Dieppe brings Canada Cup XCO racing back to the East Coast
L'Esperance and Sarrazin lead elites in Saturday's XCO
Canada Cup racing returned to the east coast this weekend. After an early Short Track Cross Country race on Thursday, Saturday was the grand finale: the XCO.
Racers competed across six Canada Cup categories, from u17 to elite, on a fast course at the Dieppe Cycling Centre.
U17 and Juniors
Ian Ackert and Ava Holmgren took wins in the u17 race, while Simon Ruelland doubled up with his second win in Dieppe in junior men. Ophélie Grandmont (CC MSA) stepped up to win the junior women’s XCO.
Close behind Ackert, Maxime St.-Onge crossed the line two seconds off the u17 men’s win. Cam McCallum landed safely in third.
Ava Holmgren and Isabella Holmgren repeated their 1-2 finish from Thursday’s short track XC, with the two Hardwood NextWave riders joined by Mia DeMartin on the u17 women’s podium.
Benjamin Théberge (Ponsse) just barely missed out in the junior men’s race, taking second behind Ruelland by just 0.1 seconds. Felix Bouchard (CC MSA) followed 19 seconds later in third.
Ophélie Grandmont (CC MSA) escaped from Emilie Chloe McIntyre (Project Dialed-In) of New Brunswick on the third of four laps to win the junior women’s Canada Cup. Catryana Marcotte (Dalbix Siboire) rode solo to take third.
Elite XCO Canada Cup
Racing close to his home turf, or at least back in Atlantic Canada, Andrew L’Esperance (Norco Factory Team) rode away to win the elite men’s XCO. After holding off L’Esperance in Thursday’s XCC, Raphael Auclair settled for second in Saturday’s XCO> Victor Verreault (Velo2Max) rounded out the podium in third.
Julianne Sarrazin (Equipe Plaisir Gastronomique) made a last-lap escape from a trio of elite women to take her second Canada Cup win in Dieppe. Eva Poidevin (RMCC) chased, taking second ahead of Amélie Simard (CC MSA)
Canada Cup XCO racing now takes a month-long hiatus. When the start gun next fires, it will be at Baie-St.-Paul, Que., which hosts XCO national championships on Sept. 24-26. The final race of the year is Canada Cup #4 in Canmore, Alta. from Oct. 1-3.
Full results from Canada Cup XCO #3 presented by Mike’s Bike Shop at Dieppe, N.B. are online now.
