicoutimi, over distances ranging from 11.02 kilometres to 37.2 kilometres. Among the riders to watch will be Para world champion Shelley Gautier (women’s T1), three-time Elite women’s Team Time Trial world champion Karol-Ann Canuel and Svein Tuft in the Elite men; Tuft is going for a remarkable 11th national title in his final year of racing before retiring from professional competition.

On Friday, the Para and Junior men and women will compete in their Road Race events, taking place on a 15 kilometre circuit in and around the town of La Baie, completing between two and eight laps, depending on category.

Saturday, will see the Under-23 and Elite categories for women and men compete in their Road Races, with the women completing eight laps (120.8 kilometres) and the men 12 laps (181.2 kilometres).  The women’s field contains tremendous depth, with professional riders entered including Leah Kirchmann (Team Sunweb), Karol-Ann Canuel (Boels Dolman), Kirsti Lay (Rally Cycling), Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling), Alison Jackson (Tibco-SVB) and Annie Foreman-Mackey (The Cyclery).

The men’s race should be a battle between the two North American-based professional teams – Silber Pro Cycling and Rally Cycling – however, European-based professionals Antoine Duchesne (Groupama-FDJ) and Svein Tuft (Michelton Scott) could definitely be a factor.

The Championships conclude on Sunday with the Criterium Challenge, a fast-paced spectator favourite, taking place on a 1.6 kilometre circuit through the streets of Chicoutimi. Junior and Elite (including Under-23) women and men will race for between 30 and 60 minutes, with the finish usually coming down to a high speed mass sprint for the line.
 
About Cycling Canada
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, 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.

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