October 28, 2017 (Ottawa, ON) – Members of the National Capital Region’s cycling community gathered at the Orange Gallery Friday to celebrate the recipients of the regional cycling bursary and honour the standout contributors to cycling in the area of 2017.

 

The social evening is also a fundraiser for the National Capital Region Cycling Bursary, which has awarded more than $52,000 to local cyclists since 2000. Fundraising included a silent auction of items donated by a wide range of individuals and businesses.

The recipients of this year’s cycling awards were:

Alan Large Organizer of the Year: Bob Woods

• A fixture of local cycling events for close to four decades, Bob helped build the Eastern Ontario Cyclo-cross Series into one of the biggest in Canada. He is retiring from organizing in 2018.

Peter Tyler Builder of the Year: Guillaume Lafleur

• Guillaume stepped in to organize Tuesday night training races in Gatineau when the Ottawa venue was shut down for construction. In the process he is helping bring the Gatineau and Ottawa cycling communities together.

 

Linda Jackson Female Cyclist of the Year: Ariane Bonhomme

• A member of the Canadian women’s team pursuit program, Ariane has stepped up her performances this year and won gold at the Pan Am Games.

Gord Fraser Male Cyclist of the Year: Derek Gee

• Not only did Derek win two golds at the Pan Am track championships riding as part of the Canadian men’s track endurance program, but he also won four golds at the Canadian championships one month ago.

This year was also marked by a new award: the $1,000 Ellen Watters Perseverance Award for someone who soldiers on in the face of adversity. This award is named for the late Ellen Watters, whose tenacity and hard work would have seen her racing in the women’s professional peloton in 2017 had she not died after being hit by a car while training 10 months ago. The award is thanks to a five-year, $5,000 donation from Dave Stubbs and Neutronics Solutions.

The winner this year is Stephen Keeping, who broke his leg badly in the Tour of Rwanda one year ago but, after a long and difficult recovery,  is fit and determined enough to return to compete in Rwanda next week. Steve received $1,000 in recognition of his perseverance.

The Celebration also recognized the three recipients of this year’s National Capital Region Cycling Bursary, who will receive a total of $6,000 to support their 2018 endeavours. They are:

Conor O’Brien ($2,000): Conor had a tough introduction to the pro ranks with H&R Block in 2017, but capped the season with 5th in the road nationals. The award will help him get the base miles he needs for another big year in the saddle.

Derek Gee ($2,000): Derek returns to Team RaceClean and the men’s track endurance program. This donation will help offset some of the fees to be part of the program.

Ariane Bonhomme ($2,000): Ariane continues with the women’s track endurance program and The Cyclery-4iiii on the road. She also must pay program fees, so the donation is to help reduce the financial impact.

This event would not have been possible without the support of the many people and businesses listed in this email. Our apologies if we have overlooked anyone.

If you are interested in sponsoring future editions of this event please contact us at CyclingCelebration@gmail.com. For more information, visit our Facebook event page.

All proceeds from the Cycling Celebration to the National Capital Region Cycling Bursary.