Karol-Ann Canuel brings Boels-Dolmans experience to Team Canada at GP Gatineau
Gatineau-native excited to be starting hope race after only narrowly making it back from Europe in time to race
Live coverage: Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau road race 2018
Karol-Ann Canuel was trying to catch up on her rest after a long day of travel back from Europe. Luckily for the Gatineau-resident, she doesn’t have to go far to line-up at Thursday’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau road race and the Chrono Gatineau individual time trial on Friday since it’s right in her backyard.
After good memories from last year’s edition where she played an important role setting up her Team Canada teammates Leah Kirchmann and Kirsti Lay for a one-two finish and then came second in the TT, Canuel lines-up as the most experienced ride on Team Canada’s roster.
“It’s a nice way to get some UCI for Canada. We got a lot last year. It’s good going forward to race with the national team ahead of the Olympics in two years,” Canuel said from her home in Gatineau.
“Last year it was fun to go one-two with the national team in the road race,” she said. “We don’t often race with the national team so coming out strong as a group was fun to see and I hope we can do that more.”
This year, Canada has a young team in Gatineau and they will have to work well together to earn a result. “The key is really working as a team. When you are younger you don’t really see that part and learning how to work with and for each other is important,” Canuel explained about racing with new teammates on the national team this year. I hope to be able to teach and show my teammates that.”
Canuel has grown into her role with the powerful Boels-Dolmans squad where she supports some of the worlds best at big UCI WorldTour races. “I think my teammates really trust me now when I have to do a job, for sure if there’s an opportunity I can take it, but it doesn’t happen often with such a strong team.”
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Embracing being the favourite is something she has had to adjust to. “You can see it that most teams are looking at us. When we ride at the front people are nervous because they expect something to happen,” Canuel said. “It’s fun to play that.”
The 2018 season has gotten off to a great start for Canuel. It started in February and with a brief break in April has been full throttle. She rode a particularly dominant Ardennes campaign in support of Anna van der Breggen and Chantal Black who swept the week for the team. After nationals she races the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile then La Course. Then it’s building up to the world championships where the team hopes to win the team time trial.
First at hand are two important races on home soil. “I’m excited to race Gatineau cause it was super close to me not being able to come. I have been on the podium of the time trial. I think I can win in the time trial on Friday,” she said. “National’s is always a goal. I hope it’s a good course. I’m feeling good. Hopefully, I can rest a bit before the race.”
