Canadians gear up for the track cycling world championships

Team Canada’s Rio 2016 Olympians are ready to take on the 2017 UCI track cycling world championships in Hong Kong.

After ending the 2016 season with some major accomplishments including an Olympic bronze in women’s team pursuit and four world championships medals, Cycling Canada’s squad is looking for the podium once again.

Canada’s women’s team pursuit team Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay, and Georgia Simmerling with their bronze medals at the velodrome at the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday August 13, 2016. (photo/ Mark Blinch)

On the women’s side, Rio 2016 medallists Jasmin Duehring (Glaessar), Laura Brown, Kirsti Lay will look to better their 2016 team pursuit world silver, with the help of Stephanie Roorda and/or Annie Foreman-Mackey.

Related: Canada leaves track cycling worlds with four medals

Roorda and Foreman-Mackey both earned spots on the world podium in London last year. Roorda raced to bronze in women’s scratch, while Foreman-Mackey made her world championship debut one to remember, clinching bronze in individual pursuit.

Stephanie Roorda, left, poses with her bronze Women’s Scratch medal at the World Track Cycling Championships in London on March 3, 2016. (Alastair Grant)

This year’s team included a mix a veterans and fresh faces to the world championship team. Among riders making their world championships debut is Patrice St-Louis-Pivin, who up until 13 months ago had never set foot in a velodrome.

(Photo: Rob Jones/Cycling Canada)

St-Louis-Pivin’s cycling career began after Olympian Hugo Barrette suggested the powerlifter take part in RBC Training Ground‘s regional event in 2016, where he was one of 25 athletes identified as having Olympic potential. Barrette and St-Louis-Pivin will team up with Stefan Ritter for the team sprint event in Hong Kong.

A total of 15 Canadians will compete in at worlds held in Hong Kong from April 12 to 16, you can view the complete roster below.

Roster:

Women:
Kate O’Brien
Amelia Walsh
Laura Brown
Jasmin Duehring
Annie Foreman-Mackey
Kirsti Lay
Stephanie Roorda

Men: 
Hugo Barrette
Stefan Ritter
Patrice St-Louis-Pivin
Aidan Caves
Derek Gee
Adam Jamieson
Jay Lamoureux
Bayley Simpson