Canada finished the Milton Nations Cup with three medals, one non-medal third place, five more top 5 and top 8. There’s no denying it: Canadian track cycling is on the right track just over two years from the Paris Olympics.
“We also missed a few medals due to technical faults or material defects,” said Cycling Canada high performance director Kris Westwood. “We were 18 endurance athletes here, and 8 of them are under 21 years old. One is 17 and another is 18. It’s encouraging to see the next generation taking their place. They don’t just participate: they compete. Some have been up to a certain point in the race, but you can see the gaps, so you can work on them. »
“It’s super important for athletes to have that perspective. Just the fact of being able to welcome the world here, to the Nations Cup, is very important for our development. »
The medals went to Kelsey Mitchell, Lauriane Genest, Sarah Orban and Jackie Boyle in the team pursuit (bronze). Mitchell added silver in the pursuit and gold in the keirin, while Genest was credited with a third-place finish in the keirin following the relegation of Germany’s Lea Sophie Friedrich, which caused a crash resulting in three runners, including Genest.
“You have to remember that Kelsey and Lauriane are still very inexperienced athletes,” added Westwood. It’s one thing to win, it’s another to keep winning. This is where they must develop their technical skills and tactics. Like the way Kelsey reacted after Lauriane crashed — she hesitated very briefly, but she jumped at the chance and won the race. It’s thanks to the instincts she has developed here in training. Every time they go up against the best in the world, they learn, because they are super smart athletes. »
And their results serve as inspiration for the rest of the team, in sprint or endurance. “They bring a lot to the rest of the group,” noted the Canadian team’s sprinters coach, Franck Durivaux. “You can see it in the boys: when the girls get these results, the boys want to have the same. It pushes everyone up. »
Mathias Guillemette notably stood out with a fourth place in the elimination race, while Sarah Barraclough finished fifth in the omnium after winning the scratch race in this four-discipline event. These two cyclists are respectively 20 and 19 years old.
“These are nice surprises, but we knew they had the ability to get results at this level,” said Westwood. But we never rely on results: we rely on performance. The performances are there and, sometimes, it gives results. In the development of an athlete, we talk more about the process than the result. We want to put in place the physical, tactical and mental elements to be able to deliver the results when they are all required. The opportunity presented itself for these athletes this week. They just missed the podium. It is very impressive. »
Despite the absence of the French and the Russians, the field for this Nations Cup was very high, with the presence of several Olympic, world and European champions at the Milton velodrome.
“We gain confidence despite the absence of a few athletes, assured Westwood. It doesn’t matter who is there or not, to achieve a top 5 or one top 8 remains a very good result. »
The Nations Cup will return to Milton next year, and the organization has an option clause for a third at the start of 2024. “It would help us greatly for our development for the Paris Games, pleaded Westwood. […] We would like to have this competition every year, but the contracts are usually for one year. We were lucky. We will see. »