May 17, 2017 (Gatineau, QC) – The highest level women’s cycling event help in Canada is set to kick off in Gatineau, Quebec on Friday, May 19th. Now in its 8th year, racing will begin with the UCI 1.1 Chrono Gatineau, held on a 21km course. Racing will continue on Saturday, May 20th with the 104km UCI 1.1 Grand Prix cyclist de Gatineau Road Race.

The races attract many of the best female riders in the world, with many teams making the trip north following the conclusion of the Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race in California.

Friday’s Time Trial course consists of rolling hills in the Gatineau Park including one sustained climb at 8km. Racers will finish back at the race headquarters after completing a short circuit outside of the Park. The GP Gatineau Road Race will have riders race two loops of the Gatineau Park before heading to downtown Gatineau for just over 40km of city circuits.

Riders to watch in the ITT include 2016 winner, American Amber Neben (US National Development Team), 2014 winner Tayler Wiles, as well as Canadians Karol-Ann Canuel (Team Canada), Jasmin Duehring (Sho-Air TWENTY20), Annie Foreman Mackey (Sho-Air TWENTY20) and Joelle Numainville (Equipe du Quebec) to name a few.

 

 

In the road race Numainville has podiumed on a number of occasions, including finishing second in 2016 and 2015, as well as winning the event in 2010, and should be a strong contender yet again.

Canada’s Leah Kirchmann (Team Canada) is one to watch if a group comes to the line, while her teammate Canuel may try and capitalize on the climbing in the first half of the race to escape off the front. Canadian National Road Champion Foreman Mackey, Lex Albrecht (Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank) and Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Equipe du Quebec) are some others to watch on Saturday. With many previous podium finishers not set to attend this year, it is likely that some new faces will be at the top of the results sheets by the end of the weekend.

Local Cyclery-4iiii riders, Ariane Bonhomme and Catherine Ouellette who recently made Quebec’s Canada Summer Games team along with Simone Boilard (Desjardins Ford) will also be on the start line ready to make their mark on home turf. Sty tuned more fireworks from Quebec this weekend.

Provisional roster here.