National criterium titles for Maggie Coles-Lyster and Michael Foley

The final day of the 2022 Canadian road championships in Edmonton, concluded with national elite criterium titles for Maggie Coles-Lyster, her second in two days, and Toronto Hustle’s Michael Foley.

After a 3-year absence, the Criterium races made a spectacular return tonight with Road Champ @M_ColesLyster & Olympian Michael Foley taking the win 🥇

Full results ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/j3xsJuf2WQ

— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) June 28, 2022

The course ran clockwise along Whyte Avenue, 107th Street, 85th Avenue and 105th Street. Junior women would race for 30 minutes and five laps, Junior men would have 45 minutes and five laps and all the elites would have an hour and five laps.

Whyte Avenue is very bike-friendly today! Cyclists are taking on The Criterium, or "Crit", on the final day of the Canadian Road Cycling Championships. The course zips down Whyte Avenue and loops around 105 and 107 Streets. Sunny patios are the best spot to watch all the action! pic.twitter.com/QGKeG3ptjf

— Old Strathcona (@oldstrathcona) June 27, 2022

Junior Women

Ava Holmgren burst away solo, was caught and lit out for glory again. But Holmgren was brought back and it would be the Yukon’s Mara Roldan who would pull on the maple leaf jersey after the slicing and dicing was done.

1) Mara Roldan (Tag Cycling Race Team) 40:02
2) Alexandra Volstad (Team Alberta) s.t.
3) Penelope Primeau (Equipe du Québec) s.t.

Two new Junior Criterium champions were 👑 today at the #canroadchamps!

Voici les gagnants des courses critérium chez les juniors ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/jSTlY7uIwA

— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) June 27, 2022

Junior Men

No one could shake loose until the half hour mark when a trio dashed away. It would turn out to be a fine race for Saskatchewan’s SPS Athlete Development Cycling Team, who nabbed gold and bronze via Fergus English and Luca Veeman. Equipe du Québec’s Jérôme Gauthier rounded out the podium.

1) Fergus English (SPS Athlete Development Cycling Team) 55:38
2) Jérôme Gauthier (Equipe du Québec) s.t.
3) Luca Veeman (SPS Athlete Development Cycling Team) s.t.

Elite/U23 Women

Forty-eight women set out at 7:30 pm local time. Ngaire Barraclough, Alison Jackson and Marie-Soleil Blais all led the string in downtown Edmonton. Barraclough attacked with three laps remaining but was brought to heel. It was edge-of-your-chair stuff in the last two circuits.

Coles-Lyster finished just ahead of Jackson for the second day in a row. Another British Colombian, Holly Simonson, was third. The top U23 rider was Lily Plante of Québec.

Elite Women
1) Maggie Coles-Lyster (DNA Pro Cycling) 1:10:30
2) Alison Jackson (Liv Racing-Xstra) s.t.
3) Holly Simonson (Red Truck Racing) s.t.

U23 Women
1) Lily Plante (Desjardins-Ford-Cromwell-Primeau) 1:10:30
2) Ngaire Barraclough (The Cyclery Racing) s.t.
3) Jazmine Levergne (Desjardins-Ford-Cromwell-Primeau) +0:05

Elite/U23 Men

About 15 minutes into the race Matisse Julien, Matteo Dal-Cin and Alec Cowan bolted on the others. Julien was reabsorbed but reinforcements joined Dal-Cin and Cowan out front. Foley, Robin Plamondon and Riley Pickrell were the next to fly the coop. But it was all sewn up by Lap 25. Carson Miles tried his luck solo.

Heading towards the hour mark, Evan Russel, Julien and Thomas Schellenberg had gaps on the pack. Once they were corralled, Plamondon went again, this time with Aiden Oliphant. Again, the peloton, now 32 riders strong, re-formed.

When the dust had settled Foley was the elite champion, finishing ahead of L39ION of Los Angeles’ Cowan and Sam Morris. Charles Duquette was the U23 champion, coming in fifth overall.

Elite Men
1) Michael Foley (Toronto Hustle) 1:08:49
2) Alec Cowan (L39ION of Los Angeles) s.t.
3) Sam Morris (Above and Beyond Cancer p/b Bike World) s.t.

U23 Men
1) Charles Duquette (Equipe du Québec) 1:08:49
2) Thomas Schellenberg (Tag Cycling Race Team) s.t.
3) Nathen Pruner (Tag Cycling Race Team) s.t.