Norco Factory Racing Wins Team Relay Championships at MTB Nationals + PHOTOS
release by Cycling Canada
July 26, 2017 (Canmore, AB) – The Canadian Mountain Bike Championships p/b Lexus concluded on Sunday in Canmore, Alberta, with the Team Relay competition. The Norco Factory Team decisively won the title, finishing almost two minutes ahead of Team Quebec, with Pivot Cycle – OTE finishing third.
The Team Relay consists of four rider teams, with each rider riding one cross-country lap flat out. Each team contains an Elite Man, Under-23 Man, Junior Man and Elite Woman. Teams can send their riders off in any order, and tactics make up a large part of the race, with some teams sending their fastest riders first, hoping to hold onto the lead at the end when their slower riders go. Another tactic is to save the fastest riders until last, hoping that they can catch the other teams.
Norco had a team stacked with Championship medal winners, and was the favourite. Under-23 bronze medalist Quinton Disera went first, followed by Junior silver medalist Gunnar Holmgren, then Elite women’s bronze medalist Haley Smith, and finally Elite men’s champion Peter Disera. The team took the lead in the opening lap and was never challenged.
Team Quebec had an impressive ride for second, after losing their Elite man to illness before the race, requiring Under-23 rider Felix Longpre to do two laps. Team Quebec overtook Pivot Cycle – OTE on the third lap to move into second.
“It’s kind of like a time trial,” said Haley Smith of Norco, “and it’s just 12 minutes of absolute suffering. But it is pretty special because you know you are racing for your team, for each other, and that’s a unique feeling in mountain biking. I think our team has really built something as a team this year, and we really rely on each other, so it’s fun to be able to reap the benefits of our tight knit team in this event.”
Results here.
- Amy Cooper © Angus Cockney
- Andrew Watson © Angus Cockney
- Brittany Webster © Angus Cockney
- Caleb Muller © Angus Cockney
- Charles Antione St-Onge © Angus Cockney
- Cindy Montambault © Angus Cockney
- Colton Woods © Angus Cockney
- David Brodeur © Angus Cockney
- Dylan Kerr © Angus Cockney
- Emily Johnston © Angus Cockney
- Erica Leonard © Angus Cockney
- Eva Poidevin © Angus Cockney
- Evan McNeely © Angus Cockney
- Felix Belhumeur © Angus Cockney
- Felix Burke © Angus Cockney
- Felix Longpre © Angus Cockney
- Frederique Trudel © Angus Cockney
- Gunnar Holmgren © Angus Cockney
- Haley Smith © Angus Cockney
- Issac Niles © Angus Cockney
- Jayne Enns © Angus Cockney
- Julianne Sarrazine © Angus Cockney
- Juliette Larose Gingras © Angus Cockney
- Juliette Tetreault © Angus Cockney
- Kaitlyn Shikaze © Angus Cockney
- Erica Leonard (l) and Cindy Montambault © Angus Cockney
- Marc-Andre Fortier © Angus Cockney
- Marine Lewis © Angus Cockney
- Nick Kleban © Angus Cockney
- Norco Factory Racing © Angus Cockney
- Norco Factory Racing © Angus Cockney
- Peter Disera © Angus Cockney
- Peter Disera © Angus Cockney
- Peter Disera © Angus Cockney
- Quinton Disera © Angus Cockney
- Raphael Auclair © Angus Cockney
- Roxanne Vermette © Angus Cockney
- Sean Fincham © Angus Cockney
- Will Pollard © Angus Cockney
- William Barton © Angus Cockney
- William Verreault © Angus Cockney
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