Three-time World Champion Alison Sydor will lead a group of twelve athletes to Athens to compete in the Olympic Games next month. Sydor, a native of North Vancouver, BC, will be attending her fourth Olympics. She represented Canada at the 1992 Games in the Women’s Road Race where she finished 12th. In the 1996 Games in Atlanta, she competed for the first time in mountain bike and won the Silver medal. At the Sydney Games in 2000, she finished 5th. She has won an incredible 12 World Championship medals throughout her illustrious career. She was an automatic selection based on her outstanding resume of medal winning performances.

Joining Sydor on the start line for the women’s mountain bike event will be the 2004 National Champion, Marie-Helene Premont, of Chateau-Richer, QC and Kiara Bisaro of Courtney, BC. For both it will be their first Olympic Games experience.

In the men’s mountain bike event, Canada will be represented by the silver medalist from the 2003 Mountain Bike World Championships, Ryder Hesjedal, from Victoria, BC and Seamus McGrath, from Millgrove, ON, winner of the silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. For both athletes, it will be their first experience at the Olympic Games.

Lori-Ann Muenzer, from Edmonton, AB, will be Canada’s representative in Track cycling. The double medallist from the 2002 World Championships and winner of the bronze medal in the Sprint event from the 2004 World Championships will compete in the 500m Time Trial and the Sprint events. She is the defending National Champion in both events. She represented Canada at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and finished 13th in the 500m Time Trial.

In the road events, Michael Barry, from Toronto, ON will lead the three-man team to Athens to compete in the Individual Road Race. Barry, who finished 7th at the 2003 Road World Championships will be joined by the 2004 Road National Champion, Gord Fraser, from Ottawa, ON and by Eric Wohlberg, from Levack, ON. For Barry, this will be the second time he has represented Canada at the Olympic Games, having participated in the Individual Road Race in 1996 in Atlanta. Fraser and Wohlberg will each be competing at their third Olympic Games. Both competed at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. In 2000, Fraser finished 16th in the Individual Road Race and Wohlberg finished 20th in the Individual Time Trial.

In the women’s Individual Road Race event, the 2004 Road National Champion, Lyne Bessette, from Knowlton, QC, will lead the three-woman team to Athens. This will be her second appearance at the Olympic Games. She participated at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, finishing 22nd in the Individual Road Race. Bessette will be joined by Susan Palmer-Komar, of Hamilton, ON and Manon Jutras, of Montreal, QC. Palmer-Komar, the 2004 National Time Trial Champion, will be attending her second Olympics. She finished 10th in the Individual Road Race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. For Jutras, this will be her first Olympic Games experience.

Bessette and Palmer-Komar will also compete in the Women’s Individual Time Trial event in Athens.

Cycling’s coaching staff will be comprised of Yury Kashirin, of Victoria, BC and Eric Van den Eynde, of St. Bruno, QC. Michel Leblanc, of St. Nicholas, QC will serve as an assistant to both of them. Troy Woodburn, of Victoria, BC will fill the role of Team Mechanic. Sean O’Donnell, of Beaconsfield, QC, will act as Team Leader.

Olympic Cycling Team at a Glance

Mountain-Bike:
Alison Sydor
Marie-Helene Premont
Kiara Bisaro
Ryder Hesjedal
Seamus McGrath

Track:
Lori-Ann Muenzer

Road:
Michael Barry
Eric Wohlberg
Gord Fraser
Lyne Bessette
Susan Palmer-Komar
Manon Jutras

For more information, please contact the Canadian Cycling Association at athletes@canadian-cycling.com