Mixed categories create upheaval at Bear Crossing GP

For Day 2 of 2022 Canadian cyclocross national championships, under-23 and elite categories were combined for the Bear Crossing Grand Prix UCI C2 race. That ended up creating a few upsets, as the younger riders were keen for to take the race to their elder elite racers. Further complicating the elite women’s field, Isabella Holmgren decided to join her sister, Ava, in racing up from juniors.

All in, the mixed categories made for an exciting day of racing at Layritz Park in Victoria. With the younger riders shining bright, it’s clear the two-year wait hasn’t dimmed the future of ‘cross in Canada in the slightest.

RELATED: 2022 Canadian cyclocross national championships – Day 1

Elite Women

On Sunday, both Isabella and Ava Holmgren decided to race up from juniors up into the elite field. Showing that the twins are relatively evenly matched, it was newly minted junior national champion, Isabella, taking Sunday’s elite win over elite women’s national champion, Ava.

“It’s a big confidence boost. It feels nice to take the win today,” Isabella Holmgren said after the race. “I stood up to get into a corner first and I got a bit of a gap, so I just kept pushing from there. Ava caught up to me and we worked together a bit. She made a bit of a mistake on the last lap and I just went as hard as I could to the finish.”

While they’re related, there are definitely no favours between sisters when the finish line is in sight.

“Sometimes, depending on the race, we’ll try work together a little bit. But we never decide who wins,” Isabella shared. “It’s always whoever is best on the day.”

Jenn Jackson rallied after a mechanical on Saturday, taking third in a sprint finish with Sandra Walter.

Elite Men

With the under-23 and elite men’s fields, Sunday’s men’s race turned into a doubled battle of the generations. The under-23s proved as unwilling to wait for their elders as the younger elites had been to conceed ground to van den Ham and the more established pros on Saturday.

Evan Russell (Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team) avenged his second place in Saturday’s u23 event, taking the race to the elites. Russell won with a 19.89-second lead after seven laps. It was a back-and-forth race, though, with the top six all staying within touch for much of Sunday’s showdown.

“To be honest, my plan was just to be top-6 for the first lap. Second lap I wanted to be top three or four. The rest of the race was just going off intuition,” Russell said after the finish. “There was one decisive moment where Michael van den Ham kind of unclipped at the top of the run-up and I was still riding. I zipped past and it was ‘go time’ from there.”

Tyler Orschel edged out u23 champ, Luke Valenti (Toronto Hustle) to take second. New elite national champ, Tyler Clark (CHC Armada), finished fourth, just ahead of Michael van den Ham (Giant-Easton) in fifth.

Junior Men: New champ rises

After winning the junior men’s national title on Saturday, Ian Ackert was quick to put his new jersey to good use. The Stimulus Orbea rider launched another solo effort, winning Sunday’s Bear Crossing by 45.37 seconds.

Behind, a solid battle raged for the podium positions. Filipe Duarte (Ottawa Bicycle Club), Cam McCallum (Charge BCXC) and Sasha Renauld-Tremblay (Espoirs Quilicot) were all but inseparable until the final lap. Duarte created a small, four-second gap to McCallum, improving two spots from Saturday to take silver. McCallum finished third, repeating his result from a day prior. Renauld-Tremblay lost touch on the last lap, settling for fourth.

Junior Women

In the junior women’s race, Ella Smith (Ottawa Cycling Club) took advantage of the absence of the Holmgrens to take a win of her own. Smith finished the four-lap race with a 32-second lead over Madeline Pollock (Team Devo). Geza Rodgers (Liv Canada) followed close behind in third.

Ruby West (Jukebox) just held off Holly Henry (InstaFund Racing / Broad Street Cycles) for fourth and fifth, with all of the top five finishing within a minute of the Holmgren sisters.

Results: 2022 Bear Crossing GP (UCI C2 – Layritz Park, Victoria, B.C.)

