(Barrie, ON) Team Québec ‘Numéro Un QC’ were the fastest four-member squad during the fun Team Relay on Sunday, winning the tightly contested race between Team Ontario to close the 2013 Canadian Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships at Hardwood Ski and Bike, near Barrie, ON.

The winning team, comprised of Raphael Gagné, Canadian Eliminator Champion Léandre Bouchard, Antoine Caron and Andréane Lanthier-Nadeau as the Female rider, came out on top of the large group of 10 teams in the Championships category.

Team ‘Numéro Un QC’ took off along with Team Ontario right from the start, and both teams controlled the front of the race right from the first lap. Throughout the four-lap race, the two teams exchanged leads a few times before the final stretch, when Antoine Caron outsprinted Cameron Jette of Team Ontario at the finish line to take Québec’s first ever Team Relay victory at Canadian Championships.

In second place came the defending Canadian Champions of Team Ontario (Mitch Baily, Peter Disera, Amanda Sin and Antoine Caron), followed by ‘Deux c’est mieux QC’, the second team from Québec (Alexandre Vialle, Raphael Auclair, Frédérique Trudel and Patrick Chartrand).

The Team Relay has been on the permanent Canadian Championships program for a third consecutive year, and has now been held five times at the event. Ontario teams won three times, with British Columbia and Québec each taking one title.

The Master races were also held on this last day of competition. Danny Souter (KHS Bicycles) won the race in the Master A (30-39) category. In the Master B (40-49) category, Robert Holmgren (Velocity Cycle and Ski) took the victory, racing in the largest category of the weekend with 36 participants.

In the Master C (50+), it’s Christian Lalancette (Cycle Néron Specialized) who won the ultimate prize, taking the title for the third consecutive year.

In the women’s master races, Carmen Labbé (Quilicot-Rackultara) took the Canadian Champion jersey of the women’s 30-39 age category. Linda Shin (Blacksmith Cycle), racing with a Korean licence, won the same race but did not receive the right to the title since she is not a permanent Canadian resident. Lisa Holmgren (Veloctity Cycle and Ski) won the women 40+ race.

Canadian Challenges were also held for a wide range of age categories, ranging from U11 to Masters 60+.

This premier Mountain Bike event will be hosted back at Hardwood Ski and Bike for a second consecutive time after the successful hosting of this year’s edition.

The 2013 Canadian Cross-Country Mountain Bike Championships is made possible thanks to the close collaboration between the Cycling Canada, the Ontario Cycling Association, and the Pulse Racing club. The event will be held from July 17th to 21th and showcases racing in junior and elite categories.

Results (brief)

Team Relay
1. Numéro Un QC (Raphaël Gagné, Léandre Bouchard, Andréane Lanthier-Nadeau, Antoine Caron) 48:38
2. Team Ontario (Mitch Bailey, Peter Disera, Amanda Sin, Cam Jette) 48.39
3. Deux c`est mieux QC (Alexandre Vialle, Raphaël Auclair, Frédérique Trudel, Patrick Chartrand) 49.51

Master Women 30-39
1. Linda Shin (Blacksmith Cycle) [Oakville, ON] 1:24:41.7 (Race winner)
2. Carmen Labbé (Quilicot – Rackultra) [Ste Foy, QC] 1:26:15.6 (Canadian Champion)
3. Lisa Hutson (HBCC) [West Montrose, ON] 1:28:32.9
4. Abigail Owsley (Pedal Power Racing) [London, ON] 1:29:57.2

Master Women 40+
1. Lisa Holmgren (Velocity Cycle And Ski) [Orillia, ON] 1:21:44.9
2. Noelle Wansbrough (Kamikaze Racing) [Collingwood, ON] 1:26:25.9
3. Lori Davis (Barrie/Simcoe Cycling Club) [Barrie, ON] 1:28:20.7

Master Men 30-39
1. Danny Souter (KHS Bicycles) [Kitchener, ON] 1:33:53.7
2. Eric Batty (Trek Store C.C.) [Brooklin, ON] 1:34:47.6
3. Christopher McNeil (Soul Sportif) [Kamloops, BC] 1:35:04.0

Master Men 40-49
1. Robert Holmgren (Velocity Cycle And Ski) [Orillia ON] 1:32:43.6
2. Jon Barnes (Trek Canada Mountain Bike Team) [ON] 1:33:23.1
3. Brian McKeown (Radical Edge) [Fredericton, NB] 1:34:35.9

Mastes Men 50+
1. Christian Lalancette (Cycle Néron Specialized) [QC] 1:38:15.0
2. Robert Sule (ERACE Cancer Cycling Team) [ON] 1:41:22.3
3. Alain Beaudry (CVM Procycle) [Hull-Aylmer QC] 1:42:05.2