Canada has quietly stepped up to challenge traditional Olympic cycling powerhouses such as Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Italy, entering the largest number of athletes in track cycling and one athlete in every cycling event except BMX freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In an exclusive interview with Cycling News, Canadian cycling head coach Dan Proulx shared insight into this milestone and the preparations leading up to it.

Canada is one of the few countries to have qualified in all disciplines. Only Great Britain was able to enter the maximum number of athletes in track, MTB, and road. Canada's ability to be on the same stage as Olympic powerhouses like Great Britain is due to the hard work of its athletes, eight coaches, support staff, and financial support from Sport Canada.

"This support has made a huge difference over the years in ensuring we have a world class program, coaches and staff. It has raised the bar for everyone and allowed us to compete at the highest level."

"What makes Canada really unique is that we don't have as many people in the development pipeline as other countries. Cycling is not a culture in Canada. So we often select athletes from a very small pool of talent. So it's really important to make sure they stay in the sport for a while and make the most of the talent we have. We are a compact group, so we have to build good relationships with everyone."

"We're very excited," Proulx said of maximizing the track cycling team. 'As far as I know, this is a first for Canada. To my knowledge, this is the first time Canada has done something like this. We were hoping to get the maximum number of slots, but that wasn't guaranteed until the last tournament. Before Milton (the last Nations Cup), we were optimistic and hopeful, but we never took it for granted."

The track team announced this week includes defending sprint champion Kelsey Mitchell and Keirin bronze medalist Laurianne Genest. Erin Atwell, Ariane Bonhomme, Maggie Coles-Leister, and Sarah Van Dam will compete in the endurance events.

The biggest surprise, however, was the men's sprint program, where they barely qualified for the Olympics thanks to their final run in Milton.

"That one was a nail-biter," Proulx recalls. What was really great was that the athletes ran personal bests under pressure." We needed to finish in the top 10, so we were relatively confident about the team pursuit.

James Hedgcock, Tyler Rorke, and Nick Wammes will compete in the sprint event in Paris. Team Pursuit representatives were also selected, with Dylan Bibic, Michael Foley, Carson Matherne, and Matthias Guilmette named to the team.

The qualifying process was complicated by the shortened Olympic cycle after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Little time was left for development and experimentation, but Canada performed admirably to qualify a large team.

"Because of the three-year quadrennium, we were not able to do a lot of development work during the year after the Olympics. We went right back to qualifying," explained Proulx. 'The coaches, staff, and athletes focused on the process and their performance in each event. Our goal was not to qualify in every event, but to perform at our best in the competition."

Looking ahead to Paris, Proulx stressed the importance of preparation and mental toughness. Like everyone, we want medals, but honestly, we can't control that. We practice performing under pressure and fatigue situations so that our athletes can give their best in competitions. The Olympics is a pressure point where athletes often perform poorly. So we focus on controlling the controllable and creating an environment where athletes can do well."

Critical to Canada's success is an outstanding coaching staff, including Rio Olympics bronze medalist Kathryn Pendrel, who now coaches the mountain bike team. I think it's a fascinating story." She's been coaching mountain biking for the last two years and is doing a fantastic job with our athletes as we look ahead to 2028." We will have mountain bikers at the Games, but our mountain bike group is more about the rebuilding of the Games and the experience." Catherine shares the wisdom she has gained from her nearly 20-year international career with coaches in a variety of disciplines."

Siblings Gunnar and Isabella Holmgren will represent Canada in the mountain bike cross country race. Isabella is the current junior world champion and Gunnar won the men's MTB at last year's Pan American Games.

On the road, Michael Woods and Derek Gee will fly the Maple Leaf flag on the classic-style road course in Paris, while Olivia Baril and Allison Jackson will represent Canada in the women's road.

Molly Simpson will round out the team in women's BMX racing.

"There is potential for medals in a variety of disciplines. She said, "The exciting thing about the road course is how challenging it is. Coaches like Nigel Elsay have been reconditioning on this course. It's our job to see who is the best on the day."

Canada's preparation is not limited to physical training. Collaborations with equipment partners such as Argon 18 and Louis Garneau have provided the team with state-of-the-art equipment and clothing. However, Proulx stressed the importance of mastering the basics. The tactical side, especially in track cycling, is super important. We study our competitors and allow our athletes to fight in unexpected ways. Technical aspects like perfecting starts and optimizing exchanges are also essential. All training sessions include video analysis, power analysis, and aero testing.

Mental preparation also plays an important role in Canada's strategy. As Proulx notes, "We've invested in our mental performance game, creating a bright, upbeat, clear performance environment." Our mental performance coach, Charlene Hoar, works with players and coaches to create an environment that brings out the best in people." There is a great atmosphere on the team right now that comes from investment and continuous effort."