June 1/15 10:58 am - Pan Am Games Team Announced

Posted by Editoress on 06/1/15
 

Cycling Canada has officially announced the squad of 24 athletes that will represent Canada at the Pan American Games in July, in the disciplines of Track, Road, Mountain Bike and BMX.

The team is a mix of experienced pro riders and newcomers attending their first major Games, and offers multiple medal opportunities. Looking at each discipline individually, we are giving a medal prediction of 11 medals for cycling:

Track

Women
Allison Beveridge (Calgary, AB) [Women's Team Pursuit]
Laura Brown (Vancouver, BC) [Women's Team Pursuit]
Jasmin Glaesser (Coquitlam, BC) [Women's Team Pursuit, Women's Omnium]
Kirsti Lay (Medicine Hat, AB) [Women's Team Pursuit]
Kate O'Brien (Calgary, AB) [Women's Sprint, Women's Team Sprint]
Monique Sullivan (Calgary, AB) [Women's Sprint, Women's Team Sprint, Women's Keirin]

Team Pursuit

Team Sprint

Monique Sullivan

Canada will be disappointed with anything less than gold for the Team Pursuit, and there are strong medal opportunities for Jasmin Glaesser in the Omnium, and Monique Sullivan in both the Sprint and Keirin. Sullivan and O'Brien also have a medal chance in the Team Sprint. Our prediction is 3 medals, minimum.

Men
Hugo Barrette (Cap-aux-Meules, QC) [Men's Sprint, Men's Team Sprint, Men's Keirin TBD]
Evan Carey (Victoria, BC) [Men's Sprint, Men's Team Sprint]
Adam Jamieson (Toronto, ON) [Men's Team Pursuit]
Eric Johnstone (Calgary, AB) [Men's Team Pursuit]
Sean MacKinnon (Hamilton, ON) [Men's Team Pursuit]
Rémi Pelletier-Roy (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC) [Men's Team Pursuit, Men's Omnium]
Ed Veal (Queensville, ON) [Men's Team Pursuit]
Joseph Veloce (Fonthill, ON) [Men's Sprint, Men's Team Sprint, Men's Keirin TBD]

Hugo Barrette

Joseph Veloce

Team Sprint

Team Pursuit

Ed Veal

Remi Pelletier-Roy

The men's Team Pursuit squad should be in the medal hunt, as should Remi Pelletier-Roy for the Omnium and either Hugo Barrette or Joseph Veloce for both the Sprint and Keirin. Our prediction is 2 medals, possibly 3.

Mountain Bike

Women
Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON/Trek Factory Racing) [Women's Cross-Country]
Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC/Luna Pro Team) [Women's Cross-Country]

Anything less than gold and silver will be considered a disappointment here, with the reigning world and Commonwealth champion, and the Commonwealth silver medallist. Two medals.

Men
Raphaël Gagné (Québec, QC/Rocky Mountain Bicycles) [Men's Cross-Country]
Derek Zandstra (Trenton, ON/Scott-3 Rox) [Men's Cross-Country]

The medal prospects aren't as much of a slam dunk as the women, however, we should be in the medals here. Our prediction is a minimum of 1 medal.

BMX

Women
Dana Tuchscherer (Airdrie, AB) [Women's BMX]
Amelia Walsh (Ayr, ON) [Women's BMX]

There's a lot of competition here, so making the Final is as much as we are willing to hope for.

Men
Jimmy Brown (Airdrie, AB) [Men's BMX]
Tory Nyhaug (Coquitlam, BC) [Men's BMX]

If Tory Nyhaug is healthy and on form, a medal is a strong possibility. We predict 1 medal.

Road

Women
Allison Beveridge (Calgary, AB/Team Trek-Red Truck Racing) [Women's Road Race]
Laura Brown (Vancouver, BC/ UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) [Women's Time Trial]
Jasmin Glaesser (Coquitlam, BC/ Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies) [Women's Road Race, Women's Time Trial]
Kirsti Lay (Medicine Hat, AB/ Team SAS-Mazda-Macogep p/b Specialized) [Women's Road Race]

Despite missing Leah Kirchmann, this is a strong team, both for the time trial and the road race. We predict 1 medal.

