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Shimano new title sponsor of the 2014 and 2015 Canadian cyclocross championships

Riders tackle the sand pit at the 2013 Manitoba provincial cyclocross championships at The Forks. Photo credit: Timothy Dueck
Riders tackle the sand pit at the 2013 Manitoba provincial cyclocross championships at The Forks. Photo credit: Timothy Dueck

The organizers of the 2014 and 2015 Canadian cyclocross championships announced Thursday that Shimano will be the title sponsor for both editions of the event. The championships will be in Winnipeg from Oct. 24 to 26 and will return to Manitoba’s capital again in 2015. The three-day festival is now officially the Shimano Canadian cyclocross championships.

While Winnipeg’s cyclocross scene is young, around 15 years old, it has grown quickly. It’s also known for its creativity. There have been races in late December that required snow shovels to clear the course; races on the campus of the Canadian Mennonite University during homecoming; and races featuring pyrotechnics and a laser light show on a speedway just south of the city. Willem Boersma, the 2013 junior champion, got his start in Winnipeg. His mother used to drive him one hour from their home in Portage la Prairie, Man., to weeknight ’cross clinics. The 2013 under-23 champion Michael van den Ham is from nearby Brandon.

This energy and talent, which will be on display in October, caught the attention of Shimano Canada.  “It’s inspiring to see a collective of committed people working to make huge things happen,” says David Blondel, marketing co-ordinator for Shimano Canada. “Seeing the overall plan and direction organizers have laid out over the next two years made it an easy decision for Shimano to be involved. Given the many strong regional cyclocross scenes from coast to coast, we hope that the Canadian cyclocross championships in Winnipeg will truly serve as a country-wide celebration, bringing together different riders and communities, helping to move cyclocross forward on a national level. I look forward to seeing everyone at The Forks in Winnipeg at the end of October.”

The Forks is a park in downtown Winnipeg at the confluence of  Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The cyclocross course will incorporate features of this popular destination. Racers who run into trouble will have Shimano neutral support throughout the weekend.  “We believe Canada is ready for a big time cyclocross race weekend, and we want to put Winnipeg on the map as a new hotbed for cyclocross in North America,” says Chris Huebner, co-chair of the local organizing committee. “To be partnering with a well-established company like Shimano as title sponsor for the event is an ideal fit and we are absolutely thrilled to have them on board.”

Defending elite men’s and womens champions, Geoff Kabush and Catharine Pendrel, will travel to Winnipeg this fall to race for maple-leaf jerseys once again. “I haven’t raced in Manitoba since a 1995 Canada Cup race,” says Kabush. “But I am excited to return to the province for the championships. The organizers and the City of Winnipeg sound excited and it looks like a great downtown venue that will showcase the sport. I’m looking forward to the great atmosphere that cyclocross season brings and I hope everybody will be ready for some great racing.”

Pendrel shares Kabush’s enthusiasm. “I am looking forward to defending my title this fall in Winnipeg,” she says. “There is so much good energy humming about this event. I know it will be great.”