Which men will represent Team Canada at the Rio Olympics?

Cycling Canada will announce the selection of the Olympic roster at the end of the national road championships which take place in Ottawa between June 25 and 29. The Olympic courses are tough featuring punchy short ascents and longer climbs in both the road race and individual time trial. Cycling Canada can select three men for the road race and one of those riders will also race the individual time trial.

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Olympic men’s road race: August 6

The men’s road race is 256-km and features two separate circuits.  The Grumari circuit is done four times and features two climbs. The Grumari climb is a narrow climb in a forested area which averages 7 per cent over 1.2-km with a maximum gradient of 13 per cent. The Grota Funda climb is longer at 2.1-km at 4.5 per cent with sections at 6 per cent. The circuit also includes a cobbled section of about 2-km.

The race then heads along the coast to the Canoas and Vista Chinesa circuit for three laps. The circuit starts with the short Canoas climb and then goes up the 8.9-km Vista Chinesa climb averaging 5.7 per cent. However a 1-km descent in the middle of the climb means that the gradients are actually steeper than the average suggests.

Olympic individual time trial: August 10

The men’s time trial is 59-km long and does two laps of the Grumari circuit. This will make it an extremely challenging effort that will last over an hour for even the winner. The organizers plan to pave the cobbled section that featured in the road race ahead of the race against the clock.

Team Canada

Michael Woods, Ottawa, has distinguished himself as one of the best climbers in Canada. Woods may be in his first season in the WorldTour with Cannondale Pro Cycling but has proven to excel when the road ramps up. With two top three placings at the Tour Down Under and an impressive 12th place performance on the Mur de Huy during La Flèche Wallonne, Woods is the top-ranked Canadian in the UCI standings and looks to be a lock for the team. Recovering from a hand injury suffered at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Woods will make is return to racing at next month’s Tour de Poland and hopes to be in contention for a medal in Rio.

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Hugo Houle, Sainte-Perpétue, Que.,  is the defending Canadian time trial champion. Houle, who races in the WT with Ag2r-LaMondial, completed his second Giro d’Italia in May and finished second overall at the Tour de Beauce. As a rising prospect and one of Canada’s best against the clock, Houle looks set to secure a spot for himself in Rio and should represent Canada in the time trial. Though he probably won’t be in contention for a medal, the 25-year-old will continue to develop his skills and gain experience on the international stage. Houle was strong in the spring classics where he worked at positioning his team leaders and rode in the breakaway at the Tour of Flanders. In 2015, he was 25th in the world time trial championships and has shown progression in the discipline over the years.

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Antoine Duchesne, Saguenay, Que., proved his strength this season winning the climbers polka jersey at Paris-Nice. He was also strong during the spring classics where he could often be seen towards the head of the peloton. Though not a climber by nature, Duchesne has been climbing better in 2016 and has been progressing steadily throughout his career in some of the calendars biggest races. He represented Canada at the world championships in Richmond and is set to start his first Tour de France in July. Duchesne wouldn’t go to Rio as team leader but could provide valuable support and gain experience.

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Svein Tuft, Langley, B.C., rode in support of Estaban Chaves at the Giro d’Italia where the Colombian finished second overall. Tuft is two-time national road race champion and nine-time national time trial champion. In 2008, Tuft rode to a seventh-place finish in the Olympic time trial but the hilly course in Rio does not suit the 39-year-olds strengths. Tuft, who has helped Orica-GreenEdge earn victories in the team time trial at the Tour de France (2013) and Giro d’Italia (2014), is an extremely powerful rider and could be valuable riding in support to teammates in the road race.

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Ryder Hesjedal, Victoria B.C., has had some strong performances in one-day races, most notably helping Dan Martin win Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2013. He also twice finished third at the GP Montreal and was second at the Amstel Gold Race in 2010.  However, the 2012 Giro d’Italia champion has decided to withdraw himself from contention before the team selection was made in order to make space on the roster for a younger rider to gain experience.

RELATED: Ryder Hesjedal explains why he won’t race in Rio

Guillaume Boivin, Montreal, is the defending Canadian national road race champion but will not be able to defend his title on June 25 due to an injury sustained at the GP Saguenay. Boivin excels in the sprints and has a shot at representing Canada at the world championship in Qatar but the Rio course does not suit his characteristics. Rob Britton, Regina, was third overall at the US Pro Challenge in 2015 and has earned top-10 placing at the Tour of California. Ryan Roth, Kitchener, Ont., of Silber Pro Cycling won the GP Saguenay and the Winston-Salem Classic in 2016. Ryan Anderson, Edmonton, races for Direct-Energie and has been first twice in the Canadian rider classification at the Tour of Alberta.

Stay tuned for an analysis of the contenders for the women’s road team.