Thanks to the emerging collaboration between Cycling Canada and professional teams such as Canadian-based Silber Pro Cycling, Canada has qualified the biggest quota in its history for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships.
Six elite men, four U23 men, six elite women, four junior men and four junior women will be on the start lines representing Canada next month in Richmond, Virginia.
This is the biggest quota for the Canadian men since the UCI harmonized professional and amateur road cycling into one category in 1996.
The last time Canada had six Elite men riders at the Pro Road Worlds goes back to the 1992 edition, which took place in Benidorm, ESP.
Kevin Field was brought in as Men’s Road Program Manager to manage the relationship between Cycling Canada and the various Canadian Teams and riders, and the move is paying off: “I was brought in Cycling Canada for the great relationships I maintained with the riders and teams and, we worked hard to cultivate collaboration and open communication this year. That strategy obviously worked. The teams, directors, riders and Cycling Canada were well aligned this year. Riders and teams knew what we were trying to do, why, how it benefited us and them. Everyone knew where we stood this year along the way, and that certainly helps the riders stay focused on goals.”
Canada earned the six starters thanks to the stellar season of its riders on the UCI America Tour, ranked second after Colombia, ahead of Venezuela, Argentina and the United States. This ranking is in large part the reward of the work done on a daily basis by Canadian riders racing on the America Tour with their respective professional teams such as Silber Pro Cycling, ranked ninth in the UCI America Tour ranking. The strong presence of Canadians in U.S.-based teams, such as Optum-Kelly Benefits Strategies, the top-ranked team in the UCI America Tour, and Team Smartstop (ranked sixth in the UCI America Tour), is also a key factor in the strong Canadian presence at UCI Road World Championships.
Canada will be among a few select countries with six riders on the start line, including but not limited to Norway, Poland, Russia and host nation USA. The feat is particularly impressive since Canada does not have a Canadian-based UCI WorldTour Team. There are two WorldTour teams registered in Russia, and three in the United States.
Canada is the only nation with three riders among the Top 15 of the UCI America Tour rankings. Michael Woods (Optum-Kelly Benefits Strategies) leads the charge in second place, with Guillaume Boivin (Optum-Kelly Benefits Strategies) in 10th and Ryan Roth (Silber Pro Cycling) in 15th.
In the U23 category, Canada earned the four spots thanks to teams like Silber Pro Cycling, with two of the most promising U23 riders in Benjamin Perry and Alex Cataford, and H&R Block Pro Cycling, with Adam De Vos, as critical players in cumulating points. The work done by these teams show a real commitment to the growth of road cycling in Canada.
The maximum quota allocated is nine cyclists, awarded only to the Top 10 nations on the UCI WorldTour (in order, Spain, Great Britain, Colombia, Italy, France, Belgium, Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic).
The 2015 UCI Road World Championships will take place September 19-27 in Richmond, Virginia.
RANKING – INDIVIDUAL – AMERICA TOUR
1. Bayron GUAMA DE LA CRUZ (Ecuador) (ECU) 198 pts
2. Michael WOODS (Canada) (OPM) 169 pts
3. Daniel DIAZ (Argentina) (FUN) 158 pts
4. Toms SKUJINS (Latvia) (HSD) 150 pts
5. William CHIARELLO (Brazil) 135 pts
6. Miguel UBETO APONTE (Venezuela) 129 pts
7. Oscar SEVILLA RIBERA (Spain) (EPM) 114.6 pts
8. Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ (Chile) 102 pts
9. Juan MURILLO (Venezuela) 98 pts
10. Guillaume BOIVIN (Canada) (OPM) 98 pts
11. Josué GONZÁLEZ (Costa Rica) 95 pts
12. Carlos Ivan OYARZUN GUINEZ (Chile) (KMP) 94 pts
13. Luis DIAZ (Venezuela) 94 pts
14. Daniel Alexander JARAMILLO DIEZ (Colombia) (JHB) 90 pts
15. Ryan ROTH (Canada) (SPC) 87 pts
RANKING – TEAM – AMERICA TOUR (out of 42 teams)
1. OPTUM P/B KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES (United States) (OPM) 447 pts
2. FUNVIC – SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS (Brazil) (FUN) 337 pts
3. EPM – UNE – AREA METROPOLITANA (Colombia) (EPM) 302.2 pts
4. TEAM ECUADOR (Ecuador) (ECU) 282 pts
4. HINCAPIE RACING TEAM (United States) (HSD) 282 pts
6. TEAM SMARTSTOP (United States) (SSC) 242 pts
7. ORGULLO ANTIOQUENO (Colombia) (ANQ) 200 pts
8. UNITEDHEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM (United States) (UHC) 194 pts
9. SILBER PRO CYCLING (Canada) (SPC) 190 pts
10. JAMIS – HAGENS BERMAN (United States) (JHB) 180 pts
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23. H&R BLOCK PRO CYCLING (Canada) (HRB) 51 pts
28. GARNEAU QUEBECOR (Canada) (GQC) 39 pts
RANKING – NATION – AMERICA TOUR
1. COLOMBIA (COL) 819.95 pts
2. CANADA (CAN) 756 pts
3. VENEZUELA (VEN) 663 pts
4. ARGENTINA (ARG) 658 pts
5. UNITED STATES (USA) 518 pts
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