Quebec sweeps Junior titles at Canadian Cyclocross Championships

The Canadian Cyclocross Championships in Lévis, QC crowned new heads on Saturday starting with U17s, Juniors and Masters. Rafaelle Carrier of Lac-Beauport, QC, repeated as the Junior Women’s champion and Emilien Belzile of Sherbrooke was the best of the Junior Men.

In the earliest races Carter de Veer of the Ottawa Bicycle Club snagged the U17 men’s honours and Alexa Haviland of the Durham Shredders took the U17 women’s title.

The Masters

Équipe Studio Vélo’s Café Eric Jeannotte was tops in the men’s 35-44 race, Aroussen LaFlamme was the men’s 45-54 victor, Jean Francois of Competitive Racing was best of the men’s 55-64 field and James Laird was fastest of the men’s 65+ gang. Everyone except Laird was from Quebec.

Ontario’s Jody Wendland took the women’s 35-44 title. Another Ontarian and Haviland, Sue Haviland, won the women’s 45-54 race by almost two minutes. British Columbia had a champion in Kelly Welbourne in the women’s 55-64 contest.

The Juniors

The Juniors and U23 riders raced together.

Most of the contingent of Junior Women were 16 when they raced Junior last year, so the field was familiar. Rafaelle Carrier was the 2023 champion, while Nico Knoll and Lily Rose Marois made up that podium.

Carrier deftly defended her title. After the line she told Canadian Cycling Magazine, “It was super fun but really tough with the mud. I really like these conditions. The run-up right there was super tough with off-camber, it was the hardest part for sure. I’m leaving for Europe in a week for the cyclocross World Cup in Ireland.”

In the Junior Men’s race, Emilien Belzile of Sherbrooke prevailed in a well-matched race with Evan Moore, son of former pro Amy Moore, taking the sprint. Belzile and Moore had another rider, Nicolas Gauthier, for company until the final lap.

Belzile told Canadian Cycling Magazine, “I would crash in the steep descent. It was so slippery and off camber that I would always slip. I think it was the race with the person who made the less errors would win.”