June 22/15 9:41 am - Accent Inns/Russ Hays Announces Nationals Team

Posted by Editoress on 06/22/15
 

The Accent Inns/Russ Hay's Cycling Team p/b Scotiabank has announced its team selection for the 2015 Canadian National Cycling Championships, to take place in St. Georges, Quebec, on June 25-28.

The team will be led by Curtis Dearden, who is the reigning BC Time Trial Champion and former 2013 Canadian National Time Trial Champion.  Curtis has come into form in 2015 to attempt to reclaim his National Time Trial Title currently held by Orica-Greenedge's Svein Tuft.  He has also set his sights on the National Criterium Championship event after a strong display of speed and strength to finish second in the Accent Inns/Russ Hay's Grand Prix in Victoria, on June 7th.

Curtis Dearden

Current BC Criterium Champion and Former BC Road Cycling Champion, Cody Canning, will be one of the team's top racers to contest the National Criterium and Road Championships.  In 2014 Cody won the Canadian National Sprint Challenge and took an exciting win at the UCI Pro Challenge Sprint in Quebec City, beating out UCI Professional racers Bryan Coquard (Europcar) and Steele von Hoff (Garmin-Sharp).

The Team's best hopes at a U23 medal will belong to Winnipeg's Dannick Vandale, who is the current Canadian National Cyclocross U23 Champion and one of the most up-and-coming racers in the Canadian Cycling scene.  At the age of 19, his list of results are no less than impressive: 3rd Jeremy's Roubaix, 2nd Tour de Bloom, 4th Tour of Walla Walla.  Danick will be competing in all disciplines.

Time Trial specialist, Jordan Landolt, will also contest the Men's National Time Trial Championship and feature as a contender for the Championship Road Race.  Jordan finished second in the gruelling Cheemo Perogies Cycling Classic and was third in the BC Time Trial Championships.  He was also the 2014 BC Time Trial Champion.

The team's best climber, Dylan Cunningham, will place his energies in the Elite men's road race, in what is sure to be a race of attrition.  Dylan has shown his best form this year by winning the queen stage of the Mutual of Enumclaw, taking third at the BC Road Championships, and recently finishing the gruelling the Tour de Beauce.

The role of Uber-domestique will belong to Normand Richard, also nicknamed the "Generator".  Ever the loyal team-mate, the Quebec native will favour strongly in the Time Trial but will prove to be an invaluable asset for the Road Race and Criterium events in support of Cody, Curtis, and others.

Joining the team as Director Sportif will be Ben Chaddock, who already has an impressive palmares as a former professional racer and 2012 National Criterium Champion.  Ben heads up the popular iRide program by Cycling BC and is the principal behind Toque Coaching.