Cycling is not only healthy, but one of the less expensive means of travel and living in the lower mainland, we are pleased to watch and broadcast on Delta TV the first event of the week-long BC Superweek.
Delta’s event runs from Friday to the Sunday with the finish taking place in sunny Tsawwassen the first week in July of each year.
The streets are filled with various on-lookers, both young and old alike with some of the younger “on-lookers” possibly having dreams of turning pro when the time is right.
Now we are hearing that Cycling Canada has announced a significant expansion to the National Para-cycling program with the establishment of dedicated NextGen programs in Eastern and Western Canada.
Canada’s Para-cycling athletes are among the best in the world, winning an incredible 11 world titles on the road and track in 2017, and the NextGen initiative will ensure Canadian riders continue to perform at the highest level for years to come.
Arnaud Litou, High Performance Manager for Para-cycling at Cycling Canada told the media “Cycling Canada is delighted to receive Own the Podium and Sport Canada support for both Para-cycling NextGen programs and with the addition to the Para coaching task force of Phil Abbott represents a unique opportunity to have a physical presence in the Western region.” 
Guillaume Plourde leads the Eastern program and will continue to develop HP athletes who shine on the international scene, as well as introducing new athletes to cycling.
The NextGen East program will be centered in Bromont, Quebec, where nine athletes will work with Guillaume Plourde, the NextGen Para-cycling Coach (East). Athletes will also use the Mattamy National Cycling Centre Velodrome in Milton, Ontario, on a regular basis.
“For the 2018 season, the eastern branch of the Para-Cycling NextGen program has a core group of nine athletes, including four newcomers,” says Plourde. “While some are working hard to be selected at multiple World Cup events and world championships through the summer, the main focus for the group will be to have strong performances at Road Nationals in June and at the Road World Cup to be held in Baie-Comeau in August.
After the first training camp held in California at the end of February athletes will be training on a regular basis at the National Cycling Center in Bromont, for both track and road events.
The other main purpose of the program remains to recruit and develop new talents, with the help of a continuously growing network of key partners in the local clubs and provinces.
The Western program will be based in Calgary with Phil Abbott as the NextGen Para-cycling Coach (West), and is very much a partnership with the Alberta Bicycle Association and Canadian Sport Institute Calgary.
Athletes will also use the Mattamy National Cycling Centre Velodrome in Milton, Ontario, on a regular basis.
Abbott mentions “We have identified a group of five talented Para athletes in Western Canada.”
He continued “In the past month since the programs began, we have been working to establish a strong training environment for this group of athletes. Over the next eight months we have a series of camps and competitions to develop this core group of riders and the long-term objective is to have the athletes progress onto the elite national team. In addition to developing the current group of athletes, we will also be looking to identify new talent across the Western Provinces.”
- NextGen East Athletes
- Myriam Adam [Women’s H3] – St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
- Annie Bouchard [Women’s Tandem] – Baie-St-Paul, Quebec
- Anais Courteille [Women’s Tandem Pilot] – Gatineau, Quebec
- Joey Desjardins [Men’s H3] – Hawkesbury, Ontario
- Evelyne Gagnon [Women’s Tandem Pilot] – Quebec City, Quebec
- Keely Shaw [Women’s C4] – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Cindy Morin [Women’s Tandem] – Levis, Quebec
- Michael Shetler [Men’s T2] – Kirkland, Quebec
- NextGen West Athletes
- Kara Douville [Women’s H4] – Calgary, Alberta
- Lachlan Hotchkiss [Men’s C4] – Surrey, BC
- Erin Ruttan [Women’s Tandem Pilot] – Calgary, Alberta
- Carla Shibley [Women’s Tandem] – Calgary, Alberta
- Lowell Taylor [Men’s Tandem] – Lethbridge, Alberta
