October 18, 2017 (Sherbrooke, QC) – Excitement is brewing as the 2017 Canadian Cyclocross Nationals will soon be back in Sherbrooke, QC, on Oct. 28. A tougher and more spectator-friendly course will see Maghalie Rochette (Clif Pro) on the start-line looking to defend the Elite women’s maple leaf jersey she won for the first time last year in Sherbrooke.

Meanwhile new Elite men’s champion will be crowned as Jeremy Martin (Focus CX Canada), who also won his first national title last year, has since retired opening the door for many contenders who would love to capture the coveted cyclo-cross title.

The grassy course located in Sherbrooke’s Parc Jacques Cartier can turn into a muddy track in a few hours. This is what happened at the 2016 nationals, when freezing temperatures hit the city overnight creating many ruts all around the course. Epic battles unfolded as Quebec’s Rochette and Martin both took solo wins on what had become a very tricky course.

According to event organizer Stéphane Vallières, registrations are ahead of the year and he and his team are excited to welcome the best Canadian crossers again with some exciting surprises. “The team tents will be near the start to make it more convenient for racers, and the big tent near the food concession will be a great spot for fans to catch all of the action. The new flyover will be near the water as you can see on the map below – also on our web site,” added Vallières.

The first half of the course remains pretty much the same with lots of twisty turns before heading to a technical downhill and uphill section in front of Sherbrooke’s Lac des Nations.

The event’s promotional video gives a great overview of the event.

2017 Canadian Cyclocross Nationals – Promo Video – 4k from Antoine Caron on Vimeo.

Rochette has had a strong start to the season recently on the podium at the Charm City Cross in Baltimore, Md. and the KMC Cross Fest in Thompson, Conn. Quebec’s Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (SAS-Macogep) is another rider to watch following her top-10 at the Waterloo UCI Cyclocross World Cup last month and recent podium at the Gran Prix of Gloucester. It is yet to be confirmed if ex-champions Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro) and Mical Dyck (Naked Bikes) will be racing, along with regular top finishers Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) and Natasha Elliott (Garneau-Easton).

With Martin not on the Elite men’s start line this opens the door for a new men’s champion. While last year’s runner-up Aaron Schooler (Focus CX Canada) is not racing as well, 2016 top finishers Geoff Kabush (Scott Maxxis), Michael Van Den Ham (Garneau-Easton) and Mark McConnell (Hot Sauce) will be the main contenders, along with new Canadian MTB champion Peter Disera (Norco Factory XC Team).

Registration here for the 2017 CX Nationals is still open in every category, from youngsters to masters.

Visit the event’s website and facebook page for more details.