Posted by Editor on 12/3/99
PacificSport Gala
In addition to the Canadian Cyclist Awards, the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) and PacificSport gave out broad array of awards that recognized the incredible cycling talent Canada is home to. A press release and full list of awards is below.
The Gala was, as always, a great chance to get together with so many of Canada‚s top cyclists all at once. It could be best summed up by the sight of mountain biker Seamus McGrath and track star Tanya Dubnicoff having a drink together at the Axis nightclub. „I never get to see these guys‰, said Tanya. „This is our chance to talk to the other riders as well.‰
It is also a chance to see everyone dressed up. After seeing them all year in cycling clothes, it is occasionally difficult to recognize people... Trish Sinclair won the „Best Makeover‰ award, in our opinion. There were five finalists for the Hairdo award - Chrissy Redden, Melanie McQuaid, Daamiann Skelton, Seamus McGrath and Chris Sheppard. Sheppard took it, with a ŒDo that even he likened to a 1970s shag carpet...
There is lots of team stuff happening, some of it official, some not quite yet. Chrissy Redden will be leaving Ritchey-Yahoo! (who are doing a Euro team only). She hasn‚t finalized her contract yet, but she will be moving to a big, blockbuster team - we should be able to say something next week. Chrissy also said that she will be doing the first ever women‚s cyclo-cross World Championships next January (in Holland). She has to be considered a strong medal contender.
We have already mentioned that Chris Sheppard and Seamus McGrath will be riding together for Haro Bikes in 2000. Both are excited about the team, which has signed clothing manufacturer Lee as a sponsor. Chris says that the extra funding will allow them to really concentrate on racing, and getting ready for the Olympics. McGrath is moving out to Victoria for the winter to train, with Sheppard spending part of his time in North Carolina. Chris has also promised to continue sending in „The Shep Report‰ while he is on the road. Chris Sheppard was surprised to win the CCA award for Male Mountain Bike Athlete, and immediately said that it should have gone to his new teammate Seamus. Pretty classy, but Chris, you have been one of the most consistent riders of the year, and lead the UCI men‚s rankings for North Americans.
Brian Walton and Michael Barry will both stay with Saturn, as will Lyne Bessette and Clara Hughes. Clara sat with us at the banquet (as did Chrissy, Chris Sheppard and Daamiann). Clara had just left Calgary, where she spent some time speedskating. She says that she is definitely committed to her long range plans of trying for future Olympics in speedskating after Sydney. Clara also filled us in a little more on her crash prior to the Worlds Time Trial race. A few days before the race she and Linda Jackson were out training and a woman ran right into her, knocking her flying. During the race she was so sore and stiff that she couldn‚t even lift one of her arms to shoulder height. Despite this, she finished 7th.
Lesley Tomlinson stays with RLX Polo Sport, but Andreas Hestler has left and is negotiating with another team; he promises an announcement soon. Alison Sydor is already under contract with Volvo-Cannondale, so no changes there. (Alison also tried to tell a group of us that she was dreadfully out of shape and getting dropped on the training rides. If only we could all be so out of shape...
The representative from national team sponsor UPS was quite excited about his company‚s involvement in cycling, and promises that this is a long-term commitment to the sport. He will be working with the national team to prepare for Sydney, and we should see some promo stuff on the sponsorship in the new year.
National Development Coach Jacques Landry joked that his title has been changed to Gopher. He is busy wrangling the riders through the various sponsor photo shoots that are probably the biggest part of the‰training camp‰ that accompanies the Gala.
Dominique Perras, who recently signed a pro contract with a new (and still nameless) Euro squad, admitted that he is a little scared of making the jump to the pro ranks. He thinks that he will be making his debut with the team at the Malaysian Tour of Langkawi, at the end of January.
The final figures aren‚t all in, but it looks like the Gala and Auctions raised approximately $12,000 for the PacificSport National Cycling Centre. Of that, about a third was raised through the online auction, and both the coaching staff and the athletes were very appreciative of the efforts and contributions of all the bidders. Thank you all for your contributions towards our cyclists‚ preparations for the Sydney Olympics.
After the Gala and Awards proper, everybody moved over to the local club Axis, where the party really started. We left about 2:00 am, but things were just starting to heat up at that point...
Now for some photos:
Melanie McQuaid, Chrissy Redden, Lesley Tomlinson, Daamiann Skelton
Alison Sydor with the Œglassware‚ she won at the banquet
Seamus McGrath
Andreas Hestler and Clara Hughes
Tanya Dubnicoff and Alison Sydor, winners of the CCA President‚s awards
CCA Annual General Meeting
Attention in Victoria now turns to the CCA AGM, which will be held Saturday afternoon (December 4th) at 2:00 pm in the Harbour Towers hotel. While individual members can not vote, it is your right to attend and see what is going on at the national level. Please make the time to drop in, if you are in the area.
The most interesting election should be for President. Opposing incumbent Brian Jolly (who is running for a third consecutive term) is former Quebec federation president Michel DuPaul. We hear that the telephone lines have been burning up across the country as the Jolly and DuPaul forces marshal their votes.
Also on the table is a considerable amount of restructuring (alluded to in earlier news items). Our snooping suggests that the proposed changes are not a Œdone deal‚, with some of the provinces uneasy about the consolidation of power being presented. We rate this one a 50-50 chance of passing unchanged.
