Previewing the 2017 Canadian cyclocross championships
Maghalie Rochette looks to defend elite women's title while elite men's race is wide open
On Saturday, Canada’s top cyclocross racers gather in Sherbrooke, Que. for the 2017 national championships. Last year we got a taste of what the course in Parc Jacques-Cartier has to offer. Cool, wet and muddy conditions made for an exciting day of racing on the fast course which features a couple of short punchy inclines.
This year the course has been spiced up with the addition of a fly-over allowing organizers to make the race even more spectator friendly. The weather is looking beautiful on Saturday with a high of 19 C. Rain over the course of the week will make the course soft but by the time the elite’s get on course, the mud is likely to be rutted and packed down somewhat. It should be a fast race.
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The action gets underway at 8 am EDT with the master’s races. At 11 am, the under-17 men and women race. Next up at 12:15 pm are the junior and under-23 men race. The elite races—and our live coverage—starts at 1:20 pm with the under-23 and elite women. The elite men race at 2:20 pm.
Elite women
The elite women’s field is headlined by Maghalie Rochette (Clif Bar Team) who will be vying to defend her title. This season, the native of St-Jerome, Que. has launched the CX Fever Fund to support young racers, won Night Weasel in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and completed a full mountain bike season. All eyes will be on the defending champion who was fifth at worlds in January to see if she can repeat.
Heading up the challengers is 38-year-old Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (SAS-Macogep). The top Canadian in both rounds of the cyclocross World Cup at Jinglecross and in Waterloo, she will present a strong challenger to Rochette.
Mical Dyck was champion in 2015 and finished third to Rochette last year on the same course. Sandra Walter was second last year and will be another one to watch with a shop at the podium.
In the under-23 race, Ruby West goes in as the favourite with two World Cup under-23 podiums and her first UCI wins at last weekends Silver Goose under her belt. She was champion in 2015 but was unable to defend that title last year. Sydney McGill won in 2016 but will not be on the startline in Sherbrooke.
Elite men
Usually the previous years champion is expected to headline the field but Jérémy Martin retired from cycling after the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season meaning he will not be defending his national title. A host of capable challengers will be in the field with a chance of taking the title in 2017.
Mark McConnell experience of racing in Belgium and across North America has been adding up over the years. Hot Sauce had a strong start last year in Sherbrooke but faded to fourth. If he can put a clean race together he could find himself on the top step of the podium.
Garneau-Easton teammates Michael van den Ham and Craig Richey enter the race as strong condenters having ridden well the at the rounds of the two North American cyclocross World Cups. Van den Ham was top Canadian at both rounds and is fresh off a podium at the US Open of Cyclocross races in Boulder.
Canadian cross country mountain bike champion Peter Disera had a very strong season on the suspension rig. If he’s held onto some of that form into the off-season he could be a contender. Same goes for 2016 Olympians Raphael Gagné and Léandre Bouchard who will excel if the race conditions are technical.
Veteran Geoff Kabush already has 15 national titles to his name but there’s no slowing the 40-year-old down. Kabush mixed things up in 2017 still pulling off some fine esults with the win at the Trans-Cascadia mountain bike race and the win at the 2017 Grouse Grind Mountain Run in B.C.. The Sherbrooke course may lack space for him to put his leg speed to work, but he’s experienced, tenacious and capable of a great result if he’s on his day. He’s also got some training tricks to prepare for Belgium ‘cross season.
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Watch for 2017 junior champion Gunnar Holmgren and Brody Sanderson in the U23 men race.
