August 11/11 23:50 pm - Track Nationals: Day 4 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 08/11/11
 

Whitten, Mackinnon On Top Form At Canadian Track Championships In Bromont

Omnium event showcases best all-around athletes on the track

Cameron MacKinnon, from Calgary living in Dieppe, NB and training at the Atlantic Cycling Centre, spent two years out of competitive cycling prior to making his comeback in 2010. Now, he’s the Canadian Champion in the Omnium, a six-race event that features both endurance and speed events.

MacKinnon profited from an excellent opportunity, with the absence of 2010 World Cup Champion Zach Bell of Watson Lake, Yukon, training in North Vancouver, BC. MacKinnon jumped on the chance, winning four races to take the coveted Canadian title, his 13th career Canadian title.

“I am really happy, especially coming off a road season and limited time on the track. It’s a little bit disappointing not to have Zach Bell competing here, but I’ll take it, said MacKinnon. “Last year I came to Canadian championships without any road races at all, so this is my first season with road racing since my junior years. It definitely helped with the intensity and the volume of racing with six events.”

“Now I get to go home, and train hard. There are plenty of young guys coming up like [Jacob] Schwingboth, [Jean-Michel] Lachance, and [Rémi] Pelletier-Roy. There are so many young guys so the future looks bright. It’s hard to say what’s going to happen on the World Cup season. I will be talking to Richard Wooles, the head coach of the team, and take it from there,” added MacKinnon.

Riding for Team H&R Block, Cameron spent most of his time this summer doing road races, including the 2011 IMMUNITY-FX Canadian Road Championships. Earlier this summer, he took the first place at the Giro de Burnaby in BC.

Prior to his two-year departure from the sport in 2008, MacKinnon was one of Canada’s top sprinters, competing around the world and excelling. He won 12 Canadian titles in track cycling, combined in Elite and Junior categories, and now adding the lucky 13th to his resumé.

MacKinnon is no stranger to international racing as he participated at Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Championships, where he won Gold (in the Kilo) in 2006, World Junior Championships, as well as World Championships.

Now, at 27 years of age, he’s slowly but surely on his way back up in the sport. MacKinnon rides in the Team Pursuit and in the Scratch for Canada at international events. This past season, he wore the Maple Leaf on his back at the World Cup stops in Beijing, China, and Cali, Colombia.

In addition to his Omnium title, MacKinnon won the titles for the Individual Pursuit and the Kilo.

In the women’s race, it’s without any surprise that World Champion Tara Whitten of Edmonton, AB came out on top, winning all six races to score the lowest possible points in the gruelling event.

“I am pretty happy to win. But I am also pretty happy with my training. It shows I am at a good level right now. I am excited about the season to come. It’s less than a year to the Olympic Games now, so the main objective will be to prepare for the Olympic games. I am in an excellent spot for qualifications, so I don’t have to worry quite as much with regards to the World Cups,” said Tara Whitten.

“The focus has been on some road racing and building endurance. I had a good training base this summer, but at the same time I believe in never getting to far away from the top speed. I have been trying to be on the track every ten days or so and maintain the sharpness,” continued Whitten. “I am really hoping that at some point when I retiring I can do some things to improve the participation level and depth of track cycling in Canada, and especially on the women’s side.”

Laura Brown of Vancouver , BC took the second place of the Omnium in a close race with teammate Stephanie Roorda.

In her first race in the Elite category, Jasmine Glaesser, who raced with a German licence but will receive her Canadian citizenship in the weeks to come, impressed many, almost beating Tara Whitten in the Scratch race. The young Canadian cycling protégé, hailing from British Columbia, has a bright future in front of her. The young 19 year old racer flew in on Tuesday night on the red-eye from Vancouver to race at the Canadian Championships on Wednesday- she wrote her Citizenship exam Tuesday.

In the sprint events, both Monique Sullivan and Travis Smith of Calgary, Alberta, successfully defended their titles. Smith won both heats in the gold medal ride against Joseph Veloce of Ontario, while Sullivan defeated Gillian Carleton of British Columbia.

Tomorrow will feature another full day of racing with the start of the Masters and Para-cycling races.

Courtesy CCA