Canada has quietly stepped as much as problem the standard Olympic biking powerhouse nations like Nice Britain, the Netherlands and Italy, qualifying the utmost variety of athletes in observe biking and a rider in biking self-discipline besides BMX freestyle for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dan Proulx, Canada’s head biking coach, shared insights into this milestone and the preparations main as much as it in an unique interview with Cyclingnews.
Canada is certainly one of solely a handful of countries which have certified riders for each self-discipline. Solely Nice Britain has been capable of enter the utmost variety of athletes in observe, MTB and street. Getting Canada to the identical stage as a powerhouse Olympic performer like GB is a results of onerous work by the riders, eight coaches and supporting employees, and monetary assist from Sport Canada.
“This assist has made a big distinction through the years, making certain we’ve world-class programming, coaches, and employees,” Proulx mentioned. “It is raised the bar for everybody and helped us compete on the highest ranges.
“The one factor that’s actually distinctive about Canada is that we do not have the numbers that another nations do in our growth pipeline. Biking will not be the tradition in Canada, hockey is within the tradition, for positive. So usually, we’re deciding on riders from a really small expertise pool. So it is actually vital that we make it possible for they’ll keep within the sport for some time, and that we’re maximising the expertise that we do have. It is a compact group, so we’ve to have good relationships with all people.”
“We’re very enthusiastic about it,” Proulx mentioned of maxing out the observe biking staff. “To my information, that is the primary time Canada has ever finished that. We hoped to qualify the utmost variety of spots, however it was by no means a assure till the final occasion. Earlier than Milton [the last Nations Cup], we had been optimistic and hopeful however by no means took it without any consideration.”
The observe biking staff, introduced this week, consists of defending dash champion Kelsey Mitchell and keirin bronze medalist Lauriane Genest, who will probably be joined by Sarah Orban for the staff dash. Erin Attwell, Ariane Bonhomme, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Sarah Van Dam will compete within the endurance occasions.
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However the largest surprises got here from the boys’s dash programme, who narrowly made the lower for the Olympics because of their last experience in Milton.
“That one was a nail-biter,” Proulx recalled. “The actually cool factor is that these guys had been underneath stress and set a private finest. We had been comparatively assured in regards to the staff pursuit since we wanted to be within the high 10, however all it will have taken was a contact of wheels, and that will have been it.”
James Hedgcock, Tyler Rorke and Nick Wammes will compete within the dash occasions in Paris. The staff pursuit squad additionally made the lower, with Dylan Bibic, Michael Foley, Carson Mattern and Mathias Guillemette being named to the staff.
The qualification course of was sophisticated by the shortened Olympic cycle after the Tokyo Olympics had been postponed one 12 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas it left little time for growth and experimentation, Canada pulled off nice performances to qualify a big staff, however that was not the principle purpose.
“The three-year quadrennial meant we did not get that 12 months post-Olympics to do numerous growth work. We had been proper again into qualifying,” Proulx defined. “The coaches, employees, and athletes targeted on the method and the way they carried out in every occasion. Our purpose is to carry out our greatest on the Video games, relatively than simply qualifying for each occasion.”
Looking forward to Paris, Proulx emphasised the significance of preparation and psychological toughness. “Like everybody, we might like to see medals, however we truthfully can not management that. We’re practising efficiency underneath stress and fatigue circumstances to make sure the riders are able to delivering their finest on the Video games. The Olympics are a stress cooker the place athletes usually underperform, so our focus is on controlling the controllables and creating an setting conducive to the riders doing nicely.”
A vital facet of Canada’s success has been the distinctive teaching employees, together with Catherine Pendrell, a bronze medalist on the Rio Olympics, who now coaches the mountain bike staff. “I feel that is a captivating story,” Proulx remarked. “She’s been a mountain bike coach for the final two years, doing a implausible job with our 2028-focused athletes. We may have mountain bikers on the Video games, however with our mountain bike group, that is extra of a rebuild and expertise Video games. Catherine shares her knowledge from a virtually 20-year worldwide profession with coaches from varied disciplines.”
Siblings Gunnar and Isabella Holmgren will symbolize Canada within the mountain bike cross-country races. Isabella is the reigning junior world champion whereas Gunnar received the boys’s MTB race on the Pan American Video games final 12 months.
On the street facet, Michael Woods and Derek Gee will fly the maple leaf flag on a Classics-style street course in Paris, whereas Olivia Baril and Alison Jackson will symbolize Canada within the girls’s street occasions.
Mollie Simpson rounds out the staff in girls’s BMX Racing.
“Now we have some medal potential in various totally different disciplines,” Proulx mentioned. “The thrilling half in regards to the street course is how difficult it’s. Our coaches, like Nigel Ellsay, have finished recon on it, and we’ve a robust group to decide on riders from. Now we have our work lower out for us figuring out who will probably be finest on the day.”
Canada’s preparations prolong past bodily coaching. Collaborations with gear companions comparable to Argon 18 and Louis Garneau have offered the staff with cutting-edge gear and clothes. Nevertheless, Proulx pressured that mastering the fundamentals is essential. “The tactical facet, particularly in observe biking, is tremendous vital. We research our competitors and guarantee our athletes can compete in sudden methods. Technical features like perfecting begins and optimizing exchanges are additionally important. Each coaching session consists of video evaluation, energy evaluation, and aero testing.”
Psychological preparation additionally performs a big function in Canada’s technique. “We have invested within the psychological efficiency sport, making a efficiency setting that’s gentle, vivid, and clear,” Proulx famous. “Our psychological efficiency coach, Sharlen Hoar, works with the athletes and coaches to create environments that carry out the perfect in individuals. There’s an incredible vibe on the staff proper now, which has come from funding and steady work.”
Crew Canada for the Paris Olympics biking occasions
- Molly Simpson (BMX Racing, Girls)
- Isabella Holmgren (MTB, Girls)
- Gunnar Holmgren (MTB, Males)
- Olivia Baril (Street, Girls)
- Alison Jackson (Street, Girls)
- Derek Gee (Street, Males)
- Michael Woods (Street, Males)
- Erin Attwell (Monitor Endurance, Girls)
- Ariane Bonhomme (Monitor Endurance, Girls)
- Maggie Coles-Lyster (Monitor Endurance, Girls)
- Sarah Van Dam (Monitor Endurance, Girls)
- Dylan Bibic (Monitor Endurance, Males)
- Michael Foley (Monitor Endurance, Males)
- Mathias Guillemette (Monitor Endurance, Males)
- Carson Mattern (Monitor Endurance, Males)
- Lauriane Genest (Monitor Dash, Girls)
- Kelsey Mitchell (Monitor Dash, Girls)
- Sarah Orban (Monitor Dash, Girls)
- James Hedgcock (Monitor Dash, Males)
- Tyler Rorke (Monitor Dash, Males)
- Nick Wammes (Monitor Dash, Males)
