Stacked Canadian mountain bike team headed to first combined world championships

World championships are approaching fast, and with a bit more frenzy than most years. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has decided to bring all corners of the cycling world, at least the corners that fall under its regulatory purview, together for 10 frenetic days of world championship racing.

Looking at the full roster of Canadians from across disciplines, from BMX to indoor, track, para and mountain bike events, can be daunting. The mountain bike program, though, is always a highlight for Canada at world championship events. This year, there is an incredible roster of new talent, podium favourites and new talented podium favourites.

Canadians across disciplines

Among the Canadians poised for potential podiums are cross country and downhill racers of all ages.

On the cross country Isabella and Ava Holmgren, one already a world champion in cyclocross, are taking on the junior women’s cross country race, while their older brother Gunnar goes toe-to-toe with the elites. World Cup winner, and now elite national champion Carter Woods will look to keep his sensational season going in the under-23 men’s XCO, while World Cup podium finisher Emilly Johnston leads the Canucks in the under-23 women’s XCO. In the elites, Olympians Peter Disera and Leandré Bouchard lead the men’s squad while national champion Jenn Jackson takes on the women’s.

The downhill team continues to enjoy a spectacular surge in talent. Finn Iles and wunderkind Jackson Goldstone currently lead the elite men’s World Cup standings as they head into world championships. Likewise in the junior men’s racing, Bodhi Kuhn rolls into Scotland fresh off of a World Cup win in Val di Sole. On the elite women’s side, Gracey Hemstreet is inching closer and closer to the podium in her first season since graduating from the junior ranks. She’ll be joined by current u21 enduro World Cup leader Emmy Lan in Fort William.

Depth and growth

We caught up with Gravity program coach Chad Hendren at the Panorama Canada Cup last week, to dig deeper into the roster for the downhill team. The Vancouver Island-based coach sees promise in all corners of this year’s squad.

“We have some established World Cup racers that this will be their first world champs. Some missed their call before but, after some exciting racing at Fernie, these guys have a place on the worlds team,” Hendren said of the initial roster. One or two of those riders have since been injured, and will sit out, but there is still a long list of racers. “We have some firey junior that are coming up that are going to be hungry for that podium and pushing hard. We also have a solid run of junior women, which is really exciting. The elite team is looking pretty strong. There are some new faces and athletes that have never been to Scotland before. They’ll be learning lots along the way.”

Eva Leikermoser is one of the new talents Hendren refers to. The first-year elite qualified for the worlds squad with her podium finish at Canadian national championships. Being newer to the sport, the Vancouver Island racer is thrilled to be joining the team in Europe.

“It feels amazing. This was my goal at nationals this year, making top five to qualify for the worlds project. I’ve only been racing downhill for a year and a half, so this feels insane.” That result sees Leikermoser returning to Europe as a first-year elite for worlds. But heading to the iconic For William track is special, Leikermoser adds. “That’s also insane. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while, seeing what they’re like, and I’m really excited for this track.”

Here’s the full roster of the Canadian mountain team for 2023 UCI Cycling world championships. The first-ever combined worlds, or “super worlds” take place from Aug. 3-13, 2023.

Cross Country

Junior Women
Anabelle Drouin (St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.)
Ava Holmgren (Orillia, Ont.)
Isabella Holmgren (Orillia, Ont.)
Marin Lowe (Squamish, B.C.)

Junior Men
Ian Ackert (Severn, Ont.)
Mika Comaniuk (Lachine, Que.)
Jacob Roy (Amos, Que.)
Maxime St.-Onge (Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Que.)

U23 Women
Ophélie Grandmont (Beaupre, Que.)
Emilly Johnston (Comox B.C.)
Ella MacPhee (Squamish, B.C.)
Jocelyn Stel (Burlington, Ont.)
Marie-Fay St-Onge (Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Que.)

Under-23 Men
Owen Clark (King City, Ont.)
Zorak Paille (Laval, Que.)
Cole Punchard (Huntsville, Ont.)
Carter Woods (Cumberland, B.C.)

Elite Women
Laurie Arseneault (Montreal, Que.)
Jenn Jackson (Barrie, Ont.)
Sandra Walter (Coquitlam, B.C.)

Elite Men
Léandre Bouchard (Alma, Que.)
Peter Disera (Horseshoe Valley, Ont.)
Sean Fincham (Squamish, B.C.)
Gunnar Holmgren (Orillia, Ont.)

Downhill

Junior Women
Joy Attalla (Fernie, B.C.)
Sophia Ervington (Powell River, B.C.)
Sophi Lawrence (Whistler, B.C.)
Kate McKenzie (Fernie, B.C.)
Kayley Sherlock (Squamish, B.C.)

Junior Men
Tegan Cruz (Pemberton, B.C.)
Max Halchuck (Kelowna, B.C.)
Wyatt Harrington (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Brock Hawes (Sun Peaks, B.C.)
Dane Jewett (Squamish, B.C.)
Bodhi Kuhn (Rossland, B.C.)
Jon Mozell (North Vancouver, B.C.)

Elite Women
Gracey Hemstreet (Sechelt, B.C.)
Emmy Lan (Comox, B.C.)
Eva Leikermoser (Comox, B.C.)
Rachel Pageau (Chicoutimi, Que.)

Elite Men
Jackson Goldstone (Squamish, B.C.)
Finn Iles (Pemberton, B.C.)
Jakob Jewett (Squamish, B.C.)
Kirk McDowell (Port Moody, B.C.)
Anthony Paulson (Bromont, Que.)
Forrest Riesco (Gibsons, B.C.)
Mark Wallace (Duncan, B.C.)

XC Marathon

Maghalie Rochette (Sainte-Adèle, Que.)
Haley Smith (Uxbridge, Ont.)
Andrew L’Esperance (Halifax, N.S.)
Alexandre Vialle (Saint-Jérôme, Que.)

eMTB

Maghalie Rochette (Sainte-Adèle, Que.)