The 2010 Canadian Para-Cycling Championships kicked off Saturday, as Canada’s best para-cyclists hit the streets of St-Georges de Beauce, QC, to compete in the Individual Time Trial events.

 

Notably, six-time Paralympian in Athletics (Long jump/High Jump), Arnold Boldt (Moose Jaw, SK) won the title in his category. Bolt, who made the transition to cycling in May of 2009 after a successful career in Athletics, is thrilled with his race in the Cycle Category, the category with the highest number of participants.

 

“The race was very good. It was a hard course for me, and it was windy. It’s a good, challenging course, so I am very satisfied for the results. I am a little bit surprised, but it’s good to win after training and prepared for this event. It’s a surprise as this is my first podium after I started to train with my coach Eric Van den Eynde following last year’s nationals,” said Boldt, a seven-time Paralympic Gold Medalist, after crossing the finish line.

 

Boldt, who is attempting to qualify for the 2012 London Paralympic Games in cycling, has already participated in six Paralympic Games. His first introduction to the Paralympic Games dates back to 1976, when Toronto, ON, hosted the “Paralympiad” on Canadian soil.

 

Boldt was been inducted in the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2001. His World and Paralympic High Jump record set in 1980 still stands, at 1.96m, to this day.

 

Mark Ledo, another convert from Athletics, took home the title in the hand cycling category, taking advantage of his light weight in the climbs to gain time over his competitors. Ledo sprinted out of the start line and clocked the fastest first of two laps of the course, and managed to increase his lead in the second lap, finishing the race with a time of 37 minutes and 57.75 seconds.

 

“I am super happy here to have won the race. I didn’t know I won until I checked the result. Honestly, Cycling is a lot easier on my body in comparison to Athletics. Making the transition was pretty simple. Today was a pretty heavy course, and that’s where I strong. I am only 120 pounds, so climbing is my strong point. I was suffering a lot in the second lap with the strong wind. In the descents, I wasn’t going as fast as my competitors, but I made it up going uphill,” said Ledo, a former Paralympic marathon runner.

 

Geneviève Ouellet (Québec, QC), a former swimmer of 12 years, and pilot Émilie Roy, won the Women’s Blind category. Roy and Ouellet have been riding together in tandem only for the last few months.

 

“The course was quite technical and great for our preparations for the World championships. I feel really comfortable in this type of course. We had good power in the climbs, and we pushed all the way to the end. In the last few kilometres, the winds picked a little, which made riding a bit harder, but we really ran our race, and we are starting to be well-coordinated together,” said Roy after the race.

 

Ouellet, who won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with a different pilot, finished 2nd overall behind the men’s tandem of Chalifour-Cloutier.

 

The Para-cycling depth of field has grown over 60% over the last year, with a total of 37 participants taking part in these 2010 Championships. The sharp growth an indication of good things to come, as the Canadian team prepares for the 2010 UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships, to be held August 18-22 in Baie-Comeau, QC, as well as for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

 

Other notable improvements from the Canadian Para-Cycling program are an increase in the participation from women, as well as a decrease in the average age of participants.

 

The results acquired at these Championships will be taken into consideration for the Canadian Team selection for the World Championships. Riders have to meet in full the performance criteria set forth by the Canadian Cycling Association.