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Canadian men are chasing opportunity at 2022 worlds

Racing close to home benefits big squad of fast juniors, u-23 and elite Canucks

Michael van den Ham Avro Arrow Giant TCX Photo by: James Lissimore

Cyclocross is a popular race format in Canada but, for those that do ascend to the elite ranks, there are few opportunities to race close to home. In fact, this year’s world championships in Fayetteville, Ark. will be just the second time the rainbow jerseys are handed out in North America.

The opportunity is not lost on the Canadians headed south this weekend. A fast fleet of junior, under-23 and elite men are coming into Fayetteville off a fast fall season, well-poised to make the most of racing close – or closer – to home. Led by national champion Michael van den Ham, 14 Canadian men will race over three days.

They’re joined by an impressive women’s squad, possibly Canada’s strongest ever, in Arkansas.

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The last time worlds were in the United States, way back in Louisville in 2013, Michael van den Ham was there.

“My first world championships was in Louisville in 2013. I still have such great memories of the fan support, from Canadians and Americans, there’s just so much excitement to cheer on North American riders,” van den Ham told us going into the season. “This isn’t to say there’s no support in Europe, people do cheer for me there. But it’s different when it’s people you know, when it’s your family. I’m really excited about it.”

Junior Men

Van den Ham, the lone B.C. racer on the team, will be sharing what he’s learned in Louisville and the decade since with his younger teammates. Those riders have already found success on their own this fall.

Ian Ackert landed two European podiums in his first season of junior racing. Those results, at Herentals and Gullegem in Belgium, built off a strong of USCX wins and podiums. At Pan Am continental champs, the Ontario racer was second. Together, they make him a serious contender for a result this weekend.

“2021 has by far been my best season to date, the mountain bike season was a great build-up to the cross season. I have been waiting to race in junior for many years now, and I’m very happy with the year that I’ve had,” says the Severn, Ont. racer. “This definitely helps with my confidence going into the weekend. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what shape I’m in and how I compare to the other juniors. All the work is done and my eyes are fully focused on Sunday’s race!”

When Ackert lines up in Fayetteville, he says the Canadians will have two factors in their favour. The lack of jet lag, but also the familiarity of North American-style cross courses. Both have him excited about the prospect of racing on home turf.

“Having worlds in North America is huge. I feel like the Canadians and Americans have got a little advantage over the Europeans because of the time change and being in our home continent. We’ve also been more exposed to this type of course more often so that’s definitely another advantage,” says Ackert. Then there are the fans. “It’s super cool that more family and friends are able to come watch the race. Even though covid is very bad at the moment there’s definitely more supporters here than in Europe, which is huge in terms of motivation!”

Ackert won’t be alone in Sunday’s junior men’s race. Luke Valenti has euro top-10s and a pair of wins from Really Rad festival, plus a top-5 at Pan Ams. Theo De Groote, Sasha Renaud-Tremblay and Alexander Woodford all have North American top-10 finishes, too.

Matt Leliveld racing 2019 Canadian national championships in Peterborough, Ont.. Photograph by Aidas Odonelis

Under-23 Men

In the under-23 race, Tyler Clark leads the Canadian squad with a second at Pan Am champs behind the U.S. national champ Scott Funston. Owen Clark, Matt Leliveld and Chelsea, Que.’s Hugo Brisebois all joined Clark in the top-10, with Noah Ramsay of Toronto close behind in 13th.

The Canucks will face a strong field of Belgian and Dutch riders, as well as British phenom Cameron Mason, winner of the Dendermonde World Cup.

Elite Men

Canada’s four elite men will face a tough field over the weekend, even absent star rivals Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. The Canucks will still have to contend with the likes of Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock and a fleet of Dutch and Belgian ‘cross regulars.

Van den Ham, a multiple-time Canadian national champion, will lead as the team’s veteran racer. He’s posted strong results this fall even as his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. was surrounded by floods.

A trio of Ontario racers, Malcolm Barton and Tyler Orschel of Uxbridge, Ont. and Brody Sanderson of Severn, Ont. join MvdH in the elite men’s race.

For Orschel, it is an opportunity to test himself against the best while riding the momentum of a series of U.S. Collegiate national championship titles, including one in cyclocross. While he might not be contending for the win this year, Orschel’s looking forward to the weekend’s racing.

“Winning the mountain bike and cyclocross collegiate national titles this fall were the first major races I had ever won in my career. Although cross world championships are not a race I will be near the front of, there is definitely a level of confidence that I have gained from those victories,” says Orschel. “Hopefully I can use that confidence to aim higher at this year’s worlds than I have in the past.”

It’s more than his fall success that makes this year’s world championships exciting. Like van den Ham, Orschel’s been looking forward to the opportunity to race near home for years now.

“When I heard that cross worlds was coming to the states a few years back, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of it. After living in the USA as a student for the past four years now, this race feels pretty special,” says the Brevard College racer. “Canada will always be my home but the American cycling scene has been an integral part of my development as an athlete and it does feel like a race at home. As North Americans in a European-dominated sport, we don’t have this level of racing on home soil very often. When we do it feels pretty special to be a part of.”

The proximity means a special set of fans will be in Arkansas to cheer Orschel on.

“This will be my sixth world championship event between mountain bike and cyclocross, but only the second time my parents will be here watching so it makes this more special. I’m really looking forward to leaving it all out there, and I think it will be a big weekend for Canada!”

Watch all of Canada’s athletes take on the world in Fayetteville, Ark. this weekend. Racing starts Friday with a new event, the team relay. Individual championship races run Saturday and Sunday.