January 10/24 14:14 pm - Cycling Canada Announces 2023 Award Recipients

Posted by Editoress on 01/10/24
 

Cycling Canada has announced the recipients of their 2023 Annual Awards, which recognize individuals and events that made large impacts in the cycling community over the past year.

Isabella Holmgren: Russ Copeland Award and President's Trophy winner

"Congratulations to our 2023 Annual Award recipients," said Matthew Jeffries, Cycling Canada Chief Executive Officer. "These awards are vital in recognizing the tireless effort and countless hours that go into growing cycling nationwide. We are so grateful for this dedicated community: our sport would not be where it is in Canada today without your unwavering support. Congratulations again to the award recipients and thank you to all the nominees, nominators and people who voted in this year's process."

The 2023 Annual Award recipients are:

Canadian International Commissaire of the Year
Adrien Levesque - Moncton, NB

Canadian National Commissaire of the Year
François Levesque - Drummondville, QC

Coaches of the Year
Petrina Tulissi - Oakville, ON
Rob Holmgren - Orillia, ON
Joel Harwood - Squamish, BC

Community Coaches of the Year
Joe Hall - Mississauga, ON
Alyssa Hagley - Milton, ON

Events of the Year
BMX: Haut-Richelieu BMX Canada Cup - Saint-Jean-sur-le-Lac, QC
Canadian Championship: 2023 XCM MTB Championships - Whitehorse, YK
Cyclo-cross: Cyclo-cross de Lévis and Eastern Cyclo-cross Challenge - Lévis, QC
International: Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et Montréal - Québec/Montréal, QC
Mountain Bike: Dieppe XCO & XCC Canada Cup - Dieppe, NB
Road: Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix - Vancouver, BC

President's Trophy & Russ Copeland Award
Isabella Holmgren - Orillia, ON

Commissaire of the Year recipients were nominated by their peers and respective Provincial/Territorial Sport Organization (PTSO) for their exceptional accomplishments, contributions and assignments at local, national and international events. The international award was given to Adrien Levesque, who was appointed to prestigious UCI events across multiple disciplines in 2023, such as the Track Nations Cups, Track Champions League and World Championships in Glasgow, GBR. He also acted several times as UCI Technical Commissaire, broadening his scope of responsibility in the sport. The national award went to to Elite National BMX Official François Levesque after being assigned to the majority of BMX Canada Cups over the last few years while remaining heavily involved as a provincial instructor and mentor in Quebec.

Coach of the Year recipients were selected through a nomination process supported by their respective athlete and/or team that won a 2023 Canadian Championship title. Petrina Tulissi coached two road athletes to gold medal performances: Michael Leonard in the U23 men's time trial and Alexandra Volstad in the Junior women's road race. Rob Holmgren received two awards: one for Ian Ackert's Junior Men Cross-country Short Track (XCC) Mountain Bike (MTB) win, and a second for Ackert and Isabella Holmgren winning the U23 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships in their respective categories. Joel Harwood, who also received a Recognition Award for Coach of the Year in 2017, was recognized for Lucas Cruz's victory in the Canadian Elite Men Downhill Championship.

The Community Coaches of Year were nominated by community members and supported by their PTSO.  Representing the Peterborough Cycling Club, Alyssa Hagley partnered with Ontario Cycling to deliver three multi-day camps and one showcase event for the HopOn program, as well as lead a group of volunteer coaches who are now in the process of becoming HopOn Instructors. Joe Hall is a cycling ambassador who always provides riders with a safe environment. He is highly involved in HopOn through the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton, ON, volunteers at local events and is a commissaire at Ontario Cycling events.

Event of the Year recipients were selected through a combined public and internal voting process. The Dieppe Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) and Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) Canada Cup and the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et Montréal were honoured with the title for a third and second consecutive year, respectively. For its first year on the domestic calendar, the Cyclo-cross de Lévis and Eastern Cyclo-cross Challenge gave racers a chance at crucial UCI points prior to the World Cup circuit, and was subsequently chosen as the organizer for the 2024 and 2025 Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships. Haut-Richelieu was an important stop for the BMX Canada Cup Series, credited with a great track and fantastic atmosphere for both its UCI and nationally sanctioned races. Returning for the first time since 2019, the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix celebrated its fifty-year anniversary by bringing in riders from across the globe and a full crowd to experience an exciting Criterium course. Meanwhile, athletes traveled from across the country for a successful Canadian Cross-country Marathon (XCM) MTB Championship, Cycling Canada's first-ever event held in the Yukon.

Isabella Holmgren was awarded the Russ Copeland Award for best Junior rider, as well as the President's Trophy for best performance in a World Championship competition as voted on by members of the Canadian National Cycling Team. Her standout season began in February, when she became Canada's first-ever UCI Junior Women's Cyclo-cross World Champion. Isabella's exceptional performances continued through to the Glasgow 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in August, where she clinched the Junior Women's XCO Champion title.