Elitewave's Catharine Pendrel, Dan Proulx and Alex Wrubleski at Olympics.
Former Elitewave/Tri-Athletics athlete Josh Riker-Fox (Modern Pentathlon) with Coach DanWednesday, August 27, 2008
Elitewave at the Olympics
Elitewave's Catharine Pendrel, Dan Proulx and Alex Wrubleski at Olympics. Former Elitewave/Tri-Athletics athlete Josh Riker-Fox (Modern Pentathlon) with Coach Dan
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Pendrel 4th at Olympic Games - Six years to an overnight success.
What a wild day yesterday! For much of the women's Olympic Mountain Bike Race, Elitewave's Catharine Pendrel (Luna) was in third position and fighting to hold onto the Bronze medal over Maja Wloszczowska of Poland. It was a tough battle. In the final km, Catharine missed a shift and that was all it took to slip into 4th. There was no disappointment, however, Catharine's progress toward this result has been nothing short of remarkable.
6 years ago, Catharine was a recreational rider who joined the UVic Triathlon club to stay in shape and make new friends in her adopted home. Catharine began to dabble in cycling a year later - experimenting with road and mountain bike racing. When I was running the Opus team, she was actually not strong enough to make the first edition of the team. Her determination and perseverance paid off with steadily improving results - especially on the mountain bike where she enjoyed many happy miles with her husband to be and riding partner, Keith Wilson.
Catharine's training has progressed steadily over the last 6 years. It has been planned and adapted to bring her up to a new level each year. Last year, most would say that Catharine was the third choice to make the Olympic Team. In 12 months, her steady build-up and peaking plan has taken her to a new level - World Cup winner and medal contender at the Olympic Games.
If I had to characterize her training I would say that it's well planned hard work that focuses on speed, power and intensity. She is not a mega-mile rider. Her training is optimal and not maximal. She has a lot of areas where she can still take her training to a new level. If I were to show you her training plans from 2002-2008, you would see that she has slightly increased hours each year - averaging about 14 hours per week over the course of the year. She has a higher focus on mountain bike specific riding (as opposed to many competitors who do tons of road miles). She is an incredibly hard worker who handles each training session with precision and attention to detail. The level of feedback she provides make my job as a coach a lot easier.
In addition to the incredible genetics that Catharine possesses, she is also blessed with the technical influence of husband Keith and brother Geoff Pendrel (former National Team downhiller) who like to play hard on the dirt. The technical development that has happened while Catharine goes through her program has also been tremendous. Mostly importantly Keith is a consistent and reliable training partner for Catharine (in addition to being her most important support network).
Catharine will now be setting her sites on London 2012. In the next four year cycle, she will be looking for wins at European World Cups, Commonwealth Games and the World Championships. Its going to be an exciting quadrennial.
The best advice I could give to any athletes out there who wish to aspire to Catharine's level is to dream big and pursue your goals with all of your might. For coaches, I would simply say that you can never tell who will be a future champion, so it's important to give every rider an opportunity to develop. Our job, as coaches, is to find the diamond in the rough. It's relatively easy to pick up talented riders who are already fast, but developing one from scratch is the hallmark of a truly successful program. If more coaches took development seriously and stopped the "call me when you are fast" philosophy, Canada could develop even more champion athletes like Pendrel in the future. There is no such thing as a bad rider - just riders who have not reached their personal potential yet.
Congratulations on a great ride and great season Catharine. It is an incredible experience working with such a talented and hard working athlete. You have gone from beginnner to being one of the best in the World in a short six years! The next four years will be even more exciting.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Absalon,Dahle Flesjaa to defend mountain bike gold
By NAOMI KOPPEL,
Associated Press Writer
Updated August 19, 2008
(AP Photo/KEYSTONE/Alessandro della Valle)BEIJING (AP) Until recently, no one would have bet against Julien Absalon of France to take the men's Olympic mountain biking title. He is still the favorite, but he has shown a few chinks in his armor this year.
The defending Olympic champion won four consecutive world championships through 2007, but this year failed to complete the course in Val di Sole, Italy, blaming heatstroke.
The man who won was the man who has run Absalon close all year in the World Cup, Christoph Sauser of Switzerland, and he will be Absalon's biggest challenger in Beijing, although he is returning from injury. He cut his knee on a rock during a World Cup race in Canada in July and the wound became infected.
"It's much better now. I can still feel it, but I can bend (my knee) all the way back," Sauser said.
Sauser headed an all-Swiss podium in Val di Sole, and the silver medalist, Florian Vogel, is also expected to be in the mix.
Athens silver medalist Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain and Atlanta gold medalist Bart Brentjens of Belgium will also be hoping for glory.
