January 26, 2018 (Ottawa, ON) – Due to a lack of anticipated municipal funding and logistical constraints, NTSQ Sports Group and Cycling Canada have made the difficult decision to relocate the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) from Kamloops, BC to Saguenay, Quebec. This change in location will not impact competition dates, which are still planned for June 21-24 for Elite, Junior and Para athletes.

Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, which was cancelled earlier this year due to circumstances out of their control, has agreed to take on the task of organizing the event for the 2018 season. The team behind Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay has numerous years of experience organizing high-level road races and are thrilled to welcome Canada’s top athletes to their region. “We are happy to work with Cycling Canada on organizing the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) in Saguenay. Our organizing committee is hard at work making sure that Canada’s top cyclists have access to fun and exciting races and enjoy their stay among us in Saguenay,” said the co-president of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay, Sébastien Gagnon.

Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada said, “The decision to relocate the 2018 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships p/b Lexus (Elite/Junior/Para) was not taken lightly, although we are confident that this will provide the best possible outcome for all parties involved. The organizers at Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay bring a wealth of experience to the organization of this Championship event, and we are excited to continue with the process of delivering this prestigious event in a region that has many years of experience in hosting high-level road cycling events.”

After hosting separate Para Road Championships last year due to a conflict in schedule, para-cycling athletes from all over Canada will be re-integrated back into the Elite/Junior Championships weekend with Championship titles being awarded in both the Time Trial and Road Race disciplines. The Canadian Road Championships for Masters remains unaffected by this change and will still take place in Victoria, BC from June 1-3. Details regarding schedules and registration will be communicated at a later date.