Ontario Cycling, in partnership with the Handcycling Club of Canada, hosted a Para cycling festival in Dunnville from Thursday May 29th to Sunday June 1st. The first event of the festival was a two-day handcycling camp led by former Paralympian Joey Desjardins – this initiative was made possible through financial contributions from the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Government of Canada. The camp was supported by guest coach, Jenn Flemke (Triathlon Ontario). The camp allowed handcyclists, from novice to expert, to come together and train in a one-of-a-kind environment on a pristine track at the Dunnville Autodrome. The camp focused on teaching the basics of racing to new handcyclists, while helping more experienced handcyclists develop race-specific strategies. All camp participants had a chance to put their new learnings into action during the race weekend.
“Thanks to Ontario Cycling and the Handcycling Club of Canada for bringing together 14 racers and 8 camp participants for an incredible showcase of community, competition, and progress for the sport.” – Coach Joey Desjardins
The second event of the festival was an action-filled racing weekend, which featured a Time Trial and Road Race on Saturday and a Criterium on Sunday. Please see below for a list of medalists:
Men’s Time Trial
1st Place – Michael Trauner
2nd Place – Robert Buren
3rd Place – Roger Koert
Women’s Time Trial
1st Place – Katty Abran
2nd Place – Christine Molnar
3rd Place – Nancy Kawaja
Men’s Road Race
1st Place – Michael Trauner
2nd Place – Robert Buren
3rd Place – Roger Koert
Women’s Time Trial
1st Place – Katty Abran
2nd Place – Christine Molnar
3rd Place – Nancy Kawaja
*Full results can be found here.
This initiative was supported through the Government of Canada’s Community Sport for All Initiative. Thank you to all athletes, coaches, volunteers, and commissaires! We look forward to hosting the Para Cycling Festival again in 2026!
