Junior ‘crosser Gunnar Holmgren marks a year of ‘firsts’ on his way to the 2016 Canadian CX championships

For Gunnar Holmgren, it’s been a year of firsts. This past December, he went on his first bike-related trip to Europe. It was part of a Cycling Canada project that exposed Canadians to the Christmas period of cyclocross racing in Belgium. His races included the Heusden-Zolder World Cup and Grand Prix Sven Nys. He completed in his first cyclocross world championships in Zolder at the end of January. In the spring, he started competing with Maverix Racing on the mountain bike scene. In July, he rode in his first world mountain bike world championships at Nové Mesto na Morave in the Czech Republic. He battled to a 16th place finish after a tangle put him back to 72nd in the race. At the end of summer, he started with a different team for the cyclocross season: Garneau-Easton. In 2015, the team, then Red Truck-Garneau, was an elite-only squad. This year, Holmgren is the team’s only junior member. From both is mountain bike and ‘cross outfits, he’s benefitted from a lot of race support, especially in the pits.

One “first” that eluded him a little more than 12 months ago was the top of the podium in the men’s junior national cyclocross championship race in Winnipeg. Quinton Disera took that honour. “Last year, I was second,” Holmgren said. “I was pretty close to the win, which was the goal. So, I was a bit disappointed after that. One of the big goals for this year is to win cyclocross nationals. I’ve put in a ton of training. Last week, I was tapering for the Pam Am championships. Now, it’s for nationals.” (He was second at Pan Ams in Cincinnati.)

Three days before the 2016 national cyclocross championships in Sherbrooke, Que., Holmgren was at home in Orillia, Ont. In the later part of the afternoon, he planned to do his final interval workout before the big race. The next day, the 17 year old would be off to Quebec with his whole family, which is fitting. For the Holmgrens, cyclocross is a family affair. Gunnar’s father Robert races as a top-level master. He’s also Gunnar’s coach. Gunnar’s mother Lisa races in Ontario’s elite category. Younger brother Max is an under-15 rider, while twin sisters Ava and Bella compete in the under-13 category.

Gunnar and Robert also do a bit of cyclocross course design. They staked out the route at Ontario Cup event held this past October at Hardwood Ski and Bike. Jack Sasseville of Hardwood said the Holmgrens made the course technical to help build Gunnar’s skills. Still, the Holmgrens aimed to keep it accessible for all riders. “I rode there twice a week for a couple of months just to be on a ‘cross course,” Gunnar said. “It’s very sandy, which is good. There isn’t another course in Ontario like it. It’s one of the hillier ones, too. I hope we can build on that in the future.” He’d also like to have a cross race in his hometown sometime in the future.

While Holmgren can rule his sandy home course (first in the elite category this year), he also seems to excel in muck of Europe. His best result during his European campaign was at the Grand Prix Sven Nys, in which he was 16th. “I don’t know why!” he exclaimed. But, as he unpacked the details, he showed he had a few insights about that race. “It was a muddy course. It was mostly uphill drags in mud. You’re barely moving. I guess I kind of like that, the slow stuff,” he said with a laugh. “It was a very technical course, too, with sliding around, and hilly, which suits me.”

“The entire course was mud,” he added. “We don’t get that here, where one or two sections are mud. That was my first time in real mud.

“If it rains on race day, the mud is easier to ride. If it’s wet, it’s almost like riding through water. It just goes away. But when it starts to dry up a bit, then it’s like peanut butter and it starts to stick. It weighs your bike down.”

He learned quite a few lessons in Europe, such as how to move up throughout the race after having to start at the back and when to pit. Even with the experience he gained, he said he still has a lot to learn.

Holmgren’s learning is not just in the mud. While he has focused mostly on mountain and ‘cross in 2016, he rides road, too. “I like the variety. I like to train and race on the road. I’m learning lessons everywhere right now that can transfer to each discipline,” he said. “I don’t understand why some people do just road and track, or just road, or just mountain bike. There’s a lot to be learned across all disciplines, especially at a younger age. I’m going to pursue each discipline for the next couple of years, go with the flow and see where they take me.”

On Saturday, Holmgren will mark another first. He’s raced road and mountain in Quebec, but never ‘cross. If he’s going to come first in the race, he’ll have to beat one rider with whom he’s quite connected: Brody Sanderson. “He lives five minutes away. We do barriers together. We’ve been pretty close for the past three years now. We’re both trained by my dad. I’d say he’s a close threat,” Holmgren said. “Also, Tyler Clark from King City, Ont. He’s done really well at U.S. races in the past month, so he’ll be one to watch out for as well.”

Holmgren hopes to win Sherbrooke. He also hopes to return to Europe in December, with the maple leaf jersey on his back, which, of course, would be another first for the young rider.