08.04.11 - TRACK CYCLING SEASON STARTS WITH CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BROMONT

A year out of 2012 Olympic, the only velodrome in Québec is resurfaced

(Bromont, QC – August 04, 2011) The best track riders of the country will compete on the newly resurfaced track at the Velodrome of the National Cycling Centre in Bromont, Quebec, at the 2011 Canadian Track Championships to be held from August 8 au13, where a total of 50 Canadian titles will be disputed in the Elite Class, Juniors and Masters.

These championships are the launch of the 2012 season of track cycling, the last season before the Olympic Games in London. Spectators and supporters of the sport of cycling will be blessed by the presence of many Canadian stars, including three-time World Champion and 2011 World Cup champion in the Omnium, Tara Whitten of Edmonton, Alberta, as well as Canadian Champions in the sprint races Travis Smith and Monique Sullivan, both of Calgary, Alberta.

"The Canadian championships are always at a weird time of year but they are still a good opportunity to practice race routines, warm-ups, nutrition etc.," said Sullivan. "I am definitely not in a speed phase because I am doing a lot of strength and volume work right now. It will force me to race smart and fight through having heavy legs. Plus I get to restock on my maple syrup!"

Zach Bell of Watson Lake, Yukon, who lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, 2011 World Cup champion in the Omnium, will be absent from these championships as he participates in stage races with Team SpiderTech powered by C10 on European soil.

Scott Mulder of Vancouver, British Columbia, a multiple Canadian champion in the junior category, will be racing for the first time in the Elite category. Mulder, who participated in his first UCI World Cup in 2011, will be alongside his team-mates Stéphane Cossette Bromont, QC, a renowned sprinter who returns to competition after a serious foot injury, and Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, Ontario, a regular at international competitions.

"We are currently in the track 'off-season', but the sprinters have been continuing to work hard, trying to take advantage of this time to build strength and power. With nationals quickly approaching, we are taking the opportunity to try a mini-taper and get some speed in our legs," said Veloce. "The Canadian Championships will be a good test to make sure things are going according to plan as we build up to the World Cup season and the Olympic Games."

Fans will also have the opportunity to see the best up-and-comers in track cycling, with the presence of young and aspiring stars. Among others, the young, multiple Canadian Junior Champion and Pan American Junior champion Alex Cataford of Ottawa, ON, as well as Kyle Buckosky of Surrey, BC, fourth in the Madison and Scratch at the Pan American Junior Championships.

Still in junior, the competition will be fierce in the sprint events, with Joakim Albert of St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC, Kris Ovsenek London, ON and Daniel MacKenzie-Picot London, ON, all sprinters with high aspirations for Canadian titles. Emile Jean, Canadian junior champion in the road race, will also be competing as he would like to add some titles to his collection.

Multiple Canadian Junior champion Allison Beveridge of Calgary, Alberta will be absent from the event as she opted to train in Switzerland in preparations for the UCI Juniors Track World Championships to be held the week after the championships.

Cadets and juniors will be the first to attack the track, then there will be main events of these championships with the presentation of races in the Elite category, endurance and speed. Les maîtres, weekend warriors, and paracyclists will close these championships on Friday and Saturday.

The competitions will take place on the 250-meter track in the Velodrome of the National Cycling Centre in Bromont, Quebec. Earlier this summer, this track has been completely renovated and track cycling enthusiasts now have a brand new surface to ride on. The repairs, led by the FQSC, have been made by a group of volunteers, and equipment was provided by a local company. The track was painted this week for better performance next week.

2011 CANADIAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2011 Canadian Track Championships is Canada’s top domestic track cycling event. The event annually attracts some of the country’s best track cyclists challenging for the Red and White Jersey awarded to the Canadian Champions. Organized by the Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC), the event is governed by the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), a member of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The 2011 Canadian Track Championships will be held on August 8-14 on the outdoor velodrome track at the National Cycling Centre in Bromont, Québec, and showcases racing for all categories: Junior, U23, Elite and Masters.