NEW BRUNSWICK – Back into the flow of things, Canmore mountain bikers Eva Poidevin and Logan Sadesky gave a glimpse of what they’re capable of among the nation’s best riders.
At the Dieppe Canada Cup from Aug. 19-22, Sadesky won gold, bronze and fourth in elite men; Canmore’s Eric Oulette scored two top-20 performances; and Poidevin peddled to silver and fourth in elite women at the New Brunswick courses.
“I think we all showed pretty strong performances and that Alberta is definitely capable of fighting on that national stage,” said the 21-year-old Sadesky. “Hopefully some younger kids can see and get inspired by some of the results we’re putting out and we can have a stronger Alberta race team moving forward.”
The strong weekend results gave the Canada Cup rankings a shake-up with Poidevin jumping up to third overall for elite women; Sadesky ranks in eighth among elite men and Oulette is 17th.
Despite a “logistical nightmare” that Poidevin went through prior to the weekend of racing, where her bike was lost for a day-and-a-half by the airline, the 21-year-old younger sister of Olympic alternate in road cycling Sara Poidevin felt much better about the third Canada Cup this season compared to the first two.
“Coming into racing I was a bit nervous and didn’t know how I’d stack up,” said Poidevin. “The more racing I do, I’m gaining more confidence and it’s reassuring that I have been doing the right thing and I’m on the right track.”
In the short track, Poidevin finished fourth in elite women, and then capped off her weekend by rocketing to silver in the cross-country course.
Her time away from competition during the pandemic saw her trading the mountains for the ocean and living part-time in Victoria, British Columbia. She was able to make leaps in her training by riding year-round in technical terrain.
The west coast is also where her Rundle Mountain Cycling Club teammate Sadesky has been attending university, benefiting from the same year-round training opportunities in the mild and rainy atmosphere.
Along with a growth spurt, where Sadesky added 15 pounds and gained a few inches in height, he’s been working with Keith Wilson out of Pendrel Racing in Kamloops to expand bike IQ, among others.
“I’ve definitely taken a massive step from 2019 to this year,” said Sadesky. “It’s been a combo of more training, more intensity and training smarter.”
After feeling things out himself in the first two Canada Cups in Quebec, the Canmore rider was on the hunt for UCI points in New Brunswick. The points count toward having better start positions in future races.
With only top 10 performances in mind, Sadesky delivered, winning bronze in the short track and snagging fourth spot in cross-country. He ended his weekend in eastern Canada by securing gold in the Velo New Brunswick, five laps around a 4.8 kilometre loop.
“My lap times are becoming more consistent and I’m keeping the same pace throughout the races,” he said. “I feel like I’m coming into the fitness where I was hoping to be this season.”
Up next for the local athletes is the national cross country mountain bike championships from Sept. 24-26 in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec.
The following weekend is the Canmore Canada Cup, taking place Oct. 1-3 at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
