David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., and Winnipeg's Lah Kirchmann won the men's and women's criterium events on the final day of the Canadian road cycling championships.
Veilleux trailed but stayed within reach of Ottawa's Derrick St. John until a second-place finish in the final sprint put him one point ahead of St. John for the title Sunday.
"I knew that I was close to Derrick, but I wasn't sure how close I was," said Veilleux. "Even though this is not the usual type of race that I do in Europe, I wanted to finish these championships with a strong performance."
Kirchmann was easily the strongest in the women's race, racking up points in almost every intermediate sprint to finish eight points clear of runner-up Joelle Numainville of Montreal.
"I just decided that it was best to contest as many sprints as I could," said Kirchmann. "Joelle is a strong sprinter, but this race favours consistency throughout the race."
The Criterium is a multi-lap event held on a short course with many turns and sprints. Riders score points in sprints during the event, and the rider who finishes with the most points is the winner.