Chaos on the European roads and splinters on the track: Olympic hopeful Sarah Van Dam faces them all

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With the final Nations Cup of the season nearing, Sarah Van Dam was in Milton, Ont., with the Canadian squad getting ready for the event. Since the Olympics are only a few months away, the Nations Cup is a key part of the qualification process for Paris. Van Dam and the other riders on the team pursuit squad are after a top-eight place at minimum. But they’re really expecting a better result. In 2023, the group took bronze in the event in Milton.

Van Dam uses road cycling to support the track, however, she finds the track work doesn’t actually add to her racing on tarmac. Still, she’s continuing to balance both disciplines this year as she did the previous season. Last year, she took on a serious block of road racing in Europe, which she found overwhelming at first. She didn’t even eat during a 140-km stage. In March, she was back on the narrow, twisty routes of that continent, making improvements. Following the Olympics, Van Dam is planning to mix it up once again on the roads of the one-day Egmont Cycling Race Women and seven-stage Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.

From serious racing, and serious splinters from crashes on the track, the discussion in this podcast episode also moves to dancing. Van Dam and her teammate Maggie Coles-Lyster create dance numbers for social media. Van Dam discusses that process, and how they roped in a reluctant Champions League rider, one who’d go on to win the event, into one of their clips.

This episode of the Canadian Cycling Magazine Podcast is supported by the No. 22 Bicycle Company, makers of fine titanium bikes. Founders Mike Smith and Bryce Gracey check in to discuss their unique approach to bike construction, which is all done in North America, and their hands-on approach to getting you the best bike.