HIGH ACHIEVERS WEEKEND WRAP: Michael Woods in holding pattern, waiting to see if he’s a national gravel cycling champion

By Martin Cleary

Former WorldTour road cyclist Michael Woods of Ottawa placed first in the men’s elite race at the Canadian gravel cycling championships in Duncan, B.C., but will he actually be recognized as the champion?

Stay tuned because Panache Cycling Sports, the championship organizer, and Cycling Canada are trying “to determine the fairest possible outcome regarding results and titles,” according to race director Jon Watkin, after extreme heat triggered heat-related medical issues for some riders and threw the competition into complete chaos, which led to its cancellation.

Organizers decided to annul the results of all elite men’s and women’s, junior, cadet and masters events at mid-race because of the health risks from temperatures ranging from low to high 30Cs, depending where the riders were in the Lake Cowichan area.

“The decision was not made lightly,” Watkin added. “During the event, an assessment was made that the on-course conditions did not meet the safety standards required for participants to continue racing.

“Your safety is, and will always remain, our highest priority.”

The elite men’s race came down to a frustrating finish with an unchallenged and exhausted Woods crossing the line with an unofficial first-place result.

Woods has experienced all types of weather and racing conditions during his 14 years of international road racing, but his debut gravel national championship forced him to push himself to “one of the deepest I’ve ever gone,” he told Canadian Cycling Magazine reporter Terry McKall.

As Woods was recovering from his suffering experience in the finish area, Cycling Canada announced over the loud speaker the races had been cancelled.

“I’m disappointed, for sure. I went so deep. One of the deepest I’ve ever gone. To now find out that there might (not) be a podium or results? It’s a shame,” Woods lamented.

The Ventum Racing athlete came to nationals prepared, but not as fully prepared as during his professional road racing days. He also was surprised by the stifling heat in Duncan compared to the cooler temperatures at his family’s home in Andorra.

The two-loop elite men’s race covered 128 kilometres with a total elevation of nearly 2,000 metres.

“I’m not putting in the same level of preparation that I used to,” Woods explained. “That’s part of why I’m finding it so hard in the finals of these races. Gravel’s also just a general burn. It’s not on and off like a road race.”

When Woods retired in 2025 from the WorldTour with the now-defunct Israel-Premier Tech, he created a bucket list of new endurance challenges. Last winter, he experienced ski mountaineering and this spring he’s focused on gravel cycling races, having raced three times in the United States, Spain and Scotland. His best result was a seventh at The Traka in Girona, Spain.

For the better part of the national championship, Woods battled with reigning Canadian champion Ben Perry and mountain biker-turned-gravel racer Andrew L’Esperance.

“I knew that I’d almost have to bluff in order to win,” Woods said. “I’d have to go really hard on the second last climb, go into the red and hopefully be able to suffer more than others.”

That tactic worked to a degree, but he also was hurting psychologically.

“I had no information, I mean, no one has information in a gravel race. But it was a headwind, the heat started to pick up and I started running out of water.

“There was a lot of self doubt, a lot of wondering when they (Perry and L’Esperance) were going to come back. I threw up at one point. When the motorbike came up beside me at one point and said maybe it’s cancelled, I thought ‘OK. Maybe I’m OK with that.’ Then, he said it was still on.”

Under the shade of a tree in the finish area, Woods was trying to understand just what happened in that race.

“To suffer, to go through that and die a thousand deaths and then find out that there’s no result … damn,” Woods concluded.

“I think it’s not enough to stop a race. I’ve done far hotter races that haven’t been stopped. Unless it’s obscenely hot, like 40C degrees. This is a national championship. You have to honour it.”

Woods has won only one Canadian championship in his career, when he placed first in the men’s road race at the 2024 national championships.

Watkin expects a results update by the end of this week.

The Canadian gravel championships also included three other Ottawa-based cyclists – Megamo Gravel Racing’s Lucy Hempstead, who was among the elite women’s leaders before her race was cancelled, and The Cyclery’s Jodi Wendland and Vince Caceres, a pair of masters riders.

Woods will have a homecoming as he celebrates Father’s Day with a UCI Gravel Cycling World Series race in Wakefield, PQ on June 21.

TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES MEET STANDARDS FOR ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION MEET

The road to the Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Track and Field championships in two months in Regina started for Ottawa athletes with the District G qualifying competition in Brockville.

Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club’s Jake Claydon-St. John moved ahead with wins in the boys’ U16 800 and 1,200 metres with respective times of two minutes, 5.08 seconds and 3:25.01. Roan Gerth also was a double winner and national qualifier, placing first in the girls’ U16 1,500 metres in 5:15.97 and the 2,000 metres in 6:56.42.

Lions pole vaulters Anabelle Muir and Charlotte Morales met national standards with respective heights of 3.35 metres and 2.95 metres. Mallea McMullin posted one of the top performances of the meet by winning the girls’ U18 javelin at 43.93 metres.

Megan Paterson competed in all four girls’ U18 throws events and made the national standard in discus at 34.37 metres and shot put at 11.41 metres.

Rhianna Syllion of C.A.N.I. won the girls’ U18 100-metre hurdles in 14.22 seconds to achieve the national standard. She also was first in the 400-metre hurdles in 1:11.11.

The 2026 Canadian Track and Field Championships for U20 and senior athletes will be hosted in Ottawa at Terry Fox Athletic Facility from June 17-21.

ZAKARY KAISER REACHES WORLD CUP BMX MEN’S U23 QUARTERFINALS

Zakary Kaiser of Greely reached the men’s U23 quarterfinals and placed 23rd overall in Round 3 on the World Cup BMX circuit in Papendal, The Netherlands. He was 54th in Round 4.

Brother Jacob Kaiser placed 57th and 88th in Rounds 4 and 3 respectively.

HEAVEN-LEE EMOND WINS U23 PAN AM WRESTLING SILVER

Ottawa’s Heaven-Lee Emond earned a silver medal at the 2026 U23 Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Lima, Peru.

The National Capital Wrestling Club athlete went 2-2 in the women’s 65 kg competition. She won matches over opponents from Peru and Ecuador, with her only defeats coming to the division champion from USA.

CEDRICK BRUNET, WILLIAM DOYON-VERDON EARN SCHOLARSHIPS

A pair of Gatineau athletes have been awarded scholarships from the 2026 edition of the Cascades Program within the Aleo Foundation.

Long-track speed skater Cedrick Brunet of the Navigators’ Adult Education Centre and fencer William Doyon-Verdon of CEGEP du Vieux Montreal were scholarship recipients, but the amounts were not announced.

Twenty-one athletes will share $200,000.