October 14, 2013 (Sherbrooke, QC) – Former Olympic cyclist Lyne Bessette and her husband, Tim Johnson won first place in the women’s and men’s categories respectively at this Sunday’s Ekoï #6 / Cyclocross Specialized de Sherbrooke.  The pair has been nicknamed “The Royal Couple of Cyclocross” because of their prominence in the sport.

Bessette, 38, originally from Knowlton, QC, with numerous wins on her resume competed for Canada at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Although she retired from road cycling, Bessette is still active in cyclocross. She is also still active in paracycling, winning gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Women’s road B tandem race, piloting for Robbi Weldon.

Johnson, also 38, is “arguably 2009’s most successful American cyclocross rider” according to Wikipedia. He currently rides for UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis (Road) and CCW (Cyclocross). The couple live near Boston, MA.

Sunday’s event, organized by Le Club cycliste de Sherbrooke, in Sherbrooke’s Victoria Park, was the fifteenth edition and is the sixth stage of the Ekoï Coupe du Québec (Quebec Cup).

The GP Specialized de Sherbrooke, according to its organizers, attracts a few hundred cyclists and spectators. It is the longest-running cyclocross event in Quebec. With $6,000 in prize money courtesy of title sponsor, Specialized, the event has the distinction of having the biggest purse in Quebec.

Brief results

Women
1. Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com)
2. Melissa Houde (Sportif Bromont)
3. Julie Marceau (Independent)

Men
1. Tim Johnson, (Cyclocrossworld.com)
2. Jérémy Martin, (Rocky Mountain)
3. Jean-Philippe Thibault-Roberge (CVM 2 VALS)

Full results here.