Gold for Foley, Mitchell, van Dam and Hedgecock on last day of Canadian track cycling nationals

Kelsey Mitchell doubled up on gold on Saturday’s last day of competition of the 2022 Canadian Track Cycling National Championship at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, ON. Mitchell earned her first gold in the individual sprint on Friday. Sarah van Dam took both of her gold medals on Saturday.

Mitchell was top rider in the women’s keirin after following the derny. She was fastest in her qualifying heat while Sarah Orban was the best in her heat. In the final Mitchell prevailed and Orban earned her second silver. The podium was exactly the same as Friday’s sprint final, with the bronze going to Jackie Boyle.

After a silver and bronze on Friday, James Hedgecock of Team Ontario got his gold in the men’s keirin. In qualifying, Hedgecock was second to Nick Wammes in Heat 2, but the result was reversed in the final, with Hedgecock winning by a couple of inches. Rounding out the podium was Tyler Rorke.

Sarah van Dam (Red Truck Racing) grabbed a silver on Friday in the women’s omnium, but on Saturday she was golden in the women’s pursuit. Silver went to Ruby West and Maggie Coles-Lyster, Friday’s omnium champion, earned the bronze.

In the men’s pursuit, Michael Foley (Toronto Hustle) carried the day, faster than Carson Mattern (Culture Velo U19) and Friday’s omnium silver medalist Mathias Guillemette.

The nationals ended with the hand-slinging of the madison. First came the women’s madison, where van Dam and Red Truck Racing teammate Devaney Collier battled Coles-Lyster and Fiona Majendie of DNA Cycling tooth and nail over the first half of 80 laps, the lead swinging back and forth between the two duos. But Red Truck prevailed and DNA could only managed bronze. Silver belonged to Lily Plante and Erin Atwell of Desjardins Ford-Cromwell-Primeau Velo.

Five duos contested the men’s madison over 120 laps. Guillemette and Dylan Bibic of Premier Tech U23 sped to the first five points and then kept on “racking up the cincos”. By mid race, all the other teams were on negative points, and Culture Velo had left the boards. Ignite Development turned its negative into a positive to take silver and Red Truck Racing rounded out the podium.