2022 Cross country national championships got off to an early – and fast – start at Hardwood Ski and Bike on Thursday with the XCC races. Laurie Arseneault and Carter Woods take the second-ever Canadian Short Track national titles, capping off a day of incredibly closer racing in Oro Station, Ont.
Sun ☀️ came out for an unreal day of XCC racing.
Laurie Arsenault & Carter Woods can now call themselves the 2022 XCC 🇨🇦 Champs taking home the title on day 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/AWwoL6tmU0
— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) July 21, 2022
Canyon MTB Racing sweeps elite women’s podium
Laurie Arseneault led a Canyon MTB Racing sweep of the women’s Short Track race at Hardwood Ski and Bike. The Quebec rider was followed by a intra-team sprint between co-founder Emily Batty and Jenn Jackson. Recently returned from injury, Jackson’s podium showing on Thursday is a good sign the newest Canyon rider is ready to try defend her 2021 elite XCO national championship title on Sunday.
When the Canyon MTB did start whittling down the field on the seventh and eighth laps, they quickly shed riders. At the finish, 2021 XCC national champion Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) was closest to the trio at six-seconds back. Haley Smith (Maxxis Factory Racing) finished fifth, just ahead of Jocelyn Stel (Canyon Devo Racing) at 25 and 28 seconds back.
Carter Woods races up to elite XCC win
Carter Woods is in Oro Station, Ont. hunting for an XCO national title. But, along the way, the under-23 Vancouver Island racer landed an elite XCC maple leaf jersey. U23 and elite racers are combined in the short track event, meaning Woods was up against his elder Norco Factory Team teammates.
Quinton Disera (Canyon Devo Racing) out-sprinted Norco Factory Team’s Sean Fincham and Peter Disera, preventing the Norco team from matching Canyon MTB Racing’s feat from the women’s race. Tyler Orschel (Canyon Devo Racing) was fifth, eight seconds back, in an incredibly tight elite men’s race.
Junior and U17 XCC races
If the elite men’s race was close, the junior men’s race was stunningly so. Zorak Paille edged out a win in a group sprint. Maxime Théberge and Simon Ruelland finished on the same second. Arnaud Belzile, four seconds back, gave Quebec riders the top four spots. Noah Rubuliak in fifth was the first rider from outside La Belle Province.
On the junior women’s side, Stimulus Orbea also pulled off a clean sweep. Squamish’s Marin Lowe takes the sprint win…
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