Jennifer Jackson continues to prove she’s Canada’s rider to beat. The sixth-placed rider in the overall world cup standings added another win to her stellar season on Saturday night in Langford, defending her Canadian elite women’s XCO title in convincing fashion.
Racing at the Jordie Lunn Bike Park, Jackson controlled the race from the gun, building a commanding lead and finishing with a margin of over two-and-a-half minutes on Emilly Johnston in second. Quebec’s Roxane Vermette rounded out the elite women’s podium in third. The victory means Jackson will once again wear the maple-leafed national champion’s jersey over the next year. This was after Jackson took the XCC title on Thursday night.
Punchard powers to men’s title
In the elite men’s race, Ontario’s Cole Punchard stepped up with a breakout ride to secure the national XCO title. Punchard clocked a time of 1:17:54, finishing nearly two minutes clear of Tyler Orschel in second. Logan Sadesky finished third, while world cup standout Carter Woods settled for fourth.
Punchard’s win marks a statement result in a season where he’s been quietly rising through the international ranks.
U23 and juniors
Marin Lowe delivered an exciting ride in the women’s U23 race, out-duelling Ella MacPhee to claim her first national title. Lowe called it a “super tight battle down to the last lap.” She credited family and friends for their support this week. Ella Myers finished third.
In U23 men’s racing, Ian Ackert took the title with a strong solo ride, followed by Zorak Paille and Maxime St. Onge.
Full results
If you want to see the full results for all categories, check them out here.
A showcase for Langford
Saturday’s XCO championships capped a big week for the annual Langford Bikefest, which saw hundreds of riders from across the country converge on Vancouver Island. The Jordie Lunn Bike Park proved itself as a national-class venue, combining technical features and spectator-friendly viewing to create a proper championship atmosphere.
CBC coverage
While it was great to see the Canadian champs aired on CBC Gem, the footage itself left something to be desired. Mostly stationary cameras tried to catch the racers with varying success. There was lots of footage of empty trail and unclear footage of riders passing by. And a bunch of shots of the course through a Strava app. The commentators definitely had their work cut out for them, but they did a pretty good job.
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