Canada‚s top cyclists celebrate a year of championship achievements
Victoria, BC, December 2, 1999 - Canada‚s top road, mountain and track cyclists celebrated a stellar season with their teammates, coaches and supporters at the third annual PacificSport National Cycling Centre Champions of Cycling Awards Gala tonight.
And a cyclist from each discipline was a double winner, taking home prestigious awards that revealed their talent on the international roads, trails and velodromes of the world.
Alison Sydor, who captured her third World Cup title this year, received the Female Mountain Bike Athlete of the Year Award and shared the President‚s Trophy with Tanya Dubnicoff, Canada‚s top female track cyclist ever. Dubnicoff also received the Female Track Athlete of the Year Award, a recognition in part for her double gold performance at the Pan American Games held in her hometown of Winnipeg.
Rounding out the return trips to the awards podium was rising star Genevieve Jeanson who captured the Russ Coupland Award as the best overall junior, and the Steve Bauer Award for the most promising female athlete. The Lachine, Que. 18-year old had an amazing season, winning both the individual time trial and road race at the World Championships, capturing the Killington stage race and Mt. Washington Hillclimb in Vermont and adding a national championship title to her list. (Attached is a complete list of the award winners.)
The cyclists are in town for an annual two-week national team training camp under the direction of Canada1s top coaches, including Head Coach of the PacificSport National Cycling Centre Yury Kashirin. The camp provides an opportunity for all of the riders to train together, regardless of their discipline, as they prepare to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
„The athletes are in the middle of the usual rigours of a training camp, including extensive physical and mental training, sport science testing and workshops pertaining to career and sponsorship areas,‰ says Kashirin. „This is their big night out, where they have a chance to recognize the achievements of their peers and say thank you to the cycling community.‰
The PacificSport National Cycling Centre is a partnership of the Canadian Cycling Association, Cycling BC, the Victoria International Bicycle Race Society, the Greater Victoria Velodrome Association and PacificSport.
PacificSport lends its name to the new integrated network of multi-sport athlete training centres in British Columbia, the first of its kind in Canada. Through collaborative initiatives and unique partnerships, PacificSport is committed to creating a dynamic new environment for sport excellence in athlete services, world-class coaching and sport development at all levels.
The PacificSport Group is comprised of multi-sport athlete training centres throughout BC, including the National Sport Centres in Greater Victoria and Greater Vancouver. Regional Sport Centres are located in Abbotsford, Kamloops, Nanaimo and Victoria, and Prince George, covering the Fraser Valley, interior, Vancouver Island, and the north respectively.
1999 PacificSport National Cycling Centre Champions of Cycling Award Winners
RUSS COUPLAND AWARD - Best Overall Junior - Genevieve Jeanson, Lachine, Que.
∑ World Champion in both Junior Individual Time Trial and Road Race,
∑ Winner Killington stage race, Mt Washington Hillclimb
∑ National Road Champion (junior)
MALE MOUNTAIN BIKE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Chris Sheppard, Kamloops
∑ Pan American Games bronze medallist
FEMALE MOUNTAIN BIKE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Alison Sydor, Victoria
∑ World Cup overall champion, third time
∑ #1 ranked rider in the world
∑ World Championships silver medallist
∑ Medallist in seven of eight World Cup events, including two gold
∑ Pan American Games silver medallist
MALE ROAD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Gord Fraser, Ottawa
∑ Pan American Games silver medallist in road race
∑ Second overall on the U.S. Pro Tour road race circuit
∑ The winningest Canadian pro male road rider in recent history, including five stages of the inaugural TransCanada Tour in 1999
FEMALE ROAD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Lyne Bessette, Knowlton, Que.
∑ Winner Tour de l'Aude, one of the most prestigious women‚s road races
∑ Pan American Games silver medallist in Individual Time Trial, 4th in Road Race
∑ Second at a World Cup in Montreal
∑ Winner of Fitchburg, Redlands Classic and Tour of Willamette, USA
MALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Doug Baron, Calgary, Alta.
∑ Pan American Game bronze medallist in Kilo
FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Tanya Dubnicoff, Winnipeg
∑ Double Pan American Games Gold medallist, 500m and Sprint
∑ World Championship bronze medal in Match Sprint
∑ National Champion in 500m and Sprint
MALE DOWNHILL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Andrew Shandro, North Vancouver
∑ National Champion
FEMALE DOWNHILL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Daamiann Skelton, Pemberton, BC
∑ National Champion
STEVE BAUER AWARD (Most promising male) - Dominique Perras, Quebec
∑ 7th, Japan Cup
∑ 11th, Tour Trans Canada
∑ Just signed with new Swiss pro team
STEVE BAUER AWARD (Most promising female) - Genevieve Jeanson, Lachine, Que.
PRESIDENTS TROPHY - Tanya Dubnicoff, Winnipeg & Alison Sydor, Victoria
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD - Marischal de Armond
∑ Past Chair, Victoria International Bicycle Race Society
∑ Involved with the Society since 1993 as a volunteer, as Chair since 1995
CORPORATE AWARD - Re/Max
∑ A key corporate sponsor of Bastion Square Cycling Grand Prix since 1992
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