Paolina Allan wins Canadian 2KM Individual Pursuit Master Track Cycling Championship in Milton

January 11, 2024 · 0 Comments

Aurora’s Paolina Allan won the Women’s Canadian 2 KM Individual Pursuit Master Track Cycling Championship at the Milton Velodrome on Saturday.

According to broadcaster Steve Fleck, “Paolina broke the existing Canadian record. This was her first legit race on the track. She placed on the podium in a couple of other races, but the focus was the Individual Pursuit.”

Allan, an outstanding triathlete who was inducted into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, was “inspired to begin track racing when I was in Scotland last year at the international road racing championships. Track racing is a small segment of the sport of cycling, but I’m 54 and wanted to try something new.”

The inspirational triathlete was surprised by her first-place performance at the Velodrome which features state of the art facilities for competitive cycling and aspiring Olympians: “This one was a total shock and that’s what makes this podium placement so sweet.”

The Hall of Fame road racer—who won the title on January 6– acknowledged that she was only “certified for track racing on December 11” and attended courses on track safety that came in handy on the daunting 45-degree race course.

“What also makes the sport so challenging is there are no brakes on the bike. You really have to learn to ride properly.”

When asked about her racing plans for 2024, the fearless competitor noted that she is preparing for “time trials to qualify for races at the provincials. I’d like to shave two seconds off my best time. I’ll be competing in Milton on March 1-3.”

By Jim Stewart