December 11, 2009 (Laval, QC) – We caught up with Canada’s top women’s road team this week at a spinning session in the Carrefour Multisports Sporting Complex (a team sponsor). We talked with Jenny Trew (team captain), Catherine Couture, Ariane Patenaude, and Kyla Rollinson, while they spinned on their stationary bikes.

We also spoke with team president, Gerard Penarroya and team sponsor, Jean Samson (of Samson Groupe Conseil) who were also spinning. Several team members could not attend the session including Moriah MacGregor (training in BC), Tara Whitten (racing at the Track World Cup in Cali, Columbia), Clara Hughes (training in Calgary for speed skating at the 2010 Olympics), and Mathilde Hupin Debeurme (who is doing her residency in medicine).

Since we last reported on the 2010 team roster – read more here – Anne Samplonius (previously unconfirmed) has now signed with another team in Ontario. More details on this to follow.

Jenny Trew (Team Captain)
How does it feel to be team captain?
JT: Pretty great. This is an enthusiastic team with a lot of talent and a lot of motivation. And I have to speak French with the team!

What big plans do you have for 2010?
JT: We’re mainly looking at Montreal [Montreal Women’s World Cup (MWWC) and the Tour du Grand Montreal (TGM)] and the Tour of PEI. We’re going to take the team up a notch over last year.

What challenges do you see ahead?
JT: It’s tough in women’s cycling. There’s not a lot of corporate sponsorships out there, and yet women’s teams are much less expensive to sponsor than men. Our team is evolving toward two-year contracts and we will soon be on the hunt for Olympic medals in 2012.

My 12-year-old daughter does well in endurance sports. What advice do you have for girls looking to explore a career in cycling?
JT: Cycling is a wonderful sport if you love speed; only downhill skiing rivals it. The sport is typically much more tactical than other endurance sports, such as swimming or speed skating, and you really have to watch what all the other players are doing. Unlike in many other sports, cyclists can do better just by playing smarter. If you want to explore cycling, I recommend finding someone through your local club or bike shop who can help you along. And it’s usually better to ride with other girls.

Is there anything else you’d like add?
JT: Yes, that’s my fiancé, Chris Reid (also a Pedal contributor), over there and we’re getting married December 31 in Calgary. It’s pretty crazy right now!

Congrats – all the best with your wedding plans and the upcoming season!
JT: Thanks.

Kyla Rollinson on the team.
KR: It’s an unbelievable team of girls! We’re looking forward to the Tour of PEI and to the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic.

Catherine Couture on the season ahead.
CC: Personally, I am training for both road and track. I am looking forward to the nationals and the provincials.

Ariane Patenaude comments on 2010.
AP: I am also eager to race PEI and TGM. I think Specialized will demonstrate experienced team work there.

Hi Jean can you please explain what Samson Groupe Conseil does and you motivation to sponsor a cycling team?
JS: My company is involved in actuarial insurance. All companies these days are solicited by many causes, especially health charities. But I think it is better to stress prevention (healthy lifestyles) rather than a cure. This is a great message to convey to our employees.

How does supporting a women’s cycling team benefit your company?
JS: The healthy lifestyle message that it helps convey has a positive impact on our employees as it reducds absenteeism and promotes productivity when employees are at work. This is our payback. But we consider our support for the team to be a social cause as well. We previously supported Emilie Mondor (1981-2006), a former national champion runner.

Samson Groupe Conseil is considered one of the four healthiest companies to work for in Quebec based on its: 1) healthy lifestyle, 2) balancing of work and other activities; 3) work environment; 4) good management. For more info click here.

Gerard Penarroya on Samson Group and the team.
GP: We are glad that Jean sponsors our team. I would just like to mention that sponsoring a women’s road team costs only perhaps 25% of what it costs to sponsor a men’s team. A top-ranked female rider makes about $100,000 US in salary which is much less than their male counterparts. [Alberto Contador (Astana) was reported to have been paid $2 million US in 2008 and will make $12 million US in 2010.]

We would love to have more sponsors and think that the best fit would be a company that has a presence on both sides of the Canada/US border. Sponsoring a women’s cycling team is not expensive and it helps promote a healthy lifestyle which benefits all stakeholders. In other news, we are planning to register the team next year with the UCI.