It's a similar story in the women's race, where the longtime number one has had a difficult couple of years. Athens gold medalist and four-time world champion Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway missed most of the 2007 season with a virus and has been slowly coming back this season. However she was hit by illness again before a World Cup race in Canada at the beginning of the month and it is unclear how strong she will be in Beijing.
"We're a couple of steps away from where I was four years ago," Dahle Flesjaa acknowledged. "But we have shown a couple of times we've been up there."
With Dahle Flesjaa not yet back to strength, veteran Margarita Fullana of Spain took the world championship title this year, her first in eight years, and the Sydney bronze medalist will be seeking to capitalize on her good form.
Irina Kalentieva of Russia, the 2007 world champion, and Sabine Spitz of Germany are also expected to be strong contenders.
Though mountain biking is heavily dominated by the Europeans, there is also good hope for Canada, especially in the women's event, where Marie-Helene Premont will seek to improve on the silver she won in Athens.
"Canada has always had a really good history in mountain biking," said Dan Proulx, who coaches Canada's younger woman hopeful, Catharine Pendrel. "We maybe don't have the depth, but the riders that we do bring to international competition are usually in the running.
"There is a strong connection to mountain biking in our culture, much more than, say, track or road. Especially where these riders are from, in the mountains, it is the culture there."
Chinese hopes lie with Liu Ying, winner of the women's under-23 world championships in 2007.
The mountain bikers have had to wait a long time for their chance at the Beijing Olympics. Theirs is the last of the four cycling disciplines to be contested, after three days of road racing, five days on the track and two of BMX.
The Laoshan mountain bike venue cost almost $10 million to construct. The race will consist of laps of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) course that climbs 60 meters (200 feet). The exact number of laps will be decided on race day based on the weather, but the intention is that the men's race will last about two hours and the women's 90 minutes.
As a change from the previous Olympics, this year there will be technical assistance zones, where riders can change wheels and other parts, but not get new bikes. They will also be allowed to carry tools with them, which they can share with other members of their team.
Associated Press Writer
Updated August 19, 2008
(AP Photo/KEYSTONE/Alessandro della Valle)BEIJING (AP) Until recently, no one would have bet against Julien Absalon of France to take the men's Olympic mountain biking title. He is still the favorite, but he has shown a few chinks in his armor this year.
The defending Olympic champion won four consecutive world championships through 2007, but this year failed to complete the course in Val di Sole, Italy, blaming heatstroke.
The man who won was the man who has run Absalon close all year in the World Cup, Christoph Sauser of Switzerland, and he will be Absalon's biggest challenger in Beijing, although he is returning from injury. He cut his knee on a rock during a World Cup race in Canada in July and the wound became infected.
"It's much better now. I can still feel it, but I can bend (my knee) all the way back," Sauser said.
Sauser headed an all-Swiss podium in Val di Sole, and the silver medalist, Florian Vogel, is also expected to be in the mix.
Athens silver medalist Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain and Atlanta gold medalist Bart Brentjens of Belgium will also be hoping for glory.
It's a similar story in the women's race, where the longtime number one has had a difficult couple of years. Athens gold medalist and four-time world champion Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway missed most of the 2007 season with a virus and has been slowly coming back this season. However she was hit by illness again before a World Cup race in Canada at the beginning of the month and it is unclear how strong she will be in Beijing.
"We're a couple of steps away from where I was four years ago," Dahle Flesjaa acknowledged. "But we have shown a couple of times we've been up there."
With Dahle Flesjaa not yet back to strength, veteran Margarita Fullana of Spain took the world championship title this year, her first in eight years, and the Sydney bronze medalist will be seeking to capitalize on her good form.
Irina Kalentieva of Russia, the 2007 world champion, and Sabine Spitz of Germany are also expected to be strong contenders.
Though mountain biking is heavily dominated by the Europeans, there is also good hope for Canada, especially in the women's event, where Marie-Helene Premont will seek to improve on the silver she won in Athens.
"Canada has always had a really good history in mountain biking," said Dan Proulx, who coaches Canada's younger woman hopeful, Catharine Pendrel. "We maybe don't have the depth, but the riders that we do bring to international competition are usually in the running.
"There is a strong connection to mountain biking in our culture, much more than, say, track or road. Especially where these riders are from, in the mountains, it is the culture there."
Chinese hopes lie with Liu Ying, winner of the women's under-23 world championships in 2007.
The mountain bikers have had to wait a long time for their chance at the Beijing Olympics. Theirs is the last of the four cycling disciplines to be contested, after three days of road racing, five days on the track and two of BMX.
The Laoshan mountain bike venue cost almost $10 million to construct. The race will consist of laps of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) course that climbs 60 meters (200 feet). The exact number of laps will be decided on race day based on the weather, but the intention is that the men's race will last about two hours and the women's 90 minutes.
