June 27, 2014 (Lac Megantic, QC) – Leah Kirchmann (MB) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit is quickly emerging as Canada’s top woman road racer as she captured her second national crown on Friday winning the Elite Women’s 115km road race title at the 2014 Canadian Road National Championships.

As the reigning Crit champ, Kirchmann now has her name on all three Maple Leaf jerseys, having won her first Time Trial title yesterday further confirming her talent and speed. Her teammate Denise Ramsden (YT), a former Canadian road champ herself (in 2012), took home the silver while Leah Guloien (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing put in a strong finish in the bunch sprint to claim the bronze.

“We were comfortable with the race coming to a bunch sprint. My team has a lot of faith in my sprinting abilities. We did expect a finish with a smaller group, given the difficulty of the climb (5x15km up Mont Morne, an 11% grade).

“I think winning helps taking away some of the fatigue that I felt today,” laughed Kirchmann. “The team, myself included, did a lot of work today, so I was feeling it on the run in.”

According to Optum Women’s Team Director, Kevin Field, Kirchmann swapped bikes with 40km to go and apparently won the race on teammate Ryan Anderson’s spare bike. “I don’t know how Ryan uses that seat,” quipped Kirchmann. “But I liked the wider handlebars and sprinted faster in the end.”

Full post-race interview with Kirchmann

Warm weather and 30-degree temperatures greeted 57 riders on the start line as they faced a  20km out-and-back route followed by a 75km (5 x 15km) circuit up Mont Morne featuring a tough 11% grade. A new champion would be crowned as defending champ, Joelle Numainville (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), was not on the start line for health reasons.

Following a neutral start two BC riders began to shake it up as reigning BC Road Champ, Megan Rathwell (IRC p/b Robert Cameron Law/Rumble) and Sarah Coney (Trek Red Truck Racing) got up the road.

While the peloton seemed disinterested the gap grew to 3+ minutes as Rathwell dropped Coney the first time up Morne and built her lead up to 4+ min before Optum, Tibco and others decided to reel her in causing the main pack to splinter.

Rathwell continued to push on but it was tough going it alone and the 4th time up Morne she was caught as the main chasing peloton was now down to just over 20 riders. It was anyone’s race at this point but all attacks that followed were shut down quickly as the strong teams tested each other’s mettle.

Gillian Carleton (BC) Vanderkitten took a run, then Anika Todd (BC) TIBCO/To the Top, followed by Annie Ewart (BC) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit and young Kinley Gibson (AB) Red Truck Racing, but none could escape as the peloton was wary of all moves. Even Ramsden tried to escape near the end but it was groupo compacto through Megantic as the finish line approached.

In the final corner Kirchmann finally made her bid for glory as her Optum team was at the front and this time no one could stop the rider from Winnipeg who showed once again she was the strongest in the pack.

Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin of Team Quebec won the U23 category in fifth place overall as Glaesser finished second followed by Gibson in third making up the U23 women’s podium. – full results below.

