Previewing the 2017 Canadian road cycling championships individual time trial

On Tuesday, June 27 three days after the elite women and two days after the elite men contest the 2017 Canadian championship road races, the riders will head across the Ottawa River to Gatineau Park to race for the maple leaf skinsuit in a demanding test against the clock. Last year, Tara Whitten took the women’s title while Ryan Roth won the men’s race.

RELATED: Previewing the 2017 Canadian cycling championship road races

Women’s individual time trial

The women’s course is 26 km long and features just over 400 m of rolling terrain on the out-and-back test against the clock. Riders need to pace themselves on the climb before turning around for a fast but rolling descent where the ability to push a big gear comes in very handy.

Karol-Ann Canuel finished second at the 2017 Chrono de Gatineau which uses the same roads as the nationals course in Gatineau Park. A native of Gatineau, she is the hometown favourite and was second last year. She would love to win the maple leaf jersey in front of her friends and family. In 2017, she has a win at the inaugural Volta Limburg Classic and excels on hilly courses and in time trials making this race perfect for her characteristics.

Leah Kirchmann was ITT champion in 2014, the same year she took home the road title. She won the prologue at the 2016 Giro Rosa and showed good form at the OVO Energy Women’s Tour where she finished third on Stage 4 and fourth overall.

Jasmin Duehring is an Olympic bronze medalist winning the medal with the team oursuit at the Rio Olympics. She is strong against the clock and was seventh at the 2017 Chrono Gatineau, the second Canadian after Canuel. Each year, Duehring keeps improving on the road and her Sho-Air Twenty20 team is the perfect spot for the German-born Canadian to be improving her time trial skills.

Joëlle Numainville didn’t contest the Chrono de Gatineau in 2017 but was third last year and won the title in 2013. Kirsti Lay is focusing more on the road in 2017 after earning Olympic bronze with the team pursuit in Rio. She climbs well and showed good form at the North Star Grand Prix.

For the under-23 title keep an eye on the Rally duo of Sara Poidevin and Katharine Maine.

Men’s individual time trial

The elite men race 37 km against the clock going a little further up into Gatineau Park before turning around. The course has 570 m of climbing and riders will need to pace the effort to the top before turning around and pushing a huge gear on the fast descent.

Last year, Hugo Houle surprisingly finished off the podium in the individual time trial. Expect a stronger result in 2017. He was 21st on the final stage of the Tour de Suisse which had a climb but was a tad shorter than the test in Gatineau Park.

Matteo Dal-Cin knows his home roads and was third in the ITT in Beauce. His form really showed as he climbed to victory on Mont-Mégantic the day before. Dal-Cin’s Rally Cycling teammate Rob Britton was behind him in fourth in the ITT at Beauce and won the races final stage with a powerful solo move.

Another Ottawa-native, Alex Cataford was second behind Roth last year and moved up to UnitedHealthcare for 2017. Like Dal-Cin he knows his home roads and is very strong in time trials.

Silber Pro Cycling has defending champion Ryan Roth but repeating will be a challenge. Nigel Ellsay is a podium hopeful and Alexandre Cowan who won the ITT at Beauce will have his eye on the U23 title.