A trio of local world-class athletes, who have been friends since kindergarten, each earned hard-fought medals at the Pan American Cyclocross Championship earlier this month in Falmouth, Mass.
Ava Holmgren, 17, of Orillia, repeated as the junior women's champion at the international event which attracted some of the world's top athletes.
She rode a strong race from start to finish, demonstrating efficiency, skill and superior race tactics, her coach said. Holmgren was able to overcome a mid-race mechanical issue that cost her precious time in a fast-paced junior women's race.
In fact, Ava passed every U23 woman racing, making up a 30-second disadvantage at the start.
Her twin sister, Isabella, a Stimulus Orbea teammate, raced to a bronze medal in the same race.
Their teammate, Ian Ackert, of Severn Township, also raced to a bronze, finishing third in the highly competitive junior men's race.
The three longtime friends all go to school at Ecole Secondaire Nouvelle-Alliance in Barrie.
The championships were held at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Massachusetts on Nov. 4. The trio had just returned two days earlier from a race trip in Europe to take on the championships which were originally to be held in Costa Rica.
With a late change of venues and some "great support" from their coach, Rob Holmgren, and team, director Marc Ackert, the three were able to arrive well prepared and perform with excellence despite jet lag and long travel days.
The racing continued throughout the weekend organized by the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross.
Ava Holmgren took home silver on the Saturday at the Junior UCI race with Isabella capturing bronze. Ackert was fourth in a strong junior men's field.
On Day 3 of racing, Isabella dominated the Junior UCI women's race winning the gold, while Ava and Ackert took a rest day.
The three talented athletes gained valuable UCI points over the weekend, further solidifying their presence on the international cyclocross scene. Ava Holmgren is currently the top-ranked junior woman worldwide, while Isabella is ranked third. Ian Ackert is ranked fifth among junior men.
These performances and rankings are helping to put Canada on the map in a sport dominated heavily by European cyclists.
Some noteworthy results from the early season races include Ian Ackert winning four UCI junior races in the United States with a fifth place finish at the World Cup in Tabor, Czechia.
Ava Holmgren has taken home three Junior UCI wins in the U.S. with one silver. She earned third place on the U23 women's podium at the World Cups in Waterloo, Wis., and Fayetteville, Ark.
Ava again took home Canada's only podium finish at the World Cup in Maasmechelen, Belgium where she raced to bronze in the junior women's category. The week prior, she placed fourth in the Tabor World Cup. Ava finished off her early season racing block with a second place in the elite women's category at the Northampton International last weekend in Massachusetts.
Isabella has won two Junior UCI races in the U.S. with a trio of second-place finishes. She raced to a strong top-10, placing eighth at the Maasmechelen World Cup in Belgium.
Even more impressive, Isabella showed her strength in climbing, placing seventh in the elite women's category at the infamous Koppenbergcross, one of Belgium's most iconic races. The Koppenberg features a 600-metre climb with an average gradient of 11.6 per cent (maxing out at 22 per cent) repeated every lap of the race. The women completed six laps. Ava cycled to ninth place in the same event.
The three local cyclists are currently busy preparing for the upcoming Bear Crossing Cyclocross Canadian National Championships held in Saanich, B.C., slated for Nov 26-27.
They will head back to Europe for the second half of the cyclocross season where they will battle more international competition. The season culminates with the Cyclocross World Championships held in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, from Feb. 3-5, 2023.
