The year ahead for two Canadian continental teams

Gord Fraser, the cyclist from Ottawa who has more than 200 wins to his name, first went to Tucson, Ariz., in the spring of 1991 to train. In 1997, after a season with the French team Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne, he came back to North America to ride on a U.S. team and settle in Tucson. Fraser still lives in Tucson, but his focus is now on the Montreal-based, continental team Silber Pro. In September, he signed on as the team’s directeur sportif for two years. Fraser is hoping to take Silber Pro to races such as Joe Martin, Gila, the Philly Cycling Classic, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay and the Tour de Beauce. One of the earliest races of the year that Fraser is targeting is the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

“It is on the NRC and, I believe, has been a UCI race a few times. The list of winners is impressive to say the least,” Fraser said of the 31-year-old event held in California. “It really is the first big throw-down of the season with everyone keen to see how they’ve prepared for the year. I’d argue there are more guys at their peak fitness at this race than any other. Before the big Medalist Sports races came into existence (Tour of California, Tour of Utah, USA Pro Challenge and Tour of Alberta), Redlands held the distinction as the most coveted of all stage races in the U.S. Results here still hold much weight for an athlete’s palmares.”

In Canada, big things are afoot in the West. Development team H&R Block has closed up shop, but the title sponsor and tech partner Norco are getting behind the country’s newest continental team, H&R Block Professional Cycling Team. The change is part of M1 Sports Management CEO Mark Ernsting’s plan to create a professional Canadian program. “For any country, it’s important to have a nationally recognized program that riders in the sport can aspire to. The M1 Project plans to establish Canada’s most prominent cycling platform for aspiring Canadian athletes to develop their skills and have a direct path to international success.” Ernsting wants to follow the creation of the continental men’s team with a women’s team in 2016. After that, he has his sights set on an under-19 program, as well as a pro continental program. “The ultimate goal is to establish Canada as a cycling nation to be reckoned with.”