July 14, 2013 (Val d’Or, QC) – The Canadian Junior Men road cycling team is ready to take the world’s top junior riders at the 2013 Tour de l’Abitibi, which runs from July 15-21, a seven-day stage race. The prominent race for the junior riders, held in Canada, is celebrating this year its 45th edition.

Team Canada is comprised of William Elliot, (18; Barrie, ON), Hendrick Pineda (18; Montreal, QC), Jack Burke (18; Toronto, ON), Adam Jamieson (17; Barrie, ON), Felix Lapointe (16; St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, QC) and Sean McKinnon  (17; Hamilton, ON).

The team will be managed by Luc Arseneau, Development coach at Cycling Canada. “We are looking to score some big Nations Cup points with the objective to obtain additional spots for the upcoming World Championships. These events offer our junior men riders with some important opportunities to gain experience at international competitions.”

The Tour de l’Abitibi begins tomorrow, July 15, with the crowd-pleasing Challenge Sprint, and ends after 600.1 kilometres of racing over seven days.

More than 130 cyclists between the ages of 17 and 18 will be taking over the roads of Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Overall, eight countries will be represented by the junior athletes, including Germany, Australia, the Bahamas, Brunei, Canada, Columbia, the Unites States, and Morocco.

The same Canadian squad will then race together at the Trophée Centre Morbihan, a race part of the UCI Nations Cup, on August 3-4, 2013.

More information on the Tour de l’Abitibi can be found here.

Follow Cycling Canada on Twitter here and on Facebook here.

Team Canada – Tour de l’Abitibi and Trophee Centre Morbihan
– William Elliot (18, Barrie, ON)
– Hendrick Pineda (18, Montreal, QC)
– Jack Burke (18, Toronto, ON)
– Adam Jamieson (17, Barrie, ON)
– Felix Lapointe (16, St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, QC)
– Sean McKinnon (17, Hamilton, ON)