08.06.11 - NYHAUG AND MILLMAN TAKE FIRST-EVER TIME TRIALS TITLES AT 2011 CANADIAN BMX CHAMPIONSHIPS

Historical day for BMX as Time Trials races make its entry into Championships programming

(Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC – August 05, 2011) The 2011 Canadian BMX Championships presented by Leclerc, held in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures near Québec city, kicked off today with the presentation of the first ever Time Trials Championship races of this cycling sport which was disputed at the Olympic Games for the first time in 2008.

The Time Trials is a brand new event added to the Championships program this year. In the past, these events were previously called ‘seeding runs’, and no title was awarded to the fastest riders.

In the men’s Elite category, Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC won this historical title, crossing the finish line with the fastest time of 30.301 seconds in the Superfinals, more than one second on the second place. Earlier this season at a World Cup, Nyhaug placed third in the time trials, and enjoys having the discipline in the championships.

“I really had a lot of fun today. It’s my first race as Elite in Canadian Championships, and just a week after Worlds. I really wanted to go hard here tonight. Time Trials is an important part of the season, with Olympic points at grab. In 2016, it may be in the Olympic program as well...You definitely have to train for both the TT and the Supercross” said Nyhaug.

“I think the Time trials are a really good format. It’s exciting for the fans, especially with the Superfinals. I am really happy about having it as a Championship race. It’s just you against the track and no one else. You just have to go with it, you have to ride track, and not over think it.”

The defending Canadian BMX Champion Jim Brown of Airdrie, Alberta, came second, followed by Connor McCormack of Kelowna, British Columbia in third.

On the women’s side, Sabrina Millman of Cochrane, Alberta claimed the title with a time of 35.604 seconds. Racing her first ever Elite race tonight, Sabrina was excited to be on top immediately, especially racing with a broken wrist.

“It feels really good. I am cooming back from a broken wrist, which I broke in Abbotsford in a UCI race a couple of weeks back. I had to do a lot of physio in the last few weeks. I didn’t prepare at all, and came here hoping for the best,” said Millman. “I loved the track, probably the best track I have ever been on in my life. It’s really smooth and everything is so easy to jump. It’s just fun. The racing tomorrow will be hard, and it will be fun!”

In second place came Amelia Walsh of Ontario and Makara Martin of Alberta, returning to competition after a few years away from the competitive sport, took the third place.

In the junior rank, Corey Walsh of Ayr, Ontario grabbed the men’s title, and Paige Zarazun of Vancouver, BC took the win in the women’s race.

Close to 300 riders are registered for the BMX Championships race, including Jim Brown of Airdrie, Alberta is present to defend his 2010 title. Held tomorrow, the race will feature a brand new Canadian Champion crowned in the women’s Elite category as the defending champion retired earlier this summer.

WEBCAST SCHEDULE

Saturday August 7th : 11:30am to 4:30pm

Eastern Time. For a complete schedule of the webcast, visit www.tvgo.ca

Please note that the schedule can change anytime, without notice. Weather conditions, as well as registration numbers, may affect the schedule, and consequently the webcast. We are inviting you to visit http://www.nationalchampionshipbmx2011.com/ to view the most up-to-date schedule.

RESULTS – 2011 BMX CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS – TIME TRIALS

SuperFinals: http://www.canadian-cycling.com/disciplines/sites/default/files/TT-Final.pdf

Qualifications: http://www.canadian-cycling.com/disciplines/sites/default/files/TT-Qual.pdf

ELITE MEN

1. NYHAUG, Tory (British Columbia) 30.301

2. BROWN, James (Alberta) 31.333 +1.032

3. MCCORMACK, Connor (British Columbia) 31.815 +1.514

ELITE WOMEN

1. MILLMAN, Sabrina (Alberta) 35.604

2. WALSH, Amelia (Ontario) 37.281 +1.677

3. MARTIN, Makara (Alberta) 37.379 +1.775

JUNIOR MEN

1. WALSH, Corey (Ontario) 32.716 ***

2. MCRAE, Calvin (Alberta) 32.880 +0.164

3. PALMER, James (British Columbia) 33.864 +1.148

JUNIOR WOMEN

1. ZARAZUN, Paige (British Columbia) 38.273

2. LANDERS, Amanda (Québec) 40.333 +2.060

3. BRAULT, Marilou (Québec) 42.353 +4.080

2011 CANADIAN BMX CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2011 Canadian BMX Championships is Canada’s top domestic BMX event. The event annually attracts some of our country’s best BMX athletes challenging for the Red and White Jersey awarded to the Canadian Champions. Organized by the Club de BMX de Québec in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, the event is governed by the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA), a member of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The event is made possible thanks to the close collaboration between the Canadian Cycling Association, The Fédération québécoise des sports cyclistes (FQSC) and the Quebec BMX Club. The Canadian BMX Championships will be held on August 5-7 in Québec, and showcases racing for all categories: Junior, Elite and Masters. For more information, please visit http://www.nationalchampionshipbmx2011.com/