Canuel takes Canadian time trial title

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After a one year absence, Karol-Ann Canuel (Boels-Dolmans) has returned to the top step of the podium as the Canadian women's time trial champion, with a dominating performance.

The course in the Gatineau Park outside Ottawa takes the riders through stunning forest, with the road climbing for the first half before competitors turn around for an equally long descent back to the finish line. Elite/Under-23 women did 26 kilometres.

The women started in dry conditions before rain swept in for the latter half of the race. Alison Jackson (Be Pink), the bronze medalist in the Road Race on Saturday, set the first fast time, which stood up until Olympic bronze medalist Kirsti Lay (Rally Cycling) knocked 57 seconds off the leading time, to take it under 42 minutes. Lay stayed in the lead until former national champion Leah Kirchmann (Team Sunweb) went below 40 minutes, at 39:54. Kirchmann kept the lead until Canuel, the final starter, knocked over a minute off the leading time. Sara Poidevin (Rally Cycling) finished third overall and was the top Under-23 rider.

"I'm really excited to be champion again," said Canuel. "I was sad to lose it last year, and I'm really happy to win it in front of my family in my hometown. It was really, really hard, especially with the rain and the headwind and climb."

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