1 week Ago By Nick Laba
Two talented North Shore track cyclists have pedalled their way to national titles. West Pollock of North Vancouver and Grace Edwards of West Vancouver both picked up gold medals at the 2025 Canadian National U17 and Junior Track Cycling Championships, held April 4 to 6 in Milton, Ont. Competing amid a pack of 90 young athletes, West picked up golds in the Junior Men Kilo Time Trial and Junior Men Sprint, as well as silver with Team BC in the Junior Men Team Sprint.
Meanwhile, Edwards took gold in the U17 Women Scratch Race, and bronze in both the U17 Women's 500-metre Time Trial and U17 Women Sprint events. Pollock, a Grade 11 student at Handsworth Secondary, got a his first taste of victory at nationals last year, winning the U17 Men Sprint after less than a year of competing in the sport. “Ever since I won that medal I’ve been convinced I’m a sprinter, and I’ve trained super hard,” he said.
That extra training was enough to qualify him to race for Team Canada this January at the Next Generation meet in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, which is considered to be the premier international junior track cycling competition. There, Pollock placed 10th in the Kilo U19 race, which is a long sprint. While competing internationally put some air in his tires, Pollock said he was a bit deflated going into nationals as he was sick with a cold just before the tournament.
“The first day didn’t go exactly how I wanted,” he said, placing fourth in the Keirin race. But Pollock came back with a vengeance on Saturday, winning nine consecutive match races, and another two in the best-of-three final to take the Junior Men Sprint national title. Meanwhile Pollock watched on as his frequent North Shore training partner Edwards heated up the track.
“She was great in the scratch race,” he said. It’s been a fast rise in the sport for Pollock, who’s only competed in track cycling for the past 1.5 years.
Before that, he was big into downhill, enduro and cyclocross. Pollock said he was inspired by his big sister, mountain bike powerhouse Madeleine Pollock . But a bad crash seriously injured his wrist, which sidelined him from riding for months.
That’s when his mom encouraged him to try track. Now, with national titles and international competition under his belt, Pollock wants to continue that momentum. “Hopefully I’ll be selected for world championships in August,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to get too ahead of myself but a big goal of mine would be Olympics 2028.
” [email protected] twitter.com/nick_laba @nicklaba.bsky.
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