Mixed categories make for fast racing at Bear Crossing GP

Sunday’s Bear Crossing Grand Prix mixed up the fields, merging the elites with the under-23s. That shake-up, and some scores to settle from Saturday’s racing, delivered fast and thrilling racing for fans assembled in Layritz Park.

Elite men

The weekend’s final race was an absolute barn burner. Fast conditions meant it was hard to create gaps in the opening laps but, eventually, a lead group of six then, after a crash at the barriers, five formed three laps into the race. Carter Woods and Noah Ramsay chased just a handful of seconds behind, forcing the lead riders to keep the pressure on.

‘Today was a lot tackier so it was a lot faster so we were all together for a long time. I could tell a lot of the guys were taking it easier through the corners and the straights. I started moving up through the pack.”

Eventually, Russell and Valenti created a gap with Orschel alternately leading and dangling just off the group. The spread was never more than a handful of seconds, though. And, going out on the final lap, all three were back together. Valenti led through the pits for the final time and into the decisive off camber section. Russell found a gap, and made the pass.

“I knew Luke had the power on the straightaways, so I was just waiting for him to hit out on the last straight away. He did. We came through the pits and into the last corner, he decided to go outside to go up the hill, I just went outside and he slipped. From that point I just went full gas to the finish.”

For Orschel, the key to success was watching and managing the field’s effort ads much as his won.

“I only rode on the front a little bit, that was only after all the strong guys had done a pull on the front. I knew they’d been riding on their limit, so that caused a bit of a separation for Luke, Evan and I. They were both riding really smooth, but I was able to stay with them. I made a little mistake and they got away so I chased the whole last lap to get back,” Orschel shared. Once he’d rejoined, there was barely any distance to the finish line. “Luke slipped a pedal on one of the smaller ups, so I moved into second. But I just couldn’t close the gap to Evan.”

Evan Russell wins back-to-back races. Tyler Orschel snags silver while Luke Valenti slips into third.

Elite women

With the under-23 and elite fields merged for Sunday, the women’s race saw twin national champions Ava and Isabella Holmgren line up beside each other. Off the line, though, it was Jenaya Francis on the front of what quickly became a lead trio. Francis’ pace quickly put the rest of the field in the rear view and, for several laps, it was a three way race.

On the fifth lap, Francis started to fall off the pace. A short while later, Ava also started to slowly lose ground as Isabella continued to punch up every slight hill and out of every corner.

“Jenaya started really fast, she was flying through all the tech. It stayed together for three laps until Jenaya either slid out or made a mistake. That’s when Ava and I got a gap,” Isabella Holmgren said after her win. “Then I just went as hard as I could. Eventually that opened up the gap between Ava and I.”

While the Holmgren’s are family and teammates, Isabella said that fact didn’t play into Sunday’s race strategy.

“Jenaya’s a super close friend, she’s pretty much like another sister to us. So we didn’t really work together too much in this race. I think we were all just going as hard as we could and racing for ourselves today.”

Ava Holmgren held on for second behind Isabella while Jenaya Francis kept the pressure on in third.

Junior men and women

After getting drawn into an early-race battle with Nico Knoll on Saturday, Pan Am champ Raffaelle Carrier wasted no time setting off on her own on Sunday. From the first lap until the finish line, Carrier raced alone

“I just had a better start, so I had a gap from there and just kept it for the rest of the race,” said the dominant Quebec racer, adding “Yesterday I had someone on the back of my wheel, which was a little bit different.”

As for what’s next, the Pan Am champ already has sight set overseas.

“I’m going to do the Christmas Cross in Europe and then hopefully world championships, if I’m selected.”

Given that she just won nationals, Sunday’s C2, Pan Am’s and a string of USCX races, the odds are pretty good we’ll see Carrier line up at worlds if she wants to.

The junior men’s race started as a trio, and that order held for a few laps. When one rider slid out on the sneaky off camber before the Belgian stairs, Felix Antoine Leclair and Graham Francis took the opportunity to break away. Leclair would get the edge, and the win, while Francis held off Lucas Goertz for third.

Under-17 men and women

A trio of Lairx Hallett, Amos Scott Bouris and new national champion Ethan Wood quickly formed a lead trio in the under-17 men’s race. The trio largely let Wood lead in his new maple leaf jersey, until near the end of the race.

“I knew I had more power on the flats, so I was thinking I could really put a hammer in. So I saved my energy for the last couple minutes and I was able to strike out on my own,” Hallett said.

Scott Bouris held Hallett’s wheel, but couldn’t close the gap in the sprint for the line. Wood followed in third.

On the women’s side, four riders spent much of the race strung out in close proximity. New champ Lydia Stack-Michasew, Sabina Rossiello, Lacey Dennis and Tayte Proulx-Royds were withing sight of each other for much of the opening laps. Proulx-Royds would edge out to an advantage, which would hold to the line. Rossiello followed at first before Stack-Michasiw took over the chase and second place. Dennis would pace perfectly to surge into third before the finish line.

“It was a really good race, I felt pretty strong. I just decided to go about half way through and I guess it worked out pretty well,” Proulx-Royds said of her winning strategy.

For the Liv Offroad racer, Sunday’s win is the latest success in a very unique season that’s seen her race downhill as well as freeride events coming into the cyclocross season.

“It’s definitely fun, but there’s challenges coming straight from downhill into cross season, like trying to work my endurance back up. But I get there and I’m happy to do this stuff to!”

Results: 2023 Bear Crossing GP (UCI C2)

Elite Men

1		Evan Russell – Global 6 Cycling					56:10.53
2		Tyler Orschel					56:13.76
3		Luke Valenti – Team Ecoflo Chronos					56:25.41
4		Cody Scott – Comp Edge Racing					56:36.20
5		Ian Ackert – Stimulus Orbea					56:36.38

Elite Women

1		Isabella Holmgren – Stimulus Orbea					51:37.31
2		Ava Holmgren – Stimulus Orbea					51:52.41
3		Jenaya Francis – Grouwels-Watersley R+D Team					52:52.87
4		Marin Lowe					54:23.80
5		Christiane Bilodeau – Juventus CC					55:11.81

Junior Women

1		Rafaelle Carrier – Equipe du Quebec					35:51.55
2		Lily-Rose Marois – Equipe Quebec					36:28.38
3		Nico Knoll – Cyclemeisters / Bow Cycle					36:29.17

Junior Men

1		Felix Antoine Leclair – Siboire Quiroule					42:36.67
2		Graham Francis – Juventus CC					42:38.91
3		Lucas Goertz – KW Cycling Academy					43:18.13

U17 women

1		Tayte Proulx-Royds – Liv Canada Off Road team					41:22.06
2		Lydia Stack-Michasiw – Team SK					41:54.16
3		Lacey Dennis – Charge BC XC					42:09.70

U17 men

1		Larix Hallett – Team Alberta – RMCC					44:18.43
2		Amos Scott Bouris – Tripleshot CC					44:19.32
3		Ethan Wood – Charge BC XC					44:28.99