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Chaos as 2026 Canadian Gravel Championships cancelled Mid Race

The 2026 Canadian Gravel Championships in Duncan, British Columbia descended into absolute chaos on Sunday as blistering heat ripped through the peloton, forcing riders to abandon with heat stroke and ultimately bringing the national championship to a shocking halt.

Chaos as 2026 Canadian Gravel Championships cancelled Mid Race

More than 400 riders from across the country had lined up for the Felt Bicycles Canadian Gravel Championships — a field stacked with the biggest names in Canadian endurance sport: Adam Roberge, Mike Woods, Rob Britton, Andrew L'Esperance, Ben Perry, Hailey Smith, and Lucy Hempstead. Champions, WorldTour veterans, rising stars — all ready to battle for the maple-leaf jersey.

Instead, they got a disaster.

Temperatures Near 30°C (90°F) — Riders Collapse Before Halfway

By midday, the Cowichan Valley had turned into a furnace. Temperatures surged toward 30°C, and the heat began tearing through the field. Riders were collapsing with heat exhaustion before the halfway point, support crews were overwhelmed, and the medical tents were already full.

Then came the moment no one expected.

Ran Out of Water

Organizers ran out of water — and instead of stopping the race, they let riders continue in 30°C heat. The result was chaos, collapses, and a national championship abandoned mid-race.

Organisers Cancel the Race — Mid-Race, Mid-Breakaway

With the men’s race deep into the decisive phase, Cory Wallace launched an early attack before being reeled in. A powerhouse trio — Mike Woods, Benjamin Perry, and Andrew L’Esperance — broke clear and were driving the pace when chaos struck.

At the top of the final descent, with 35 km to go, officials stopped two of the leaders and told them the unthinkable:

The race was cancelled.

But the riders — confused, overheated, and mid-effort — kept going anyway.

Women’s Race Ends in Confusion

In the women’s race, Haley Smith, Kaitlyn Rauwerda, and Lucy Hempstead had formed the day’s elite breakaway. But when the women’s peloton reached the finish area, they were met not with a finish line… but with officials announcing the race was over.

No sprint.
No podium.
No national champion.

Just disbelief.

No Results. No Champions. No Closure.

Riders who had travelled thousands of kilometres — from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland — were told there would be no official results. Months of preparation evaporated in seconds.

The disappointment was palpable.
The anger was real.
The confusion was total.

A Historic First — For All the Wrong Reasons

This was the first time the Canadian Gravel Championships had ever been hosted in Duncan, part of the BC Gravel Series and the Burnt Bridge Classic weekend.

Instead of a celebration of Canadian gravel racing, it will be remembered as:

The year the national championships melted in the heat.