Cycling Canada releases expanded 2022 national calendar
Cross country and downhill Canada Cup and championships calendars forming for upcoming year
After a successful – and exciting – return to racing this summer, Cycling Canada is looking to bounce back to a fuller race season in 2022.
Today, the outlines of Canada Cup and national championships events for downhill and cross country racing were released. Full details on marathon XC nationals are still in the works, as no venue has yet been selected.
RELATED: 2022 Canada Cup calendar
Tremblant kicks off season
Both downhill and cross country Canada Cup racing will start at Mont-Tremblant. After two years off the calendar, the Crossroads Festival is back, kicking off the domestic racing season on May 27-29.
From there, the XC calendar heads to Quebec, Alberta and Nova Scotia before wrapping up back in Dieppe, N.B. In line with the format of World Cup racing, riders can expect more XCC (Short Track) events to be included in Canada Cup XCO weekends in 2022. Three UCI-level XCC events are currently scheduled to be part of Canada Cup weekends as well as at Canadian XCO championships.
For young cross country riders, four Canada Cup stops will be included in the UCI Junior Series and all will have a minimum of UCI C2 status.
On the downhill side, after the Mont-Tremblant season opener, racing heads west to SilverStar Mountain Resort, Fernie and Panorama.
Horseshoe and Kicking Horse return as national championship venues
Canadian national championships will be held on a single weekend, but on opposite sides of the country. Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro Station, Ont. hosts XCO nationals on July 23-24. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort returns to host downhill nationals again after a successful 2021 event.
Canada Summer Games, previously postponed, return to Ontario’s Niagara Region. This will give upcoming XCO athlete’s one more opportunity for national-level competition.
Mont-Sainte-Anne and Crankworx bring the world back to Canada
2022 also sees the international mountain bike racing return to Canada in full force. Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. is back on the World Cup calendar after a two-year break. The iconic Quebec venue will once again host cross country and downhill racing on Canadian soil from August 5-7, 2022. The last time MSA held an international race was the 2019 mountain bike world championships.
Crankworx is scheduled to return to Whistler next year as well. The series is currently hosting a limited international field in a new, road trip format as part of Crankworx B.C. With the return to Whistler, Crankworx will resume its position as the final venue on Canada’s national downhill calendar.
“We would like to take this opportunity to extend a very special thank you to all of our devoted organizers and host communities across the country who endlessly support the sport of cycling,” said Cycling Canada’s Events & Officials Manager, Jolène Dupuis. “The return of events this year has shown how resilient and passionate our nation is, and we look forward to great racing and development through our domestic racing calendar in 2022.”