As a change from the previous Olympics, this year there will be technical assistance zones, where riders can change wheels and other parts, but not get new bikes. They will also be allowed to carry tools with them, which they can share with other members of their team.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Petro-Canada and the Coaching Association of Canada Honour Canada's Olympic Coaches
Petro-Canada and the Coaching Association of Canada honour Canada's Olympic coaches in Beijing today. Dan Proulx, Team Manager, cycling; Sylvie Bernier, Chef de Mission for the 2008 Olympic Games; and Vincent Jourdain, National Road Coach, cycling, enjoy the Coaches' Recognition Event. (CNW Group/Petro-Canada)
Canada realistic about track cycling chances
Associated Press - Beijing
14-08-2008 - 16:00
Dan Proulx says the Canadian track cycling team he manages is in "a development phase." In other words, it's probably not going to win any medals.
Which is a disappointment for the Canadians, who returned from Athens four years ago with their first ever cycling gold _ for Lori-Ann Muenzer in the women's sprint.
But Muenzer has retired, and the three-rider squad the Canadians have brought to Beijing doesn't have an obvious star. Still, Proulx remains hopeful.
"Our best medal hope is probably Gina Grain," he said. "If it's really competitive in the points race, the bunch racing for every point, Gina can beat almost anyone in the world."
The 34-year-0ld Grain is probably competing in her final Olympics. But Proulx has strong hopes in four years' time for 26-year-olds Zach Bell and Martin Gilbert, who ride together in the madison. Bell will also take part in the points race.
"We've also got a young crop of riders waiting in the wings," Proulx said. "We've identified track as an important area of cycling for us to develop in."
Though the track may not be fertile ground for the Canadians, they are far from out of contention for cycling medals. Marie-Helene Premont will be seeking to improve on the mountain biking silver she took in Athens, and that event should also offer a chance to Catharine Pendrel, who finished sixth in the world championships.
14-08-2008 - 16:00
Dan Proulx says the Canadian track cycling team he manages is in "a development phase." In other words, it's probably not going to win any medals.
Which is a disappointment for the Canadians, who returned from Athens four years ago with their first ever cycling gold _ for Lori-Ann Muenzer in the women's sprint.
But Muenzer has retired, and the three-rider squad the Canadians have brought to Beijing doesn't have an obvious star. Still, Proulx remains hopeful.
"Our best medal hope is probably Gina Grain," he said. "If it's really competitive in the points race, the bunch racing for every point, Gina can beat almost anyone in the world."
The 34-year-0ld Grain is probably competing in her final Olympics. But Proulx has strong hopes in four years' time for 26-year-olds Zach Bell and Martin Gilbert, who ride together in the madison. Bell will also take part in the points race.
"We've also got a young crop of riders waiting in the wings," Proulx said. "We've identified track as an important area of cycling for us to develop in."
Though the track may not be fertile ground for the Canadians, they are far from out of contention for cycling medals. Marie-Helene Premont will be seeking to improve on the mountain biking silver she took in Athens, and that event should also offer a chance to Catharine Pendrel, who finished sixth in the world championships.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Beijing Olympics: Interview with Dan Proulx, Cycling Team Manager
By Rob Jones, Canadian Cyclist
"Everything takes 30 minutes longer."
Dan Proulx, Canadian Cycling Team Manager, made this comment from the road while driving back to the Olympic Village after attending a Manager's Meeting for tomorrow's Time Trial.
"We had to stop and get gas, and then found out that they didn't take Visa, so two employees went with me while I went to find a bank."
Despite that minor frustration, Proulx says that so far the team's experiences have been very positive.
"Everyone is extremely helpful, but the extra protocols that the Olympics have adds to the slowdown. For example, Erinne [Willock] wanted soy milk to drink before the race, so our mission two days before the race became to find a source for soy milk. It is very organized [Ed. Note - Much more so than Athens], but there are always issues and running around."
"What we read in the media before the Games, doesn't match up on the ground; everything is better than we anticipated."
For Proulx, the position of Team Manager came late - two months before the Games - when Sean O'Donnell left the Canadian Cycling association to take a position with Sport Canada.
"It's pretty exciting, and a great honour. I had done the Pan Ams [as team manager], so this was a natural progression, and I was already planning to be here to support Catharine [Pendrel] and Alex [Wrubleski - both of whom he coaches], so it was a pretty easy step."
"My job is a mixture of everything from straight logistics - like organizing vehicles - to coordinating staff, to helping the national team coaches. It's a job that starts at 7 am and finishes at midnight; you are in constant motion."
Proulx also had a chance to fill us in on Time Trial plans, and how Wrubleski is doing after her heavy crash in the road race on Sunday.
