It’s time to say goodbye to 2024 and hello to 2025! But what a year it’s been for Canadian road cyclists.
At the women’s Tour de l’Avenir, Bella Holmgren showcased her exceptional talent, riding like a true champion. She finished second overall and claimed the polka dot jersey. Her sister, Ava, also had a solid start to her WorldTour career with some big rides. Meanwhile, Alison Jackson took a great victory at the Vuelta España Femenina.
Derek Gee proved that his impressive performance at the 2023 Giro was no fluke, securing an outstanding 9th place overall at the Tour de France. The Israel – Premier Tech team held their own against the big guns on the steep mountain stages, finishing with a stellar performance in the final time trial into Nice. Next year he will target the Giro d’Italia, a race which was a huge breakout for him. But in 2025, he won’t be an underdog–he is going as a favourite, which is an exciting prospect.
Just Mike Woods eating out of a plastic container during the worlds
We also saw two very worthy champions at our national elite road championships, both of whom will proudly wear the maple leaf in the pro peloton again in 2025. Mike Woods and Olivia Baril carried the championship kit with pride throughout the second half of the season. Woods won a stage of the Vuelta a España resplendent in his unique national champs jersey.
Those riders are all certainly poised for great things in 2025, but there’s a slew of other riders to watch next year.
Junior and under-23 ‘cross riders
Rafaelle Carrier, who is currently leading the ‘cross World Cup, is one of the big favourites for the junior worlds, too. She’s already medalled at the MTB worlds, but she’s also set to join Arkéa–B&B Hotels as a stagiaire in September of 2025. The French team has been supporting her with bike, gear, and logistics, but she’ll be kitted up with them properly next year.
What new heights can Rafaelle Carrier hit this cyclocross season?
Two other ‘cross riders to watch—national champion Ian Ackert and Noah Ramsay—could have some big results in 2025 too. Ramsay, although primarily an off-road kind of guy, showed he has some megawatts at a local crit in Ontario, where he put out some impressive numbers. Another junior who had a great 2024 is Nico Knoll.
Riders levelling up in 2025
Someone else to watch is Yukon’s Mara Roldan, who will join the Women’s WorldTour with dsm-firmenich PostNL from 2025–2027 after a standout…
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