Elite Women

1		Holmgren, Isabella – Stimulus Orbea – CAN					49:17.48
2		Holmgren, Ava – Stimulus Orbea – CAN					+0:10.54
3		Jackson, JenniferCAN					+0:16.19
4		Walter, Sandra – Liv Racing Collective – CAN					+0:16.85
5		West, Ruby – Jukebox-Factor – CAN					+0:44.49
6		Henry, Holly – InstaFund Racing/Broad St Cycles – CAN					+0:48.17
7		Gilligan, DanaCAN					+2:25.12
8		Francis, Jenaya – Alberta / Juventus CC – CAN					+2:41.91
9		Johnston, Emilly – Norco Factory Team – CAN					+3:22.49
10		Myers, Ella – Team Alberta – CAN					+3:55.46
11		Bilodeau, Christiane – Juventus CC – CAN					+4:23.07
12		Walcroft, Katelyn – Hardwood Next Wave – CAN					+4:58.70
13		Blouin-Comeau, Frederica – Ellevate – CAN					+6:03.22
14		Piciga, Natascha – Liv Giant Toronto – CAN					+6:28.90
15		Macphee, Ella – Charge BCXC Racing – CAN					+7:31.87
16		Thomsen, Vanessa – Fitworks – CAN					+7:55.56
17		Skaug, Emma – Fernie Gravel Grind – CAN					+9:14.99
18		Coles-Lyster, Kaelen – Local Ride Racing – CAN					-1
19		Lewis, Annie – Woodcock Cycle Works – GBR					–2

Elite Men

1		Russell ,Evan – Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team				–
2		Orschel, Tyler				+0:19.89
3		Valenti, Luke – Toronto Hustle				+0:28.94
4		Clark, Tyler – CHC Armada				+0:46.56
5		Van Den Ham ,Michael – Giant x Easton				+1:00.25
6		Holmgren, Gunnar – Pivot Cycles – OTE				+1:07.27
7		Clark, Owen – CHC Armada				+2:30.56
8		Ramsay, Noah – Bateman’s Bike Co				+2:59.85
9		Brisebois, Hugo – Ride with Rendall				+3:39.28
10		Woodford, Alexander – Ride with Rendall –				+3:58.56
11		Pauly, Ethan – TaG Cycling Club				+4:10.83
12		Berg, Eric – Team Alberta/Pedalhead Race				+4:25.68
13		Barton, Malcolm				+5:06.09
14		Scott, Cody – Giant Canada Off-Road Team				+5:38.59
15		Maclean, Ryan – Team Alberta/Juventus CC				+5:53.34
16		Fagnan, Mark – The Bike Shop Racing				+6:02.71
17		Rodgers, Lief – Giant Canada Off-Road Team				+6:23.73
18		Borstmayer, Finn – Team Alberta/Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle				+7:03.32
19		Merino, Fabian – Broad Street Cycles				+7:19.97
20		Kerr, Dylan – CHC Armada				-1
21		Lefebvre, Alex – Peterborough CC				-1
22		Dalling, Ness – Bikes and Beyond				-1
23		Killam, Nathan – Hewdog Racing				-1
24		Nappier, Mac				-2
25		Wiebe, Logan – Prairie Fire Racing				-2
26		Sol, Injae – Charge BCXC Racing				-2
27		Bauer, Jesse				-3
28		Penner, Garret				-3
29		Singbeil, Matthew – The Bike Shop Racing				-3
30		Perry, Graham				-4

Junior Women

1		Smith, Ella – Ottawa Bicycle Club				42:21.71
2		Pollock, Madeleine – Team Devo				+0:32.19
3		Rodgers, Geza – Liv Canada Off-Road Team				+0:37.97
4		Henry, Heidi – Broad Street Cycles				+0:44.66
5		Swierenga, Sidney – Team Devo				+2:53.02
6		Chen, Kimberly – The Cycling Co. Dirt Squad				+3:10.77
7		Thomson, Ashton – Team Alberta/Rundle Mountain CC				+3:27.65
8		Bradbury ,Sophie				+6:53.69
9		Samuelson, Amanda – Hardwood Next Wave				-1

Junior Men

1		Ackert, Ian – Stimulus Orbea Racing Team				37:18.03
2		Duarte, Filipe – Ottawa Bicycle Club				+0:45.37
3		Mccallum, Cam – Charge BCXC Racing				+0:49.59
4		Renaud-Tremblay, Sasha – Espoirs Quilicot				+1:11.91
5		Weselake, Soren – Prairie Fire Racing				+1:40.86
6		Rubuliak, Noah – Giant Canada Off Road Team				+2:24.63
7		Bates, Rhett				+3:25.40
8		Manktelow, Kip – Trail Bicycles Racing				+3:46.54
9		Polloni, Alessandro – KW Cycling Academy				+5:06.99
10		Dalling, Ewan – Team Manitoba				+5:31.54
11		Polloni, Matteo – KW Cycling Academy				+7:33.02
12		Savard, Loic – Team Manitoba				-1
13		Kelete, Angesom – Pizza Cats Cycling Academy				-1
–		Drews, Tristan – The Cycling Co.				DNF