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Canadian cyclists heading to the UCI road Pan American championships

Tara Whitten competing in the 2009 World Track Championships, Pruszków, Poland. Photo Cor Vos
Tara Whitten competing in the 2009 World Track Championships, Pruszków, Poland. Photo Cor Vos

Beginning May 7, the UCI road Pan American championships for 2015 will be hosted in Leon, Mexico. This year, five Canadian cyclists will be riding to secure Canada a spot at the upcoming UCI road world championships, being held in Richmond, Va. Time trial races begin on May 7, the elite women and under-23 men road races happen on May 9, and the elite men take to the asphalt on May 10, vying for top placement in the road race component.

Here’s a quick look at who’s in the saddle this year:

Team Canada

Hailing from Edmonton and riding for The Cyclery-Opus, Tara Whitten has the spartan dedication of an athlete trying to test herself first, and win second. A professional track racer since 2008, Whitten was recently a part of the women’s bronze medal team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This weekend, Whitten will be in Big Bear, Calif., competing in the womens’ invitational time trial.

Riding for Silber Pro Cycling, Matteo Dal-Cin and Pierrick Naud, from Ottawa and Amos, Que., respectively, will be wearing the national uniform in order to shore up Canada’s world championship and Olympic standings, by racking up as many UCI points as possible.

Also from Silber Pro, Alex Cataford of Ottawa will join Adam de Vos, a Victoria-based cyclist, in riding in the under-23 men’s time trial race, while also participating in the elite men road race with Matteo Dal-Cin and Pierrick Naud. Most recently, de Vos made cycling world headlines by scoring the first points for UCI during the Silver City Tour of the Gila. 

Denise Kelly, meanwhile, will serve as the lead coach for Team Canada at the UCI road Pan American championships.