November 9/10 16:39 pm - CCA Announces Dates/Locations for 2011 Nationals

Posted by Editor on 11/9/10
 

The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) has unveiled the dates and locations of the five 2011 National Cycling Championships, where Canada's top athletes in all five cycling sports will compete for the coveted "Maple Leaf" jersey, the symbol of excellence and pride for cyclists.

"We are pleased to announce the dates and locations of the 2011 National Cycling Championships. With successful hosting of our 2010 Nationals, we are moving forward with the relentless objective of improving the experience for all cyclists in Canada," said Mathieu Boucher, director of development at the CCA. "The Nationals are phenomenal events to attend, support and interact with Olympic and World Championships hopefuls as the team prepares for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, Great Britain."

The Road Nationals will be held in Burlington, Ontario. With impressive registration numbers at the 2010 Nationals in Edmonton and the highly publicised success of the UCI ProTour road cycling events in Québec and Montréal, it is expected to see higher numbers for the 2011 road championships. Canada's top road cyclists, such as Svein Tuft, Dominique Rollin, Michael Barry, Christian Meier, Guillaume Boivin and Elite Men's champion Will Routley amongst others are expected to attend the event in the Men’s races. Canada's top female cyclists Tara Whitten, Joëlle Numainville, Anne Samplonius, Alison Testroete and Erinne Willock to name just a few contenders for the Women’s Elite title.

For a second straight year, the Track Cycling Nationals will be held in Bromont, QC, on the outdoor track. Tara Whitten, double world champion and five-time Canadian champion in 2010, will be looking to continue her domination. Whitten will be challenged by the impressive progress of Laura Brown, Stephanie Roorda and Monique Sullivan. World-class sprinter Travis Smith and endurance rider Zach Bell will headline the Men's races. Youngsters Alex Cataford and Scott Mulder, both international threats, should be ones to watch in the junior category, while Allison Beveridge and Florence Laplante-Lamarche will be strong contenders for the women's Junior races.

The Mountain Bike Nationals will be held in Canmore, Alberta for the cross-country events, and Panorama, British Columbia for the downhill events - the same location as the 2010 championships. The organizing committees look to build on the very successful events held at those resorts. Catharine Pendrel, the two-time defending National champion and 2010 World Cup champion, will be looking to win a third straight title in the Elite Women's category. Pendrel will now face contender Emily Batty, who is moving up to Elite from the U23 category. Geoff Kabush, Canada's top ranked rider, will be looking for his 12th title in Men's racing. In the downhill event, Junior World Champion Lauren Rosser will be looking to continue her progress and will aim for the national title.

The BMX Nationals will be held in Québec City, Québec. Many adrenaline junkies will be looking to grab the title in the newest Olympic cycling sport. The 2010 event experienced its highest registration numbers in the sport's recent history. Tory Nyhaug, Canada's star and multiple World Champion in BMX, will be looking for redemption after missing the 2010 edition due to an injury sustained at the BMX World Championships in South Africa.

The Para-cycling Nationals will be held simultaneously with the road and track nationals. The move to combine events comes as the CCA pursues its goal to fully integrate para-cycling to able-bodied events. The World Champion tandem of Robbi Weldon and Lyne Bessette will be looking to further improve their performances as they prepare for the 2012 Paralympic Games. The duo will be pushed by the experienced team of Geneviève Ouellet and Émilie Roy, bronze medallists at the World Championships. Many up and coming stars in the making are also expected to participate, such as Brayden McDougall and Jaye Milley.

The Cyclo-cross Nationals will make its return to Toronto, Ontario. The 2010 edition was held in Toronto on November 6th. The growth of cyclo-cross in Canada was clearly on display as Canada's top cyclists from road and mountain bike competed for the coveted titles.

The Canadian Cycling Association is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, the CCA aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship medal performances.


2011 National Championships*

2011 Road Nationals

June 23-26 - Burlington, ON - U23/Elite

June 30 to July 3 - Burlington, ON - Para/Junior/Master

2011 Mountain Bike Nationals

July 16-17 - Canmore, AB - Cross-Country

July 23-24 - Panorama, BC - Downhill

2011 BMX Nationals

August 5-7 - Quebec, QC

2011 Track Nationals

August 8-14 - Centre national de cyclisme de Bromont, QC** - Para/Elite/Junior/Master

2011 Cyclo-cross Nationals

November 5 - Toronto, ON

*Schedule subject to change

**Conditional to track conditions