June 17/10 22:20 pm - Junior Athletes Ready to Race at Pan Ams

Posted by Editoress on 06/17/10
 

The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) is sending a team of eight to the Junior Pan American Championships in Mexico City June 20-24.  The team departs for Mexico on Friday, June 18th and for many of the young riders it will be their first international race experience.

Florence Laplante-Lamarche (ON) and Scott Mulder (BC) represented Canada at the Junior World Championships last year in Moscow and are looking forward to applying what they have learned at the Pan Am Championships.  Both riders are hoping to make the Junior Worlds Team this year in Italy and are using this competition as a gauge to see what they need to work on over the next few months to best prepare and move up in the World Ranking.  Florence will compete in the endurance events while Scott will compete in the sprint events.

Daniel McKenzie-Picot (ON) and Kristofer Ovsenek (ON), both second year cadets, will also compete in the sprint events.  Both riders are looking forward to their first international bike race and have approached their training with new focus and commitment since being named to the team.  Patrick McGinley, also from Ontario and racing in his first international race, will compete in the endurance events.  The young athlete has been racing his bike for less than a year and shows improvements with every lap he takes of the Velodrome.

Audrey Labrie (PQ) is used to standing on the podium at track races.  As the lone Canadian female sprinter competing at the these championships, this second year cadet will be looking to gain knowledge and experience that she can carry in to track nationals at the end of August and use towards a Junior World Championships berth in 2011.

First year juniors Alex Cataford (ON) and Allison Beveridge (AB) both upgraded from the U17 category at last years Track Nationals and won medals as juniors.  The endurance riders are showing potential for a strong placing in Mexico City and are excited to wear the maple leaf on their backs for the first time in competition.

The team will be lead by Rob Good (ON) and Jeff Ain (BC) who will also be the coaches for Junior Worlds in Montichiari, Italy August 11-15.  Rob commented “there is a lot of talent on this team and I believe we have a shot at several podium finishes in Mexico City.  This is the first time that I can remember a Canadian Team competing at the Junior Pan American Championships, we have been working on developing riders at the club level and those programs have helped develop international caliber athletes.”

Results and race reports will be posted on the CCA website, Twitter (cantrackcycling) and Facebook (Canadian Track Cycling).

CCA press release