Ottawa, ON (Feb. 3, 2025) – Canada showed its strength at the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 in Liévin, FRA, with a bronze medal, a top-5 and several top-20 results.
After winning the overall title at the Junior Women’s UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup, Lac-Beauport, QC native Rafaëlle Carrier finished the race in third place, taking bronze just one minute and 43 seconds behind winner Lise Revol of France and her time of 45:25m. Czech athlete Barbara Bukovskà (+11s) took silver.
Isabella Holmgren, from Orillia, ON, shone in the U23 women’s race, finishing in fifth place, two minutes 17 seconds behind the race leader, British Zoé Backstedt (45:42m), who was defending her title in the category. Marie Schreiber (+39s), from Luxembourg, and Leonie Bentveld (+1:20m), from the Netherlands, took second and third places.
Both athletes had been in action earlier in the week, taking part in the team relay on Jan.31 alongside Maxime St-Onge, Ian Ackert, Tyler Clark and Sidney McGill, where they finished seventh, one minute, 24 seconds behind Great Britain. Italy (+2s) and France (+5s) took silver and bronze respectively.
“I’ve been around the sport for a while a now,” said Michael Van den Ham, National Team Coach. “A decade ago, I could not have imagined the success we had at this year’s World Championships. A podium, a top-5 and multiple top-20s across multiple categories and from riders in different parts of the country is nothing but a success an something I’m excited to see build on moving forward.”
Athletes represented the country over the weekend, with six reaching the top-20. Émilien Belzile (junior men – 11th), Ian Ackert (U23 men – 16th), Sidney McGill (elite women – 16th) and Tyler Clark (elite men – 38th) were the top performers in their respective categories.
Full results from the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships can be found here.
– 30 –
Women Junior
- 3 – Rafaelle Carrier – Lac-Beauport, QC
- 13 – Nico Knoll – Calgary, AB
- 36 – Lily-Rose Marois – Lac-Beauport, QC
- 39 – Maya Tassé – Mendham, NJ
- DNS – Aislin Hallahan – Peterborough, ON
Men Junior
- 11 – Emilien Belzile – Sherbrooke, QC
- 39 – Farland Lamont – Midland, ON
- 40 – Tristan Taillefer – Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
- 42 – Sagan Goertz – Waterloo, ON
- 54 – Monty Rigby – Vancouver, BC
Women U23
- 5 – Isabella Holmgren – Orillia, ON
- 39 – Marie-Fay St-Onge – St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
- 40 – Mia De Martin – Saint-Colomban, QC
- 41 – Dorothée Perron – Gatineau, QC
Men U23
- 16 – Ian Ackert – Severn, ON
- 27 – Maxime St Onge – St-Denis-de-Brompton, QC
- 43 – Alexander Woodford – Ottawa, ON
Women Elite
- 16 – Sidney McGill – Edmonton, AB (16)
- 33 – Christiane Bilodeau – St. Albert, AB
- DNS – Katelyn Walcroft – Collingwood, ON
Men Elite
- 38 – Tyler Clark – Mono, ON
- 41 – Cody Scott – Courtenay, BC
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