Men
Guillaume Boivin (Longueuil, QC/Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies) [Men's Road Race]
Sean MacKinnon (Hamilton, ON) [Men's Road Race, Men’s Time Trial]
Rémi Pelletier-Roy (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC/Garneau-Quebecor) [Men's Road Race]
Hugo Houle (Ste-Perpétue, QC/AG2R LaMondiale) [Men’s Road Race, Men’s Time Trial]

In the time trial, Svein Tuft declined because he is riding the Tour, however, Hugo Houle has been on the podium at Nationals with Svein many times. The road race is more of a gamble, but Guillaume Boivin gives us a chance in a sprint, while Pelletier-Roy or Houle could do well in a break. We predict 1 medal.

Coaches
Jacques Landry (Team Leader) (Ottawa, ON)
Kris Westwood (Deputy Team Leader) (Ottawa, ON)
Ken Cools (Coach, BMX) (Abbotsford, BC)
Craig Griffin (Coach, Track, Women’s Endurance) (Colorado Springs, CO, USA)
Erin Hartwell (Coach, Track, Sprint) (Dundas, ON)
Ian Melvin (Coach, Track Men’s Endurance) (Milton, ON)
Dan Proulx (Coach, Mountain Bike) (Victoria, BC)

Staff
Craig Deveer (Therapist, Road and Track) (Sarnia, ON)
Roger Friesen (Sports Psychologist) (Abbotsford, BC)
Tara Lazarski (Therapist, Mountain Bike) (North Vancouver, BC)
Adam Muys (Mechanic, BMX) (Maple Ridge, BC)
Guy Napert-Frenette (Communications Manager/Media Attaché) (Calgary, AB)
Mike Patton (Physiologist, Track) (Guelph, ON)
Dan Peters (Mechanic, Road and Track) (Hamilton, ON)
Adam Trotter (Mechanic, Mountain Bike) (Waterloo, ON)
Jenn Turner (Chiropractor) (New Westminster, BC)
Emily Wood (Performance Analyst) (Nottingham, GBR) Pan Am MTB Athlete Quotes

We spoke with the four riders who will represent Canada at the Pan Am Games for mountain biking, about what it will be like to ride for Canada, in Canada.

Emily Batty

Any time we get to do a Games, it is a pretty amazing and special event. Especially with it being in Toronto, and my home area, I expect a lot of spectators, a lot of fans. And I'm really proud, you know, to wear the maple leaf on my back, no matter where, is special, but to do it here is an honour, and I'm really excited. Hopefully we will go for the medals for Canada.

Raphaël Gagné

This is my second major Games after Commonwealths last year, but Pan Ams is pretty big and it's in Canada, so I'm proud, I'm excited, I'm honoured to be named to the team and to be racing at Hardwood. I'm really looking forward to it because it has always been a course where I have felt great, and I'm excited to race there for Canada in my first Pan Am Games.

Catharine Pendrel

I think it's going to be incredibly special. A Games is so different then any other event, and I love it; it's a magical experience. To have that experience in Canada will be phenomenal. It's also a really good opportunity for us riders who hope to be in Rio [2016 Olympics] to deal with that kind of pressure and to figure out as athletes what you need to do to perform in that environment.

I think it will definitely be an advantage [to race on a home course]. I've actually only raced there once in the last ten years [when she won the national title last year], but it went pretty well and I know what it's like to give my best on that course. Emily put up a really amazing battle in the race last year [2nd] and hopefully I'll have similar form as I had last year.

Derek Zandstra

It's always an honour to wear the maple leaf, and being in Canada just makes it that much better. I'm pretty excited about being on what is a home course for me; I've done really well here in the past, and I hope I can do the same in the future.

It's very much home turf, what I grew up learning how to ride on. It's one of my first Canada Cup wins there [and the national title two years ago] ... it's good to be home.

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