After a big weekend of racing, Kentville, NS returned with national champions for the upcoming year. In the elite races, two returning champions will wear the maple leaf through 2024 and 2025. Jenn Jackson defends her 2024 elite women’s title. Léandre Bouchard returns to reclaim the elite men’s title after a few years on the hunt.

Elite men and women

In the elite men’s race, Léandre Bouchard reclaims the national title for elite men’s XCO. Carter Woods, who raced under 23 last year and won the elite title, returns from a mid-season illness to take second. Logan Sadesky rides on the momentum of a successful end to his European campaign and some solid domestic results to take third.

In the women’s race, Jenn Jackson will defend her 2023 elite women’s title. After some great results in the U23 World Cup, Emilly Johnston moved up to the elite level, taking second. Veteran Canadian racer Sandra Walter made another national championship podium in third.

Men and women under 23 years of age

In the under-23 races, Ava Holmgren and Cole Punchard are the 2024 Canadian XCO national champions

Ava Holmgren takes the maple leaf jersey, beating out Marin Lowe and Ella MacPhee for the title. Ava’s sister, Isabella Holmgren, missed the national championships to prepare for the Olympics.

In the men’s event, Cole Punchard wins in an Ontario sweep. Noah Ramsay and Owen Clark finish second and third.

Junior men and women

In the junior women’s race, Rafaelle Carrier leads a Pivot Cycles-OTE sweep of the women’s XCO podium. She is joined on the podium by Lily Rose Marois and Maude Ruelland.

Jacob Roy wins the junior men’s XCO title and takes a big podium in Quebec, flanked by Felix Antoine Leclair and Nicolas Gauthier.

XCO races for players under 17 years old

The youngest national XCO champions of 2024 are Éliane Blais and Emilien Belzil.

Blais wins the under-17 women’s XCO title ahead of Elodie Malois and Elly Moore. Belzil wins the men’s race ahead of Ethan Wood and Evan Moore. A first name starting with the letter E seems to be the key to success in this youngest age category.