05.08.12 - GRAND PRIX CYCLISTE AND CHRONO GATINEAU TO FEATURE WORLD’S BEST WOMEN CYCLISTS

May long weekend becomes cycling festival in Gatineau

(Ottawa, ON – May 09, 2012) The Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to announce the Canadian squad which will compete for the Canadian National Team at the upcoming 2012 Grand Prix cycliste Gatineau Hydro-Québec and Chrono Gatineau Rona, prominent UCI-sanctioned women’s cycling road and time trial races on Canadian soil.

On Saturday May 19, some of the world’s best riders will race the Chrono Gatineau Rona, an international individual time trial race held on a technical 19.6-kilometre course. Canada’s national team will be represented by 2012 Pan-American Time Trial silver medallist Rhae Shaw (Exergy Twenty12), two-time 2011 Canadian Junior Champion Annie Ewart (Optum Pro Cycling-Kelly Benefit Strategies) of Victoria, BC, as well as 2010 Canadian Time Trial Champion Julie Beveridge (Vienne-Futuroscope) of Calgary, AB.

The traditional mass-start road race will be held on Monday, May 21 and will showcase some of the world’s top women’s cycling teams, such as Specialized-Lululemon, TIBCO- To The Top, Optum Pro Cycling and Specialized-Mazda-SGC, which include some of Canada’s best such as Clara Hughes (Glen Sutton, QC), Tara Whitten (Edmonton, AB), Joëlle Numainville (Montreal, QC), Véronique Fortin (Montreal, QC), Denise Ramsden (Yellowknife, NWT), Leah Kirchmann (Winnipeg, MB) and Lex Albrecht (Barrie, ON) just to name a few.

Canada’s National team in the road race will be represented by Shaw, Beveridge, Karol-Ann Canuel (Amos, QC/Vienne Futuroscope), Candice Vermeulen (St. Catharines, ON/Invita - FCV) and Audrey Labrie (Laval, QC), a seven-time National junior champion in track cycling and silver medallist at the 2012 junior Pan-American Championships.

Riders in the road race will complete 13 laps of a 10.18-km course for a total distance of 134 kilometres.

In 2011, Clara Hughes won the Chrono Gatineau Rona time trial with the Canadian National Team, while Italian veteran cyclist Georgia Bronzini took the victory in the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau Hydro-Québec, which ended in a bunch sprint.

CANADIAN SQUAD – 2012 GRAND PRIX CYCLISTE GATINEAU
Time Trial
Rhae SHAW (Exergy Twenty12)
Annie EWART (Victoria, BC/Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
Julie BEVERIDGE (Calgary, AB/Vienne-Futuroscope)

Road Race
Rhae SHAW (Exergy Twenty12)
Julie BEVERIDGE (Calgary, AB/Vienne-Futuroscope)
Karol-Ann CANUEL (Amos, QC/Vienne-Futuroscope)
Candice VERMEULEN (St. Catharines, ON/Invita - FCV)
Audrey LABRIE (Laval, QC)