*Erratum regarding the previous newsletter – Tour de l’Avenir MaKadence was listed as an event this month but has been cancelled due to COVID-19.

A message from Josh Peacock, Director of Marketing and Community Engagement, and Mathieu Boucher, Head of Development and Operations: 

After a fourteen-month hiatus, national calendar competition finally resumed in early July, and cyclists are back in record numbers! Following months of meetings, postponements, and cancellations, our national event calendar has returned, providing a refreshed opportunity for the cycling community to connect in a safe and supported way. The first event on our 2021 calendar was the MTB Canada Cup in Saint-Félicien Qc, followed by the MTB Canada Cup in Sherbrooke the following weekend. Both events had over 500 participants from seven provinces; what a great way to start the 2021 season!  
 
While the quality of racing was impressive during these two events, what stood out was the connection between people and the energy coming from the social interactions after fourteen months of limited interaction.
 
Our event delivery team then headed out west for the BMX Canada Cup event at St. Albert, which was followed by subsequent rounds of Downhill racing at Fernie, Panorama and finally the Canadian Downhill MTB Championships at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
 
On the downhill side, both the Canada Cups in Fernie and Panorama saw all-time record participation with north of 300 participants at each event, with the bulk of participation growth seen in amateur categories. The Canadian Downhill Championships followed this trend, exceeding registration numbers for all recent DH Championships on record. On the BMX side, the first Canada Cup in St. Albert also marked the return of the longstanding Alberta Cup Series with healthy participation across all categories.
 
After an extended pause in national calendar participation, it’s clear that Canadians are excited for a return to competition at all levels, providing us with the opportunity to once again connect with the event participants, organizers, officials and volunteers who make these events happen. While the extended absence of in-person events has presented a wide array of challenges for all stakeholders involved, one thing remains overwhelmingly clear: Canadians have not lost their thirst for competing on two wheels.
 
A lot more domestic racing to come! Check out Cycling Canada events calendar for upcoming races.

CANADIAN CYCLISTS SHINE IN FIRST WEEK OF TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES
The Canadian men’s squad was the first cycling discipline to kick off racing, with Mike Woods sprinting to 5th place in the men’s road race, the second-best men’s Olympic result in Canadian history. Four-time Olympian Catharine Pendrel capped off her final Games in the women’s mountain bike race, making her way to an 18^th place finish only six months after giving birth to her daughter. Over on the BMX track, Drew Mechielsen not only raced in her first Olympic Games, but qualified for the final round to come in 8^th overall. She is the second Canadian woman to make a BMX Olympic final in history.

Racing continues with the track squad at the Izu Velodrome until August 8, and can be streamed live on CBC Olympics. Full race reports can be found on our website.
 
NINE CANADIAN ATHLETES NAMED TO TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC TEAM
Nine para athletes have been selected to represent Canada in track and road events later this month at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The roster includes Rio 2016 Paralympic medallists Tristen Chernove, Charles Moreau, Ross Wilson and Shelley Gautier, as well as world record holder Kate O’Brien. Athletes are set to compete from August 24 to September 5.
 
MONTREAL BIDS TO HOST UCI WORLD ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2026
Événements GPCQM made the exciting announcement that Montreal has bid to host the UCI Road World Championships in 2026. The eight days of racing would bring over 6,000 riders, volunteers and fans from across the world to the city. The official selection will be made by the UCI on September 24, 2021.

RACE FOR MAPLE LEAF JERSEY WRAPS IN BC AT THE CANADIAN DH CHAMPIONSHIPSCanadian championship racing resumed at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort last month with the return of the Canadian Downhill Championships in Golden, British Columbia. The Championship weekend featured over 300 riders across all categories, including adaptive riders as the newest category with Cole Bernier from Kelowna, B.C. taking the win. The Elite and Junior categories saw old and new champions, with Finn Iles, Jackson Goldstone, Casey Brown and Emmy Land winning the coveted maple leaf jersey. 

