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 monitor 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 one in all solely a handful of countries which have certified riders for each self-discipline. Solely Nice Britain has been in a position to enter the utmost variety of athletes in monitor, MTB and highway. Getting Canada to the identical stage as a powerhouse Olympic performer like GB is a results of exhausting work by the riders, eight coaches and supporting employees, and monetary help from Sport Canada.
“This help has made a major distinction over time, making certain now we have 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 international locations do in our growth pipeline. Biking shouldn’t be the tradition in Canada, hockey is within the tradition, for certain. So usually, we’re choosing riders from a really small expertise pool. So it is actually vital that we ensure that they will keep within the sport for some time, and that we’re maximising the expertise that we do have. It is a compact group, so now we have to have good relationships with all people.”
“We’re very enthusiastic about it,” Proulx mentioned of maxing out the monitor biking staff. “To my information, that is the primary time Canada has ever accomplished that. We hoped to qualify the utmost variety of spots, nevertheless 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 with no consideration.”
The monitor biking staff, introduced this week, contains defending dash champion Kelsey Mitchell and keirin bronze medalist Lauriane Genest, who can 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.
However the largest surprises got here from the boys’s dash programme, who narrowly made the minimize for the Olympics due to their ultimate experience in Milton.
“That one was a nail-biter,” Proulx recalled. “The actually cool factor is that these guys had been beneath stress and set a private finest. We had been comparatively assured concerning the staff pursuit since we wanted to be within the high 10, however all it could 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 minimize, 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 yr 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 aim.
“The three-year quadrennial meant we did not get that yr post-Olympics to do loads of 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 aim is to carry out our greatest on the Video games, moderately than simply qualifying for each occasion.”
Waiting for Paris, Proulx emphasised the significance of preparation and psychological toughness. “Like everybody, we might like to see medals, however we actually can not management that. We’re practising efficiency beneath 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 atmosphere conducive to the riders doing nicely.”
An important side 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 incredible job with our 2028-focused athletes. We can 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 an almost 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 yr.
On the highway aspect, Michael Woods and Derek Gee will fly the maple leaf flag on a Classics-style highway course in Paris, whereas Olivia Baril and Alison Jackson will symbolize Canada within the girls’s highway occasions.
Mollie Simpson rounds out the staff in girls’s BMX Racing.
“We now have some medal potential in numerous completely different disciplines,” Proulx mentioned. “The thrilling half concerning the highway course is how difficult it’s. Our coaches, like Nigel Ellsay, have accomplished recon on it, and now we have a robust group to decide on riders from. We now have our work minimize out for us figuring out who can be finest on the day.”
Canada’s preparations lengthen past bodily coaching. Collaborations with tools companions comparable to Argon 18 and Louis Garneau have supplied the staff with cutting-edge tools and clothes. Nevertheless, Proulx burdened that mastering the fundamentals is essential. “The tactical aspect, particularly in monitor biking, is tremendous vital. We examine our competitors and guarantee our athletes can compete in sudden methods. Technical elements like perfecting begins and optimizing exchanges are additionally important. Each coaching session contains video evaluation, energy evaluation, and aero testing.”
Psychological preparation additionally performs a major function in Canada’s technique. “We have invested within the psychological efficiency sport, making a efficiency atmosphere that’s gentle, shiny, and clear,” Proulx famous. “Our psychological efficiency coach, Sharlen Hoar, works with the athletes and coaches to create environments that carry out the very best in folks. 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 (Highway, Girls)Alison Jackson (Highway, Girls)Derek Gee (Highway, Males)Michael Woods (Highway, 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)
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