July 20/25 21:07 pm - Pivot Cycles-OTE Repeats as Team Relay Champions

Posted by Editoress on 07/20/25
 

The 2025 Mountain Bike national championships concluded on Sunday with the Team Relay, where teams of four riders (from different categories) each completed one lap of the XCO circuit. Pivot-OTE repeated as the champions, while the silver medal came down to a bike throw, with Siboire QuiRoule #1 just barely holding off a late charge by Team B.C.

Unfortunately, there were only seven teams in the race, with Ontario failing to field a squad - the Ontario-based Shedders club did participate in the Team Relay Challenge (for non-UCI/non-provincial teams), but it was still disappointing that one of the largest teams at the Nationals did not take part.

Pivot-OTE came in as the favourites, with Owen Clark, Simon Ruelland, Rafaelle Carrier and Maxime St-Onge. Other teams expected to battle for the podium were Siboire QuiRoute #1, Equipe du Quebec and Team B.C. All had strong riders, but not as much depth in every position as Pivot-OTE.

Pivot took the lead after the first lap on a ride by Clark, but Quebec took over on Lap 2 after a very strong 10:51 lap by Leandre Bouchard. Lap 3 three pitted U17 XCO women's champion Eliane Blais against Junior women's champion Rafaelle Carrier - the world number one ranked Junior woman. Blais put up a strong battle, after starting 30 seconds ahead, but was caught by Carrier literally as they finished the lap.

The final lap saw Pivot-OTE send out U23 man Maxime St-Onge against Quebec's Elite woman Laurie Arseneault. Unfortunately, Arseneault was also up against Siboire QuiRoule #1's Tristan Taillefer (Junior man) and Team B.C.'s Carter Nieuwesteeg (Elite man), who was a team coach, but stepped in to complete the B.C. roster.

Both Taillefer and Nieuwesteeg caught Arseneault, and the B.C. rider actually caught up to Taillefer in the final 100 metres, leading to a sprint for silver, that was decided in a bike throw, which Taillefer won by a tire width. A fitting end to a strong Nationals.

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