Gear up for the Canadian Road Cycling Championships folks! Whether you’ve been riding for just a few days or years at a stretch, cycling alongside the pros is every rider’s dream. And that dream is about to come true as the Canadian Road Cycling Championships, one of the most prestigious on the domestic calendar, is making a grand return to Edmonton. Organized by Do North Events in collaboration with Cycling Canada, the City of Edmonton and Explore Edmonton, the event has finally returned to the city after 12 long years. Only this time, it’s better than ever with three championship events and one community ride. And we’ve got the deets on them all.

The championships

So, the three events include— Time Trial, Road Race and Criteriums for Junior, Elite and Para athletes. Much like they have in the past, the circuits will take you through a mix of rural and urban backdrops.

Given that it’s a national championship, you can expect riders and spectators from all over the country. And also, professional Canadian cyclists who seldom get a chance to race on home soil. So, you will legit be cheering on the future Team Canada’s athletes representing our country around the world.

And if being a spectator isn’t just enough for you, don’t worry you can join the community cycling event on Sunday!

Photos via Explore Edmonton

The community ride

The community ride, aka the second annual Urban Fondo ride presented by Melcor, will take place on Sunday, June 26th. And this one is for anyone who simply wants to deep dive into the joys of riding!

The ride will take you through closed-off routes giving you a chance to ride through the city along with 400 expected riders, from amateurs to pedalling experts. You can pick your own distance, whether you want to do a 28 km, 56 km or 80 km ride.

Here’s the best part… irrespective of the distance you pick, every finisher of the Urban Fondo ride will be awarded a few fun goodies. This includes—

  • A limited-edition Canadian Road Cycling Nationals tote designed by Anti Social Running Club with a beer or non-alcoholic beverage from SYC brewing inside
  • A post-race hot or iced coffee from The Coffee Mule by The Colombian Coffee & Roastery with a doughnut from Edmonton’s favourite party people, Doughnut Party

Talk about a sweet victory!

Ready for the big ride, are we? Well, check out Explore Edmonton’s website for more deets and to sign up for the Urban Fondo and the Canadian Road Cycling Championships.

Canada Roads Nationals

When: June 23 – June 27