Holmgren, Ackert lead as young racers claim national ‘cross titles in Victoria, B.C.

Canadian cyclocross national championships are back in Layritz Park, just outside Victoria, B.C. From a frosty start to muddy mid-day races, thrilling racing from Canada’s next generation revealed new champions and a bright future for the country’s cyclocross program.

Under-23 Women

On the start line, junior world champion Isabella Holmgren was clearly the woman to watch. While just in her first year of U23, the Stimulus-Orbea racer already had the Pan Am championship title – and several other wins – to her name.

Off the line, though, last year’s silver medalist Jenaya Francis clearly wasn’t keen to let the favourite off easy. Francis was locked to Holmgren’s wheel for the opening laps. Holmgren pitted, switching to full mud tires for grip, and picked up the pace.

“Jenaya’s a super strong rider, so I was definitely a little worried,” Holmgren said after the race. “She went into the pits on one lap and I just kept my pace pretty hard, kept putting down the power and made the gap.”

That gap stuck to the finish line and Holmgren added another national championship jersey to her growing collection. Despite the success at the continental and international level, a national championship title is still something special.

“It definitely means a lot. There was a super strong field, really fast girls today. So I’m happy I was able to have a good performance,” Holmgren said after her win.

Under-23 Men

A four-way battle quickly formed in the under-23 men’s race. Last year’s junior men’s champion, Ian Ackert, traded leads with Noah Ramsay, Cody Scott and Owen Clark. While Ramsay was pushing the pace in the front group, a mechanical saw his drop back into the field. While he chased valiantly to get back into the top 10, the Bateman’s rider will be left wondering what could have been.

Up front, Acktert and Scott had formed a leading duo. While Clark rejoined occasionally, the front two were locked in a battle for the lead. Ackert, the youngest but already the Pan Am under-23 champ, arrived in Victoria with solid form and confidence.

“It was definitely a lot slipperier than I thought, I spent the first couple laps just trying to learn the course. I felt like I had good legs, so I just took it easy in the beginning to find all the grip. On the first lap, I switched to my B bike, which had a bit lower pressure, and was able to rip it from…