Celebrating the 2016 Canadian cyclocross champions
The podium ceremonies capped of a day of technically challenging racing in Parc Jacques-Cartier in Sherbrooke, Que.
Under-13 women's podium from left to right: Eli Clark, Ava Holmgren and Isabella Holmgren
Under-13 men's winner Ian Ackert shares a laugh from the podium
Under-15 women's podium: Lauryn Bakker, Jasmine Aspirot and Isabelle Orsler
Under-15 men's podium: William Simard, Matisse Julien and Lief Rogers,
Women 30 to 39: Isabelle Duchaine, Nicole Muzechka and Marie-Eve Lahaie
40+ women podium: Alana Heise, Julie Lafreniere and Jane McKeown
Men 30 to 39 champion Thierry Laliberte
Men 40 to 49 podium: Andre Sutton, Todd Bowden and Jean-Francois Blais
Men 50+ podium: Robert Orange, Lorenzo Caterini and Scott Buschlen
Men's 60+ champion David Staples shares a laugh
Junior men's podium: Conor Martin, Gunnar Holmgren and Tyler Clark
2015 under-23 Canadian champion Ruby West congratulates 2016 champion Sidney McGill
Men's under-23 podium: Borthers Quinton and Peter Disera, and Trevor O'Donnell
Elite women's podium: Sandra Walter, Maghalie Rochette and 2015 champion Mical Dyck
Eite men's podium: Aaron Schooler, Jérémy Martin and Geoff Kabush
The 2016 Canadian cyclocross champions
The day started in the rain with racers taking on the course in Sherbrooke, Que’s Parc Jacques-Cartier overlooking the Magog River in temperatures just above freezing on Saturday. A light dusting of snow overnight that melted with the sunrise had turned the course to sticky and slippery mud, perfect conditions for cyclocross racing. In the early part of the day the master and U13, U15 and U17 racers churned up the course even more. By the time the elite and U23 races got underway the conditions were very different from the pre-ride the day before.
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The course featured a sand pit, endless switchbacks, steep muddy sections, slippery off camber straights, ascents and descents, and a pair of barriers which challenged the riders technically ensuring deserving winners in all the day’s races.
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By the afternoon the rain had let up and the temperature had risen to about five degrees just in time for exciting and competitive elite races. When the days final races wrapped up, the podium ceremony got underway in the Siboire brewery tent which hosted seating for spectators to have a close up took of riders as they passed through the sandpit before heading towards the finish line. Riders from all the categories celebrated the day with the winners sharing laughs with friends and family as they received medals and Canadian champions jerseys.
