December 14, 2018 (Ottawa, ON) – Twelve athletes are set to take part in the 2018 Christmas Cross Camp, an annual European project that will help riders prepare for the Cyclo-cross World Championships at the end of January 2019, in Bogense, Denmark.

This will be the project’s fourth year, and riders will have the opportunity to race five times, including in two World Cups. The Camp will run from December 18th to January 2nd, with the team based at the usual Cycling Canada base in Tielt-Winge, Belgium.

Racing includes the Namur [December 23rd] and Zolder [December 26th] World Cups, plus DVV Trofee races Azencross Loenhout [December 28th], Telenet Superprestige Diegem [December 30th] and GP Sven Nys [January 1st].

The team includes riders from every category, and is led by national champions Michael Van den Ham [Elite Men], Ruby West [Under-23 Women] and Gunnar Holmgren [Under-23 Men].

“This is our fourth annual Christmas Cross Camp and we’re really excited about how it’s shaping up,” said Scott Kelly, Program Manager for the Canadian National Cyclo-cross Team. “We have a great group of athletes attending the camp this year and a really great block of racing lined up. For our younger athletes, we’re going to place a big emphasis on learning and acclimating to European racing. I know for some of our returning athletes, they really want to be in the thick of the races, making the moves and seeing how well they can do, and we want to be there to support them in their goal.”

“It’s always humbling to see how the Canadian Cyclo-cross community comes together each year to support this program. In order to make this camp a reality ever year, we rely on our sponsors like Paris to Ancaster, the numerous donations from clubs and individuals throughout Canada, and the professional coaches and mechanics that step up every year to volunteer for this camp. We couldn’t do it without them.”

– Paul Mysko – Junior Men
– Ryan Maclean – Junior Men
– Gunnar Holmgren – U23 Men
– Tyler Orschel – U23 Men
– Nicholas Diniz – U23 Men
– Magdeleine Vallieres-Mill – U23 Women
– Ruby West – U23 Women
– Sidney McGill – U23 Women
– Dana Gilligan – U23 Women
– Jenn Jackson – Elite Women
– Michael Van den Ham – Elite Men
– Cameron Jette – Elite Men

*Cycling Canada does not receive government funding for Cyclo-cross programs, which means all projects are funded through sponsorships, private donations or by the athletes themselves. Any amount donated has a direct impact on the development of this sport in Canada. Make your donation here.