GLASGOW, United Kingdom — Canada's national cycling team earned its first medals at the UCI Cycling World Championships on Friday, including three medals in the Gran Fondo.
The junior men's mountain bike downhill event proved profitable for Bodhi Kuhn of Rossland, B.C., who earned a silver with his time of 4:31.145, just .0.418 seconds behind winner Henri Kiefer of Germany.
Tegan Cruz of Pemberton, B.C., and Dane Jewett of Squamish, B.C., placed sixth and ninth, respectively. Sophi Lawrence of Whistler, B.C., was Canada's top competitor in the junior women's category with a 14th-place finish.
Eight Canadian riders secured their ticket for Saturday's final in the Elite field. Gracey Hemstreet of Sechelt, B.C. and Emmy Lan of Comox, B.C., will be lining up on the women’s side, while Finn Iles of Pemberton, Mark Wallace of Duncan, B.C., Anthony Poulson of Bromont, Que., Forrest Riesco of Gibsons, B.C., Kirk McDowall of Port Moody, B.C., and Jakob Jewett of Squamish will represent Canada on the men’s side.
Erin Attwell of Victoria, B.C., Ariane Bonhomme of Gatineau, Que., Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge, B.C., and Sarah Van Dam of Victoria finished eighth in the Women Elite Team Pursuit Qualifier with a time of 4:19.208 -- 8.875 seconds off of leader Great Britain. They will race against Italy in Saturday's Round 1.
Coles-Lyster lined up again in the evening to race the Women Elite Scratch Race, where she earned another eighth-place finish.
Mel Pemble of Victoria was first to stop the clock with a time of 13.138 in the women's C3 200m Sprint, in which she set the world record in 2022, while Tarek Dahab of Beloeil, Que., scored the third best time in the men's C2 200m Sprint. Counting toward the Omnium cumulative results, these times put both athletes in good position for a shot to earn the world title.
Gran Fondo riders Esta Bovill (women 45-49), Pascal Herve (men 55-59) and Michelle Gagnon (women 19-34) added three medals to Canada’s count, winning a silver and two bronze, respectively. Also earning top-10 finishes were Bruce Bird, who placed fifth in the men's 55-59 Gran Fondo, and Nathalie Champagne, who placed seventh in the women's 55-59 Medio Fondo.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2023.
The Canadian Press
