After a big weekend of racing, Kentville, N.S. returned cross country national champions for the next year. In the elite races, two returning champions will wear the maple leaf through the rest of 2024 and into 2025. Jenn Jackson defends her elite women’s from 2024. Léandre Bouchard returns to to reclaim the elite men’s title after a few years chasing.
Elite men and women
In the elite men’s race, Léandre Bouchard recaptures the elite men’s XCO national title. Carter Woods, who raced up from under-23 last year to win the elite title, returns from a mid-season illness to take second. Logan Sadesky rides the momentum of a successful end to his European campaign and some solid domestic results to take third.
On the women’s side, Jenn Jackson defends her elite women’s title from 2023. After some big under-23 World Cup results, Emilly Johnston raced up into elite and finished second. Veteran Canadian racer Sandra Walter earned another national championship podium in third.
Under-23 men and women
In the under-23 races, Ava Holmgren and Cole Punchard are the 2024 Canadian XCO national champions
Ava Holmgren takes the maple leaf jersey, beating out Marin Lowe and Ella MacPhee for the title. Ava’s sister, Isabella Holmgren, missed nationals to prepare for the Olympics.
On the men’s side, Cole Punchard takes the win in an Ontario sweep. Noah Ramsay and Owen Clark take second and third.
Junior men and women
In the junior women’s race, Rafaelle Carrier leads a Pivot Cycles-OTE sweep of the women’s XCO podium. Lily Rose Marois and Maude Ruelland join her on the podium.
Jacob Roy takes the junior men’s XCO title in a Quebec podium sweep, flanked by Felix Antoine Leclair and Nicolas Gauthier.
Under-17 XCO races
The youngest XCO national champions of 2024 are Éliane Blais and Emilien Belzil.
Blais wins the under-17 women’s XCO title ahead of Elodie Maloisand Elly Moore. Belzil wins the men’s race ahead of Ethan Wood and Evan Moore. A first name starting with the letter E seems to be the key to success in this youngest of age categories.
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