Team Canada stack squad for 2018 Milton World Cup with medal hopefuls
13 athletes will represent Canada with another nine development riders racing for UCI trade team Pedal 2 the Medal
Canada’s top track athletes are set to entertain the home crowd at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, Ont. from Oct. 26 to 28 in the second round UCI Track Cycling World Cup. Canada will put forward a solid line-up of endurance and sprint athletes, many whom are medal hopefuls. The competition is increasingly important for the Canadian track program as it seeks to secure spots for at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Cycling Canada have selected 13 athletes to compete on the national squad while nine development riders will compete on UCI trade team Pedal to the Medal.
“We’re proud to have the privilege of welcoming the world’s best track cyclists back to Canada for the second edition of the Milton World Cup,” said head of performance operations at Cycling Canada, Kris Westwood. “With Olympic qualification underway, the level of competition at this year’s event is going to be even better than last year, and it is very important for our national team, as this will be the first chance for us to truly gauge our athletes’ progression against many of the athletes and teams we will be facing in Tokyo in 2020.”
Olympian Hugo Barrette, who is fresh off winning two gold medals at the Pan Am championships, will be a medal favourite in the men’s sprint and Keirin events. Lauriane Genest and Amelia Walsh who earned silver at the Pan Am championships will join forces again in the team sprint and will both also compete in the individual sprint event. Genest will also race the Keirin. Joel Archambault on Pedal 2 the Medal will compete in the sprint and Keirin.
The women’s endurance squad came away with three medals at last years World Cup. This year the team will hope to build off that and will go in to defend their gold medal in the team pursuit. Rio Olympic team pursuit bronze medalist Allison Beveridge will be an alternate on the pursuit team and will compete in the omnium, madison and scratch race.
Steph Roorda will compete in the madison with Beveridge and team pursuit where she will be joined by three riders from last year’s gold medal winning team, Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey and Kinley Gibson.
Miriam Brouwer, Devaney Collier, Laurie Jussaume and Katherine Maine make up the Pedal 2 the Medal women’s team pursuit squad.
“The Milton World Cup will be the second race of our Olympic qualification period,” said Roorda. “Speaking for the team, we are all pretty excited to get things started. The Milton World Cup is an important race to start our season off with. While the main focus for us is later in the season at the world championships, it is really important to us to have a good performance at home. When we can put it together well in front of the home crowd, that’s the best feeling in the world.”
The men’s endurance squad won silver last year at the Milton World Cup. It’s a big year for the young team which hopes to qualify for the Olympis. Selected for the Milton World Cup are Aidan Caves, Michael Foley, Adam Jamieson and Jay Lamoureux with Derek Gee who was dominant at the national championships acting as an alternate. Foley, a local Milton native, will also race the omnium. The Pedal 2 the Medal team will be made up of Evan Burtnik, Vincent De Haitre, Chris Ernst and Tristan Guillemette.
Team Canada
Sprint
Lauriane Genest – Levis, Que. [Sprint, Keirin, Team Sprint]
Amelia Walsh – Ayr, Ont. [Sprint, Team Sprint]
Hugo Barrette – Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Que. [Sprint, Keirin]
Endurance Women
Allison Beveridge – Calgary [Omnium, Madison, Scratch, Team Pursuit (alternate)]
Ariane Bonhomme – Gatineau, Que. [Team Pursuit]
Annie Foreman-Mackey – Kingston, Ont. [Team Pursuit]
Kinley Gibson – Edmonton [Team Pursuit]
Steph Roorda – Vancouver [Madison, Team Pursuit, Omnium (alternate)]
Endurance Men
Aidan Caves – Vancouver [Team Pursuit]
Michael Foley – Milton, Ont. [Omnium, Team Pursuit]
Derek Gee – Ottawa [Team Pursuit (alternate)]
Adam Jamieson – Barrie, Ont. [Team Pursuit]
Jay Lamoureux – Victoria [Team Pursuit]
Pedal 2 the Medal
Sprint
Joel Archambault – Ste-Christine, Que. [Sprint, Keirin]
Endurance Women
Miriam Brouwer – Burlington, Ont. [Team Pursuit]
Devaney Collier – Edmonton [Team Pursuit, Scratch (alternate)]
Laurie Jussaume – Contrecoeur, Que. [Team Pursuit]
Katherine Maine – Ottawa [Team Pursuit]
Endurance Men
Evan Burtnik – Edmonton [Team Pursuit, Scratch]
Vincent De Haitre – Cumberland, Ont. [Team Pursuit]
Chris Ernst – Kitchener, Ont. [Team Pursuit]
Tristan Guillemette – Trois-Rivieres, Que. [Team Pursuit]
