As summer transitions into fall, the cycling season feels like it’s only just starting to take off. The Road World Championships, which usually mark the end of the road season, were only the beginning for Canadian road athletes who have yet to tackle two Grand Tours and several prominent races including the Classics. As athletes are preparing for their next competitions, mountain bikers are lining up at the first world cup of the season currently taking place in Nove Mesto na Morave, while the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are scheduled to start on October 5th. 

On home soil, athletes across every program are currently training at home or at National Team facilities in preparation for the 2021 season. For cyclists across Canada, this month will be an opportunity to squeeze in some outdoor rides before the weather becomes cooler, darker and damper. As winter approaches, stay tuned for some exciting announcements regarding our winter programming!

Happy riding & stay safe!

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR WOODS
After winning the third stage at Tirreno-Adriatico and leading the GC for several stages, Mike Woods has once again proven he is among the best climbers in the world by finishing third at the Flèche Wallone on Wednesday. Woods is scheduled to race Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.

WOODS TOP CANADIAN AT ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Canada capped off the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy with a strong ride from Mike Woods in the men’s road race, who ultimately finished 12^th after 260 kilometres in the saddle. Over the four days of competition, ten Canadians lined up in the elite women and men’s individual time trials and road races.

27 ATHLETES SELECTED FOR 2020 MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
27 athletes are set to compete for Canada next week at the 2020 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Leogang, Austria. Canadian athletes will be competing in Cross-Country (XCO), Downhill (DH) and E-MTB events over the course of seven days. In the meantime, XCO athletes are competing all week at the Nove Mesto na Morave World Cup, which is available for streaming through Redbull TV.

CYCLING CANADA LAUNCHES 2021 NEXTGEN PROGRAM
Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the launch of its NextGen program for the 2021 season, which is designed to rapidly accelerate the training and development of athletes by exposing them to a world-class training environment under the guidance of expert coaches and staff. The athlete selection process is open to all Canadian riders and will take place in October, with athletes being notified of their selection by the end of the month.

CYCLING CANADA WELCOMES THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Cycling Canada is pleased to announce that Louizandre Dauphin (Markham, ON), Aubrie De Sylva (Toronto, ON) and Shauna Finlay (Edmonton, AB) have been elected as the newest members of the Board of Directors, while mountain bike athlete Andrew L’Esperance also joins the board as its newest Athlete Representative. 

CYCLING CANADA UNVEILS 2021 NATIONAL CALENDAR
Cycling Canada announced a very robust 2021 national calendar, adding some exciting new events to an already substantial list of national and international races on Canadian soil. Events will span from May to November, with the final dates for track and cyclo-cross races confirmed later this year. As always, we will continue to monitor the current situation and will continue to work alongside public health authorities to provide all of the necessary resources to ensure our 2021 events calendar can be conducted in a safe and effective manner. For the full 2021 national events calendar, click here.

CANADIAN CYCLO-CROSS AND TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS CANCELLED
As a result of continuously evolving public health guidelines, Cycling Canada has made the decision, in conjunction with its organizers, to cancel the 2020 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships and Bear Crossing Grand Prix, originally scheduled to take place from November 21-22, as well as the 2020 Canadian Track Championships for all age groups, scheduled to take place from November 26-30. For the full list of cancelled and postponed events, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup XCO #2
October 2-4
Nove Mesto, Czech Republic

Giro d’Italia
October 3-25
Italy

Liege-Bastogne-Liege 
October 4
Belgium

UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
October 5-11
Leogang, Austria

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup DH #1 & #2
October 15-18
Maribor, Slovenia

Tour of Flanders
October 18
Belgium

Paris-Roubaix
October 25
France

La Vuelta a Espana
October 20 – November 8
Spain

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup DH #3 & #4
October 29 – November 1
Lousa, Portugal

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:

• National Coaches Week may be over, but our appreciation for our outstanding coaches isn’t. Thank you to all the coaches at every level of the sport who have a positive impact on the lives of so many athletes.
• With only three weeks to organize the Road World Championships project, Cycling Canada staff and partners across Canada and Europe joined forces to send a team of ten athletes to Italy. Thank you to all who contributed to this project, and to Steve Bauer and Shawn Clark for stepping in as directeur sportifs.
• The Road World for Seniors participants sent in this touching video cheering on our team at the Road World Championships. So far, Canadian participants have tracked more than 16,000 kilometers!
• Emilly Johnston (MTB), Jackson Kinniburgh (Track), and Riley Lavorato (BMX) were selected as recipients of Petro Canada’s Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE) Program, which will provide funding to help them along their development journey. 
• Sharleen Hoar, Catharine Pendrel, Dan Proulx and Tristen Chernove came together to discuss athlete wellness and mental health in our latest webinar. 
• Ed Veal has been riding 250-300 kilometers a day for the past month to raise money for great causes alongside other clubs, teams and individuals. It’s not too late to donate!

We are always looking to recognize outstanding and notable achievements from the Canadian cycling community! If you know of anyone who is deserving of a shout-out, please don’t hesitate to send us an email.

CYCLING CANADA MERCH: NEW T-SHIRTS, SOCKS AND CREWNECKS
With October already here, colder temperatures are right around the corner and it’s time to stock up on warmer clothes. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with new hoodies, socks and crewnecks available on the Cycling Canada shop. Make sure to get yours now!

Today marks one of our favourite days of the year: International Coffee Day! For the occasion, track athletes Vincent de Haitre and Sarah Orban have partnered with Café Barista to offer free coffee for two lucky Instagram followers. If you need to stock up on coffee, make sure to purchase the special Cycling Canada blend, with profits benefiting our athletes and programs.

CYCLING CANADA AND CYCLING BC PARTNER WITH 7-ELEVEN CANADA
Cycling Canada and Cycling BC have announced a new partnership with 7-Eleven Canada, which will support existing development programs in British Columbia as well as the development of new grassroots initiatives across the country. Through this partnership, provincial and national programs such as iRide and HopOn will have the opportunity to safely deliver more in-school and community programming for students, as well as summer camps and other initiatives to introduce children to cycling.

The Shifting Gears blog provides a platform for our staff, athletes, board and community to write about interesting topics and ideas. Last month, Shifting Gears tackled: The Things You Don’t See and Getting Close By Keeping The Distance. If you are passionate about cycling and interested in contributing to the blog, please reach out to Philippe Tremblay.