March 21, 2016 (Vancouver, BC) – The Global Relay Bridge-the-Gap Fund (BTG) will play an instrumental role in developing and supporting Canada’s next generation of cycling professionals in 2016 by expanding the program’s roster to 24 athletes who will receive increased access to the coaching, resources and equipment they need to reach their full potential.

In all, 10 new promising riders, are joining the Global Relay Bridge-the-Gap program for 2016. They include:

– Jordan Cheyne, 24, (Kelowna, BC) Jelly Belly Pro Cycling
– Alec Cowan, 19, (Calgary, AB) Canada NextGen
– Elliot Doyle, 22, (Alma, QC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Gillian Ellsay, 18, (Courtenay, BC) Trek-Red Truck/ Canada NextGen
– Derek Gee, 18, (Osgoode, ON) Team Giant Langley / SmartSavvy
– Emeliah Harvie, 19, (Banff, AB) The Cyclery-Opus
– Emile Jean, 22, (Trois-Rivieres) Silber Pro Cycling
– Katherine Maine, 20, (Ottawa, ON) Rally Pro Cycling
– Nicolas Masbourain, 22, (Montreal, QC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Cath Ouellette, 19, (Montreal, QC) Rally Pro Cycling

“We’re pleased to welcome our new riders from across Canada to the Bridge-the-Gap Program,” said Global Relay CEO Warren Roy. “It’s been a thrill to help so many up-and-coming Canadian cyclists work towards their dreams and achieve their goals of riding professionally because, as a company and as one of the biggest supporters of competitive cycling in Canada, we’re committed to helping people reach their potential. We wish all our riders the best of luck in 2016.”

Under the leadership of program director Andrew Pinfold, Bridge-the-Gap graduated eight riders from its elite program to contracts with professional teams for 2016, including:

– Jack Burke (Squamish, BC) H&R Block Pro Cycling
– Mateo Dal-Cin (Ottawa, BC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Adam de Vos (Victoria, BC) Rally Pro Cycling
– Katherine Maine (Ottawa, Ontario) Rally Pro Cycling
– Cath Ouellette (Saint-Lambert, QC) Rally Pro Cycling
– Ben Perry (St. Chatharines, ON) Silber Pro Cycling
– Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Saint-Lambert, QC) Bigla Cycling
– Sara Poidevin (Canmore, AB) Rally Pro Cycling

Bridge the Gap riders also showcased the strength of the BTG program with numerous strong results in 2015, including:

 

– Adam de Vos finished 9th place in Worlds U23 road race
– Joelle Neumainville became the Canadian National Road Race Champion and finished 11th at the World Road Championships
– Annie Ewart won a stage at the Tour of the Gila
– BTG Alumnus Leah Kirchmann won two stages at the Tour of California and secured a
contract with Liv-Plantur for 2016. (Her 2016 campaign already includes a fourth at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, a second at Omloop van het Hageland and a victory at Drentse Acht van Westerveld.)
– Ben Perry won a stage at the Tour de Beauce, U23 National Road Champion and was the Mountains Winner at the Tour of Alberta.

“The support I’ve received from BTG over the past years has been a key resource to me while making the steps towards a pro career,” said Adam de Vos. “Receiving mentorship from board members has been invaluable for everything from race insight to personal connections. Financially, the fund has allowed me to attend multiple national team projects, most recently the Pan Am Championships and World Championships in 2015 as well as the Montreal and Quebec World Tour races. Without these opportunities, my success at the Worlds would not have been possible. I’m grateful and excited to have been one of the original supported athletes and to now be transitioning into a new graduate role as part of the Bridge the Gap fund.”

2016 Global Relay Bridge-the-Gap riders:

– Lex Albrecht (Montreal, QC) BePink Pro Cycling
– Alizee Brien (Val-David, QC) Team TIBCO-SVB
– Jack Burke (Toronto, ON) H&R BLOCK Pro Cycling
– Alex Cataford (Kanata, ON) Silber Pro Cycling
– Jordan Cheyne (Kelowna BC) Jelly Belly Pro Cycling
– Alec Cowan (Calgary, AB) Canada NextGen
– Adam de Vos (Victoria, BC) H&R BLOCK Pro Cycling
– Elliot Doyle (Alma, QC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Gillian Ellsay (Courtenay, BC) Trek-Red Truck/Canada NextGen

– Nigel Ellsay (Courtenay, BC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Annie Foreman-Mackey (Kingston, ON) The Cyclery-Opus
– Derek Gee (Osgoode, ON) Team Giant Langley/SmartSavvy
– Kinley Gibson (Edmonton, AB) Trek-Red Truck/Canada NextGen
– Emeliah Harvie (Banff, AB) The Cyclery-Opus
– Alison Jackson (Vermilion, AB) TWENTY16 Pro Cycling
– Emile Jean (Trois-Rivières, QC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Katherine Maine (Ottawa, ON) Rally Pro Cycling
– Nicolas Masbourain (Montreal, QC) Silber Pro Cycling
– Cath Ouellette (Saint-Lambert, QC) Rally Pro Cycling

– Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Neuville, QC) Cervelo Bigla Pro Cycling Team
– Sara Poidevin (Canmore, AB) Rally Pro Cycling
– Travis Samuel (Oshawa, ON) H&R Block Pro Cycling
– Anika Todd (Victoria, BC) Independent
– Ed Walsh (Halifax, NS) Canada NextGen