October 7/22 11:27 am - Preliminary 2023 National Calendar Released

Posted by Editoress on 10/7/22
 

Cycling Canada has released the preliminary 2023 national calendar. Noticeably absent from the current calendar are the remaining events in the cyclo-cross discipline. Cycling Canada is currently working with organizers towards an event application. Following review of all relevant applications, Cycling Canada will publish a release with complete event details in late 2022. The full events calendar will be available on the Cycling Canada website at the end of the season in late November.

"Following a thrilling 2022 season, we are incredibly pleased to announce another full calendar of national and international events for 2023," said Cycling Canada's Events and Officials Manager, Jolène Dupuis. "With the continued support and enthusiasm from devoted organizers and our provincial partners, we are able to provide ample opportunities to showcase the talent from our Canadian athletes on home-soil throughout our calendar of events. We look forward to seeing the cycling community come together for more great racing in the upcoming season."

The 2023 season will officially begin on the track with the Elite and Masters Canadian Championships in Milton, on January 6-8. The U17, Junior and Para Canadian Championships will be the first national competition held in the newly opened Vélodrome Sylvan Adams - Centre Multisports Desjardins in Bromont, QC, on March 31-April 2nd. Meanwhile, the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton will be gearing up to host the final round of the UCI TISSOT Track Nations Cup series on April 20-23.

The Canada Cup XCO mountain bike calendar will start on May 26-28 in Baie-St-Paul, QC. The series will continue with stops across the country from Ontario to Alberta and British Columbia, then back to Quebec before making its way to the East coast. Riders will return to Dieppe, NB, the weekend leading into the 2023 Canadian Championships in Kentville, NS before the Canada Cup XCO final in St. Félicien, QC. Following the increase in XCC racing on our 2022 calendar, UCI Short Track stops have been added to four rounds of the Canada Cup series, in addition to the Canadian Championships. All Junior events within the XCO series will be sanctioned at a minimum level of UCI C2, including four stops on the UCI Junior Series.

Meanwhile, the Canada Cup DHI series will start and end in July, starting with SilverStar, BC on July 8-9. The 2023 Canadian Downhill MTB Championships will kick off the Dunbar Summer Series in Fernie, BC, on July 15-16 before Canada Cup stops in Panorama and Golden. The final round will once again award our overall series winner in Whistler, BC during the Crankworx Festival.

Back on the calendar after a 3-season hiatus is the 2023 Canadian Marathon MTB Championships, which will take place in Whitehorse, YK, for the first time ever on September 1-3. Last but not least, Mont Sainte-Anne, QC, will host the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series on October 6-8 to finish off the mountain bike calendar.

Road racing for elite men starts June 14-18 with the return of the Tour de Beauce for its first time since 2019 before the calendar heads West. For a second consecutive year, the 2023 Canadian Road Championships for Elites, Juniors and Para-athletes will will return to Edmonton, AB, on June 23-26, before the BC Superweek takes over July 9th.

Meanwhile, the UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifying event, Classique des Appalaches, held in conjunction with the Canadian Masters Road Championships in Victoriaville, QC, will take place June 30-July 2nd. The remainder of the domestic road calendar will be held in Quebec, with the return of the Tour de l'Abitibi on July 11-16 and the Tour de l'avenir MaKadence on August 2-6. The road season will conclude with the UCI WorldTour in Quebec and Montreal for the pro men on September 8th and 10th, while the pro women gear up for the Chrono Féminin and Tour de Gatineau on September 16-17.

The BMX Racing calendar will start with back-to-back weekends featuring the Canadian Championships and first round of the Canada Cup series, which returns to Drummondville, QC, on July 1-2, followed by St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, July 8-9. The series then makes its way back for a second time to Warman, SK, on August 19-20 before the domestic BMX Racing season ends in Calgary, AB, for the final round of the Canada Cup series on August 26-27. Another exciting return to the calendar in 2023 will be the Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships, held at Joyride150 in Markham, ON, on October 13th.

The para-cycling calendar will begin in Bromont, QC, on March 31-April 2nd for the Canadian Track Championships before heading back to Montreal, QC, on April 29-30 for the Challenge Gary Longhi, as part of the Défi Sportif AlterGo Paralympic Festival. The Para road season will continue and conclude with the Canadian Championships in Edmonton, AB, on June 23-26.