Jérémy Martin is the new elite men’s Canadian cyclocross champion
Focus CX Team Canada goes one-two as Schooler podiums again
After starting the season with strong showings in the first two UCI World Cups, Jérémy Martin parlayed that form into his first Canadian title on Saturday in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
The title holder Raphaël Gagné grabbed the hole shot after the start with luxuriantly bearded Hot Sauce Racing rider Mark McConnell in second. But the man from Hot Sauce nabbed the lead and Gagné crashed in a corner chasing hard. Andrew L’Esperance became McConnell’s closest pursuer, with Gagné, Evan McNeely, Martin and Michael van den Ham strung out behind him.
By the end of the lap, Martin had switched order with L’Esperance. Lap 2 saw McConnell 10-seconds ahead of Martin and Gagné, while van den Ham lead a group of four including four-time champion Geoff Kabush a little farther back.
Through two laps it's @hotsaucecycling off the front with a small gap over the chase group @SherbrookeCX pic.twitter.com/eyfVwFaMVT
— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) November 5, 2016
The quartet made the junction with Martin and Gagné on Lap 3. McConnell began to fade as Kabush, Martin and Aaron Schooler moved closer. The trio made the catch and Kabush went straight to the front. Then it was Martin’s turn to lead and he took a 10-second gap into the penultimate lap.
Kabush crashed in the muddy drop and although his bike got tangled in course tape he was soon back in the hunt. Martin’s teammate Schooler then became his nearest rival, 20-seconds back.
Schooler hung on to the runner-up spot, giving him his sixth nationals podium, with two seconds and four thirds.
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2016 Canadian National Cyclocross Championships Elite Men
Place | Rider | Age | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jeremy Martin | ||||
Aaron Schooler | ||||
Geoff Kabush | ||||
Mark McConnell | ||||
Michael van den Ham | ||||
Raphael Gagne | ||||
Andrew L’Esperance | ||||
Leandre Bouchard | ||||
Craig Richey | ||||
Derrick St John | ||||
Marc-André Daigle | ||||
Evan McNeely | ||||
Alexandre Vialle | ||||
Tyler Medaglia | ||||
Osmond Bakker | ||||
Mathieu Belanger-Barrette | ||||
Jean-Philippe Thibault | ||||
Aroussen LaFlamme | ||||
Felix Cote Bouvette | ||||
Sylvain Jean | ||||
Etienne Moreau | ||||
Jon Burgess | ||||
Anton Varabei | ||||
Chris Barson | ||||
David Maltais |