August 22/25 17:46 pm - Team Canada to Race Tour de l'Avenir for Women & Men

Posted by Editoress on 08/22/25
 

Canada will have squads competing in both the Tour de l'Avenir and Tour de l'Avenir Femmes. Both events begin tomorrow (August 23rd) and run until August 29th. The events are regarded as the Tour de France for athletes under the age of 23 (U23). Taking place across the French Alps, the competition will feature some of the world's best young talent, testing athletes with punishing mountain stages and tactical sprint finishes.

Isabella Holmgren

Ava Holmgren

Carson Mattern

Jonas Walton 

Last year, Isabella Holmgren finished second overall and won the Mountains competition; this year she was second in the Youth competition at the Giro d'Italia.

Team Canada - Women's Roster
• Alexandra Volstad (Calgary, AB)
• Anabelle Thomas (Calgary, AB)
• Ava Holmgren (Oro-Medonte, ON)
• Isabella Holmgren (Oro-Medonte, ON)
• Mairen Lawson (Grande Prairie, AB)
• Kiara Lylyk (Guelph, ON)

Team Canada - Men's Roster
• Carson Mattern (Ancaster, ON)
• Jérôme Gauthier (Amos, QC)
• Jonas Walton (Vancouver, BC)
• Leonard Peloquin (Montréal, QC)
• Luke Valenti (Orangeville, ON)
• Samuel Couture (Rosemère, QC)

The Tour de l'Avenir Femmes and the Tour de l'Avenir are widely recognized as some of the toughest races in cycling. With consecutive days of racing through the Alps, including summit finishes and unpredictable weather, the event demands fitness, tactics, resilience and teamwork.

National Team Coach, Nigel Ellsay, explains that Cycling Canada is "really looking forward to seeing these 12 athletes get another opportunity this year at the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes and the Tour de l'Avenir. They all look forward to this chance to don the maple leaf and race with their compatriots at the biggest and best U23 race of the season.

"It's also an opportunity for them to step into a different environment than with their trade teams, so they can try new things without team obligations and pressure. A huge thank you to the teams, parents, coaches, Cycling Canada sponsors, and Club 1882 members, among others, that help make this project a reality."