Canada Cup kicks of 2026 season on Vancouver Island

There were sunny skies, cool temperatures and heated racing as the 2026 Canada Cup cross country season launched off to an early start on Vancouver Island over the weekend. Several Canadian national champions – and more than a few World Cup winners – were on the start list alongside the upcomping generation of younger riders from across the country making for exciting racing all day.

It’s been a few years since Langford hosted a season opener. Back then, it was on the slopes of Bear Mountain. This year marked the debut of Jordie Lunn Bike Park as a Canada Cup venue. The park hosted 2025 XCO nationals, of course, and does in 2026 as well. But this weekend showed hints at what a revised course could look like for this year’s big event. More climbing, more singletrack, and more exciting descending from JLPB’s growing selection of trails.

U17 and Juniors

Canada Cup racing’s youngest category kicked things off, with the under-17 men and under-17 women. In the U17 men’s race, James Pinfold (Escape Velocity) soloed away from James Chalkley (Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle) to win both the race and the battle of the James’s. Joshua Tyers (Hot Tubes Dev.) followed less than a minute behind Chalkley in third.

The under-17 women’s field, while smaller, had perhaps the most geographically balanced podium of the day. Hannah Lehmann (Collingwood Collective) took a solid win ahead of Elin Grimmett (PEI) while Hazel Roberts of Peak Pursuits put the prairie provinces on the box.

In the junior women’s race, Julia Lehmann powered away to take another win for the Collingwood Collective. Lacey Dennis (Charge Racing) followed in second after a close race against Sierra Jolicoeur (Academie de Velo Mt Tremblant) in third and Elisabeth Martin in fourth.

National champion Ethan Wood (Charge Racing) attacked early to win the junior men’s race, putting the field in the rear view after the start loop and extending his lead all the way to the finish. Farland Lamont (Collingwood Collective) finished second ahead of the U.S.A.’s Jude Marsden. With a string of UCI races starting mid-week in Arkansas, there was less international presence than in some years, but several riders did cross the border north to join in Saturday’s racing.

“Last week I was pretty sick, coming back from Puerto Rico,” Wood admitted after the race, “I was a little bit nervous with the sickness, so I’m pretty stoked to win.”