01.10.12 - CANADA’S TRACK CYCLING TEAM TRAVELS TO BEIJING FOR THIRD WORLD CUP OF 2012 SEASON

Canadian Team continues its quest to score some important points for Olympic Qualifications

(Ottawa, ON – January 10, 2011) The Canadian Track Cycling Team embarked on a journey across the world, to Beijing, China, where it will look to score some precious UCI points to qualify spots for Canada at the Olympic Games.

The UCI Track Cycling World Cup resumes for its second half of racing this upcoming weekend, from January 13 to 15, 2012. With just over six months to go before the 2012 Olympic Games in London, GBR, six members of the Canadian Track Cycling Team will be racing against the world’s best to secure Olympic qualifications points.

“We are here with one goal: to get the coveted UCI point's to qualify teams for the 2012 Olympics in London. It has been an intense two year's work for this team, and we have Tara and Zach always on top We currently have only a few more chances to qualify teams, but at the moment we are very much still in the hurt,” said Head Coach Richard Wooles, from Beijing.

In the sprint events, Travis Smith of Calgary and Joseph Veloce of Fonthill, ON will sprint solo in the men’s race, while Monique Sullivan of Calgary, AB will race for Canada in the women’s sprint event. Smith, Veloce and Stéphane Cossette of Chicoutimi, QC will team up to compete in the Men’s Team Sprint race, trying to qualify Canada for the Olympic Games.

Both Jean Michel Lachance of Québec, QC and Alex Cataford of Ottawa will make their 2012 World Cup debut at this third World Cup race of the season. Lachance will take part in the Men’s Omnium race, while Cataford will race the individual pursuit and the scratch race.

Smith and Sullivan will also take part in the exciting keirin race, also an Olympic discipline.

The events in China will feature racing in each Olympic discipline: omnium, team sprint, team pursuit, sprint and keirin.

The UCI Track cycling Olympic qualification window closes on April 8, 2012.

CANADIAN TEAM – 2012 UCI TRACK WORLD CUP (BEIJING, CHN)

WOMAN

SULLIVAN, Monique (Calgary, AB) – Sprint, Keirin

MEN

SMITH, Travis (Calgary, AB) – Men’s Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin

VELOCE, Joseph (Fonthill, ON) – Men’s Team Sprint, Sprint

COSSETTE, Stéphane (Chicoutimi, QC) – Men’s Team Sprint

LACHANCE, Jean-Michel (Québec, QC) – Omnium

CATAFORD, Alex (Ottawa, ON) – Scratch, Individual Pursuit