"It's pretty much standard operating procedure for the time trial. The women will go in one wave and the men in three waves. The weather at the Wall is much better right now; we saw the mountains clearly for the first time."
"Alex is doing well, she's on the bike and training as normal. She has a bruised right hip and whiplash to her neck, but she will be fine for racing the time trial. The doctor has seen her twice and everything is okay. She is optimistic, although disappointed at crashing, and fortunate to have a second chance to race. Alex is a 24/7 athlete, bound and determined to give her best. Every bit of experience she can gain here can help at the next Games."
British expecting to top the track cycling
posted 16 hrs ago | 3 Views | View Source: By NAOMI KOPPEL Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) _ Britain team manager Shane Sutton said he will be disappointed if his cyclists don't come out on top at the track at the Olympics.
If the results of this year's world championships are repeated over the next week, Britain can expect to come away with seven gold medals and one silver in the 10 events. However, those championships were held on the team's home track in Manchester, and some other countries have also suggested that the British have peaked too early.
"I think we would be disappointed as a team if we didn't get close to what we did in Manchester," said Sutton, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist for Australia who is one of the topflight coaches brought into Britain's well-funded cycling program.
"Things are going well. We are the best we can be. Whether that is good enough we won't know. But everything is ready to go and we just want to go in there tomorrow and get on with it."
Success has come quickly in cycling since Britain started pouring money into programs aimed at getting results at the 2012 London Olympics. But Sutton said there was still much work to do in the next few years.
"If you stop looking for marginal gains in any area, you're going to get caught," he said.
Canadian team manager Dan Proulx said he believed that Britain would be the standout nation in track cycling, but there was still room for doubt.
"Countries have known that that would be the case for a while now, and so they have really upped their game," he said. "But the Brits have shown that they are going to be a tough act to beat."
Proulx said there's also a good reason why the British are concentrating on track cycling rather than the other Olympic disciplines of road racing, BMX and mountain biking
"It has the most medals available," he said.
Despite the emphasis on track, Britain already has two cycling medals, a gold and silver in women's road racing, and 19-year-old Shanaze Reade will start as the hot favorite for the inaugural women's BMX title.
BEIJING (AP) _ Britain team manager Shane Sutton said he will be disappointed if his cyclists don't come out on top at the track at the Olympics.
If the results of this year's world championships are repeated over the next week, Britain can expect to come away with seven gold medals and one silver in the 10 events. However, those championships were held on the team's home track in Manchester, and some other countries have also suggested that the British have peaked too early.
"I think we would be disappointed as a team if we didn't get close to what we did in Manchester," said Sutton, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist for Australia who is one of the topflight coaches brought into Britain's well-funded cycling program.
"Things are going well. We are the best we can be. Whether that is good enough we won't know. But everything is ready to go and we just want to go in there tomorrow and get on with it."
Success has come quickly in cycling since Britain started pouring money into programs aimed at getting results at the 2012 London Olympics. But Sutton said there was still much work to do in the next few years.
"If you stop looking for marginal gains in any area, you're going to get caught," he said.
Canadian team manager Dan Proulx said he believed that Britain would be the standout nation in track cycling, but there was still room for doubt.
"Countries have known that that would be the case for a while now, and so they have really upped their game," he said. "But the Brits have shown that they are going to be a tough act to beat."
Proulx said there's also a good reason why the British are concentrating on track cycling rather than the other Olympic disciplines of road racing, BMX and mountain biking
"It has the most medals available," he said.
Despite the emphasis on track, Britain already has two cycling medals, a gold and silver in women's road racing, and 19-year-old Shanaze Reade will start as the hot favorite for the inaugural women's BMX title.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Elitewave Rider Wins World Cup
Catharine Pendrel and Marie-Helene Premont swept the top two places at a World Cup mountain bike race on Sunday at Bromont, Que.
It's the second one-two finish for Canadian riders on the circuit in as many weeks.
Pendrel, of Kamloops, B.C., claimed her first World Cup victory in one hour, 37 minutes and 43 seconds. Premont, from Chateau Richer, Que., and an Olympic teammate of the winner, finished one minute, 53 seconds behind.
Katrina Nash of the Czech Republic was third, 2:39 off the pace.
Premont virtually assured herself of winning the overall World Cup title by increasing her overall lead in the World Cup standings to 1,420 points with two events remaining, while Pendrel moved into second with 973 points.
The two Canadian riders rode away from the rest of the field on the first lap of the four-lap, 18.4-kilometre race, with Pendrel dropping Premont on the second lap. The Quebec rider lost more time with mechanical problems which required a stop in the technical pit.
Nash was able to catch up to her, but then ran into her own technical problems.
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