Olympic Games: Track
August 2-8
Tokyo, Japan

UCI MTB DH World Cup #4
August 14-15
Maribor, Slovakia

Vuelta a Espana
August 14 – September 5
Spain

UCI BMX World Championships
August 17-22
Papendal, Netherlands

Dieppe Canada Cup XCO
August 19-22
Dieppe, NB

Paralympic Games: Track
August 25-27
Tokyo, Japan

UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
August 25-29
Val di Sole, Italy

Canadian BMX Championships & Canada Cup
August 28-29
Calgary, AB

Paralympic Games: Road
August 31-September 2
Tokyo, Japan

We are proud to be part of a dynamic and outstanding cycling community whose many achievements and contributions go beyond performances on the bike. In an effort to recognize some of these many noteworthy achievements, Cycling Canada would like to highlight the following individuals and accomplishments:

• After nearly two years without any domestic competitions, the Canada Cup series for both BMX and mountain bike made its return. The events kicked off in St. Félicien, Sherbrooke and St. Albert, with athletes from across the country racing for the first time on home soil.
• As a way to support our HopOn national grassroots program, nine Common Empire riders braved the elements, riding from Ottawa to Timmins with the goal of raising over $10,000 to help get more kids on bikes. Despite their journey being cut short, the group surpassed their goal and raised a total of $10, 876.
• B.C.’s Leah Goldstein rode 4,800 kilometres in just 11 days as part of the Race Across America to become the first woman in history to ever win the event.
• In a month of milestones, Catharine Pendrel celebrated her 100^th World Cup race in Les Gets, France, before heading to Tokyo to race at her fourth Olympic Games.
• Jackson Goldstone was on the top step of the podium twice last month, first winning the Junior men’s race at the DH World Cup in Les Gets, France. After returning home, he went on to win the maple leaf jersey at the Canadian DH Championships at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in the Junior men’s category.
• Mike Woods saw success in the 14^th stage of the Tour de France to win the acclaimed polka dot jersey, becoming only the second Canadian to do so after Alex Stieda in 1986.
• RBC Training Ground is back for another year to find athletes with future Olympic potential. The program has been successful in finding track stars such as Kelsey Mitchell and Lauriane Genest, as well as many up-and-coming athletes.
• Thanks to the generous donations from our Club 1882 members, Canadian U23 athletes are completing a training block in Europe with stops including l’Étoile d’or, le Tour d’Alsace and le Tour de L’Avenir. Thank you to all of our donors for making this possible!

CYCLING CANADA KITS
Our casual and National Team kits are now available on our online store! Designed to keep you cool during those hot summer rides, the stylish kits are the perfect addition to your cycling wardrobe. Order yours while supplies last on our website.

One of two cycling kits available on Cycling Canada’s online store.
Photo: Jamie Blades

NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH 94 FORWARD
Last month, we announced an exciting new partnership with 94 FORWARD that will help support the long-term development of cycling in the greater Victoria region and across Canada. In line with our strategic plan, the $2 million multi-year collaboration will help fund initiatives to develop a regional Hub in the Victoria Area.
 
MAKE-A-WISH®: RIDE FOR WISHES
Make-A-Wish® Ride for Wishes will host a one week virtual cycling challenge to help raise funds in order to help grant wishes for children with critical illnesses. Rides can be done indoors or outdoors from September 11-18 and individuals van register here.

WOODS LIMITED EDITION GARNEAU SHOE
Mike Woods is helping make the world a little greener and helping get kids on bikes through his newest collaboration with Garneau. Part of the proceeds for every shoe sold will go towards Cycling Canada’s HopOn program, along with offsetting carbon footprints on the sales of the product.

he Shifting Gears blog provides a platform for our staff, athletes, board and community members to write about interesting topics and ideas. Last month, we highlighted the Cycling Canada team who is in Tokyo with our road, mountain bike, BMX and track Olympics cyclists.

If you are passionate about cycling and interested in contributing to the blog, please reply to this email.