December 2/99 9:53 am - Canadian Cyclist of the Year Award Winners

Posted by Editor on 12/2/99
 

The Canadian Cyclist of the Year awards are now in their third year and are conducted by Canadian Cyclist Online - Canada‚s largest cycling website. These People‚s Choice awards are voted on over a two week period by cycling enthusiasts from across Canada, with over 1000 votes cast this year.

Alison Sydor won the Female category with 37% of votes cast after a season that saw her win her third World Cup overall title, a silver medal at the Pan Am Games, and a silver medal at the World Championships. The Victoria-based rider also ends the year ranked number one in the world. Junior double world champion Genevieve Jeanson (Lachine, Quebec), finished a close second in voting with 34% of votes cast. In third place was 1997 winner Chrissy Redden, the mountain bike cross country and cyclo-cross national champion with 10% of the votes.

Peter Wedge, from Frederiction, New Brunswick, took the Male title (46% of votes cast), after a year that saw him medal in 4 national cycling championship events, and win two (Cyclo-cross and Criterium). Wedge is a member of the national cycling team, and is the top ranked North American rider in the cyclo-cross discipline. U.S.-based professional road racer Gord Fraser (from Ottawa, Ontario) finished second in voting (22%), following a season in which he achieved over 30 professional wins. Eric Wohlberg, the Pan Am Games and national time trial champion finished third, with 11% of votes cast.

Genevieve Jeanson, from Lachine, Quebec, took the Individual Performance award (58% of votes cast) for her incredible World Championship win at the Junior road race in Trevisio, Italy. Jeanson also won the Individual Time trial world title at the same event. Alison Sydor finished second (10%) to Jeanson for her silver medal performance at the 1999 World Mountain Bike championships in Are, Sweden. Eric Wohlberg was third again (7.5% of votes).

The awards will be presented this evening (December 2nd) at the PacificSport Champions of Cycling Gala, in Victoria, British Columbia.