Seventeen Canadian trackies ready for New Zealand World Cup

On Monday Cycling Canada announced its selections for the second UCI track cycling World Cup in Cambridge, New Zealand December 4 to 6. Seventeen athletes were chosen, with an eye to win qualifying places for Rio 2016.

Hugo Barrette is back for the men’s sprint, team sprint and keirin after his frightful crash while training in Cali, Colombia. The team sprint squad is the closest to qualifying for Rio, so Barrette, Joseph Veloce and Evan Carey, along with alternate Joel Archambault will look to improve on the 15th in Cali.

The women’s team pursuit squad has been the strength of the national track program for the past five years. Its members will wear the coveted white World Cup leaders’ jerseys after their win in Cali. Besides Jasmin Glaesser, Stephanie Roorda, Kristi Lay and Allison Beveridge–the quartet that took Colombian gold–Laura Brown and Annie Foreman-Mackey are along as alternates. Roorda will contest the scratch race and Beveridge the omnium.

The pursuers look resplendent yet relaxed in their leaders’ kit.

Racing @UCI_Track Down Under: Canada in White; @hugo_barrette back to racing. https://t.co/kMWFcLnptB pic.twitter.com/nzLiRh0Cy6

— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) December 1, 2015

After eighth place in Cali Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien are hungry for more in the team sprint. Both powerhouses also face the individual sprint, while Sullivan has keirin duties.

The men’s team pursuit foursome of Ed Veal, Aidan Caves, Sean MacKinnon and Adam Jamieson was 12th in Cali. MacKinnon doesn’t get the call this time, but either Remi Pelletier-Roy or Evan Burtnik will help form the quartet. Pelletier-Roy chases omnium results, and Caves looks to improve on his 10th in the South American event’s scratch race.

The action starts Friday night with team pursuit and team sprint qualifying in the Avantidome. Cambridge is in the Waipa District of the Waikato Region of the New Zealand’s North Island.