August 13/11 12:59 pm - CCA Announces Team for Para-Cycling Road World Championships

Posted by Editoress on 08/13/11
 

Weldon and Bessette to Defend Title at Para-Cycling World Championships

Canada’s top 22 riders to compete at biggest race of 2011 Para-cycling season

The Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to announce the 22 athletes who will be competing for Canada at the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Roskilde, Denmark, from September 8 to 11, 2011.

Robbi Weldon of Thunder bay, Ontario, along with pilot Lyne Bessette of Knowlton, QC, who will be defending their World Champion title, are headlining the Canadian contingent. Having won the title in their first year as a tandem at the World Championships, as well as taking the 2011 World Cup title, the duo is now marked as one to beat in the road race, wearing the famous rainbow jersey.

Also to watch is Marie-Ève Croteau of Québec, QC, who in her first year has been very impressive by winning both Canadian championship titles, as well as the 2011 World Cup title in the women’s tricycle category.

After winning the UCI white jersey as the World Cup winner, Karen March of Victoria, BC will be attempting to win the rainbow jersey as World Champion. In her first season on a bike, the convert from Athletics has impressed many this past season stepping twice on the podium in road races on the UCI World Cup.

Of course, Calgary riders Brayden McDougall and Jaye Milley are always a threat for podiums at international competition. Arnold Boldt will be back racing at an international level. Boldt, who suffered from a major injury in the first World Cup of the season, and was forced to miss the season. Boldt will be racing for the first time this week at the Canadian Track Championships in Bromont, QC.

“The entire 2011 season was based on the qualification process for the 2012 Paralympic Games. These World championships have as an objective to cumulate the maximum number of points for Canada,” said Eric Van Den Eyde, head coach of the Canadian Para-cycling team. “We chose athletes who represent a mathematical chance to get some points. We based the selection on past results, as well as the international field. These athletes represent Canada’s best hopes to acquire points.”

The last World Championships before the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, this event is critical to fine-tune every aspect for top performances and test some of systems that will be used next summer.

TEAM

Tandem
Daniel Chalifour (B) / Alexandre Cloutier (Pilot)
Stéphane Côté  (B) / Pierre-Olivier Boily (Pilot)
Alexandre Carrier (B) / Luc Dionne (Pilot)
Robbi Weldon (B) / Lyne Bessette (Pilot)
Genevieve Ouellet (B) / Emilie Roy (Pilot)

Handcycle
Chantal Petitclerc (H3)
Rico Morneau (H2)
Robert Labbe (H1)
Mark Beggs (H2)
Mark Ledo (H3)
Karen March (H1)

Tricycle
Marie-Ève Croteau (T2)
Shelley Gautier  (T1)

Cycle
Marie-Claude Molnar (C4)
Jaye Milley (C1)
Brayden McDougall (C1)
Arnold Boldt (C2)

Courtesy CCA