Results

1. Leah Kirchmann (MB) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit 3:47:13
2. Denise Ramsden (YT) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit 0:02
3. Leah Guloien (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing 0:04
4. Jenny Lehmann (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing
5. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin* (QC) Equipe du Quebec
6. Jasmin Glaesser* (BC) TIBCO/To the Top
7. Kinley Gibson* (AB) Trek Red Truck Racing
8. Annie Foreman-Mackey (ON) Stevens-The Cyclery /
9. Carrie Cartmill (ON) Stevens-The Cyclery /
10. Adriane Provost* (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:10
11. Elyse Nieuwold* (ON) Holiday Inn(Calgary 0:12
12. Jennifer Stephenson (ON) Holiday Inn(Calgary 0:12
13. Justine Clift (BC) Glotman Simpson 0:15
14. Annie Ewart* (BC) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit 0:15
15. Amie Krasnozon (ON) Pain Pathways 0:15
16. Alizee Brien* (QC) TIBCO/To the Top 0:15
17. Megan Rathwell (BC) IRC p/b Robert 0:19
18. Catherine Fleury* (QC) Ind_pendant 0:19
19. Stephanie Skoreyko (ON) Java Blend Racing 0:19
20. Catherine Dessureault (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:19
21. Anika Todd (BC) TIBCO/To the Top 0:22
22. Shoshauna Routley (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing 0:26
23. Jamie Gilgen (ON) RealDeal/Gears p/b 8:04
24. Ellen Watters (NS) Stevens-The 8:08
25. Brook Noble (ON) Holiday Inn(Calgary 8:09
26. Helène Pilote-Fortin* (QC) FS ST Hilaire de 8:09
27. Sarah Coney (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing 8:12
28. Nancy Labbe-Giguere (US) Quadcycles 0:10:17
29. Isabelle Mayrand (ON) Toguri Training Systems 0:10:44
30. Sarah Anne Rasmussen* (ON) RealDeal/Gears p/b 0:13:29
31. Rosalie Cardin-Houde* (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:29
32. Elizabeth Albert* (QC) Equipe du Qu_bec 0:13:29
33. Marie-Eve Poisson* (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:29
34. Roxanne Pepin* (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:29
35. Anne-Marie B-Morin* (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:29
36. Laurence Bourque* (QC) Dynamiks de 0:13:33
37. Saskia Kowalchuk* (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express 0:13:36
38. Tessa Pinckston* (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing 0:17:23
39. Ariane Bonhomme* (QC) Equipe du Qu_bec 0:17:23
40. Karine Lebel (QC) Acquisio-ACQ 0:17:23
41. Tatjana Zaharova (ON) Racer Sportif/ Mattamy 0:21:40
42. Amy Mausser (US) Independant 0:23:31
43. Natascha Piciga (ON) Giant Toronto 0:27:58
44. Paolina Allan (ON) Holiday Inn(Calgary 0:30:14
45. Barbie Hope (ON) RealDeal/Gears p/b 0:30:34
46. Lea Audet* (QC) Acquisio-ACQ 0:42:29
47. Rachel Canning (BC) Local Ride Racing Team 0:43:26
DNF Natasha Elliott (ON) Cycle-Smart Elite Team
DNF Joanie Caron (QC) Garneau-Factory
DNF Gillian Carleton (BC) Vanderkitten
DNF Josiane Lessard* (QC) Lux/Specialized
DNF Madeleine Mcconnell* (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express
DNF Kaitlyn Steeves* (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express
DNF Amelie Bruneau* (QC) Stevens-The Cyclery
DNF Emily Flynn* (ON) Stevens-The Cyclery /
DNF Lindsay Aspen* (SK) Team Saskatchewan
DNS Lex Albrecht (QC) TWENTY16 Pro Cycling

U23 Women
1. Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (QC) Equipe du Quebec 3:47:17
2. Jasmin Glaesser (BC) TIBCO/To the Top
3. Kinley Gibson (AB) Trek Red Truck Racing
4. Adriane Provost (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep-Specialized 0:06
5. Elyse Nieuwold (AB) Holiday Inn(Calgary 0:08
6. Annie Ewart (BC) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit 0:11
7. Alizee Brien (QC) TIBCO/To the Top 0:11
8. Catherine Fleury (QC) Ind_pendant 0:15
9. Helène Pilote-Fortin (QC) FS ST Hilaire de 8:05
10. Sarah Anne Rasmussen (ON) RealDeal/Gears p/b 0:13:25
11. Rosalie Cardin-Houde (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:25
12. Elizabeth Albert (QC) Equipe du Qu_bec 0:13:25
13. Marie-Eve Poisson (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:25
14. Roxanne Pepin (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:25
15. Anne-Marie B-Morin (QC) SAS-Mazda-Macogep- 0:13:25
16. Laurence Bourque (QC) Dynamiks de 0:13:29
17. Saskia Kowalchuk (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express 0:13:32
18. Tessa Pinckston (BC) Trek Red Truck Racing 0:17:19
19. Ariane Bonhomme (QC) Equipe du Qu_bec 0:17:19
20. Lea Audet (QC) Acquisio-ACQ 0:42:25
DNF Josiane Lessard (QC) Lux/Specialized
DNF Madeleine Mcconnell (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express
DNF Kaitlyn Steeves (ON) NCCH p/b DEC express
DNF Amelie Bruneau (QC) Stevens-The Cyclery
DNF Emily Flynn (ON) Stevens-The Cyclery /
DNF Lindsay Aspen (SK) Team Saskatchewan