Holmgrens to compete in cyclocross finals
Former national competitors now focusing on coaching their children
Peterborough native Lisa McGilvray made noise on the national mountain bike scene in her 20s representing Canada at the 2000 Pan American Championships in Puerto Rico.
It was during those years she met fellow competitor and future husband Rob Holmgren. Their love of cycling has been passed down to their children and this weekend five Holmgrens will compete at the 2018 Shimano Canadian Cyclocross Championships at Nicholls Oval.
While Lisa and Rob, who now call Orillia home, continue to compete In masters divisions, it’s their children who are the focus of their coaching efforts these days. Three of their five children compete in both mountain bike and cyclocross which is a Hybrid of road and mountain bike racing. Gunnar Holmgren, 19, is a former Canadian junior champion who has competed in World Cup events in Europe. He’ll compete in the men’s U23 division this weekend. Thirteen year old twin sisters Ava and Isabella will compete in the youth divisions but Ava is already making her mark often defeating the best women in the elite division.
The children were all introduced to cycling at Hardwood Ski and Bike which hosts weekly races between May and September near Orillia. It spawned the Hardwood Next Wave Cycling Team which Rob and Lisa help coach.
“Isabella was riding before she was three,’ said Lisa, a physiotherapist, who started racing while attending the University of Toronto when friends founded the school’s mountain bike team.
She picked up the sport quickly but her children have picked it up even quicker
“Ava is actually getting on the podium against all the elite women in Ontario at 13,” said Lisa.
The twins competed at the Ontario Summer Games in London this summer with Ava winning five gold medals between mountain and road races. Isabella won three bronze medals.
Ava started racing women because there were so few young riders who could compete with her.
“I wanted to see what I was capable of and not just with a few people in my race but with more women I could compete against,” said Ava. “Racing with more people would help me improve my skills and my passing and my racing in general.”
Gunnar placed fourth on the weekend, and was top Canadian, at the Pan American Cyclocross Championships U23 race in Midland. He is a three-time winner of the Paris to Ancaster cyclocross race. He placed 35th at the world U23 championships in Switzerland coming from the last row of 100 riders.
“I’ve been to Peterborough a bunch of times, my grandmother lives there,” said Gunnar, “but I’ve never been to Nicholls Oval park so that will be all new. I’ll have a great support crew with me so that will be familiar. I just have to learn the course.”
Lisa and Rob will compete in the masters 45-54 age group but their primary focus is on coaching youth. Rob is a full time cycling and conditioning coach.
It’s exciting for them to see their children embrace the sport they love.
“Gunnar actually figure skated until he was 14 and was really good at it. He biked a bit with us for fun and decided he wanted to do one race,” Lisa said. “He got third in his first mountain bike race and that was it. He stopped figure skating all together. It’s kind of cool because we never had any expectation that they would even come out with us as a family.”
They’re excited to race in Peterborough where Lisa’s mother Donna McGilvray, and other family, will be able to attend.
“It’s nice for the family. They’ve been to some races but to see a big race in their hometown is really nice,” said Lisa.
The Peterborough Cycling Club is hosting the event which will run from 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. on Saturday. They will also host an International Cycling Union (UCI) event on the same course on Sunday starting at 8 a.m. There will also be some community events and fun races on Friday. Organizers anticipate 500 competitors on a 3.5-kilometre looped course which is ideal for spectators. There is no admission fee for spectators.