Jenn Jackson takes home the maple-leaf jersey at XCO national championship

It was a muddy day at the Canadian mountain bike nationals at the Gorge in Kentville, N.S., the weekend continuing with the Olympic cross country races. The heavy rains of the previous day made the course slick and sketchy in parts, as well as washing out the main road from Halifax to Kentville, preventing several athletes from competing.

New and returning elite champions

The racing was fast, despite the slippery conditions. In the elite women’s race, Jenn Jackson for Liv Factory Racing went off the front within the first lap and maintained her lead over all five laps, almost six minutes ahead of second place. She takes home the elite XCO national champion’s jersey, her second, ahead of Haley Smith and Sandra Walter.

“It was extremely slippery. We knew it was going to be a full hour and a half race and with the flat, rooty conditions you just can’t rush,” Jackson said. “I had a clean race. It was a super challenging course and I’m so happy to get the national champs jersey back.”

Carter Woods, who became the national short track champion two days eariler, also went off the front early in the elite men’s category. The race came down to a battle between Woods and Léandre Bouchard. Woods, racing up from the under-23 category to take on the elites, would be first over the line and takes home his second maple-leaf jersey this weekend.

Laurie Arseneault wins the Canadian national short track championship for a second year running

Under-23 men and women

It was a day for the early breakaways in the under-23 category as well, with Emilly Johnston following Jackson’s lead. She finished almost four minutes ahead of Ella Myers and Ella MacPhee.

In the under-23 men’s category, Cole Punchard claimed the national champion’s jersey ahead of Owen Clark and Noah Ramsay.

Two for two in the junior races

In the junior men’s races, Ian Ackert, Thursday’s short track champion, went off the front of the pack early to take home his second national champion jersey of the weekend.

“You had to get a gap at the start, just to be able to ride smooth and not get caught in any traffic, Ackert said. “so, first lap, I just went on the road climb and just didn’t look back from there.”

Felix Antoine LeClaire and Jacob Roy made up top three for the junior men’s race.

There was another repeat champion in the junior women’s category. Marin Lowe launched a solo breakaway early for her second national champion jersey of the weekend.

“It’s one of my favourite courses I’ve ever done,” Lowe said. “It reminds me of home and I live in B.C. where it’s always muddy like this so I was just stoked to ride it.”

Anabelle Drouin and Ayana Gagne made up the top three for the Junior women’s race.

Under-17s and masters

In the under-17 men’s race, Emilien Belzille took home the jersey.  Thursday’s short track champion Nicolas Gauthier was second and Eliot Courcelles third.

In the under-17 women’s race, Rafaelle Carrier took home her second jersey of the weekend, ahead of Lily Rose Marois and Nico Knoll.

The men’s masters 35-44 category was won by regular Canadian Cycling Magazine contributor Peter Glassford. He takes home the national champion jersey for the men, while Sue Haviland took the women’s category.

In the 45-54 masters category, Aroussen Laflame and Annik Belanger became the new XCO national champions.

Lorenzo Caterini and Lyne Nepton take home the jerseys in the 55+ masters category.