Erinne Willock

Last updated
Erinne Willock
Personal information
Born (1981-10-16) 16 October 1981 (age 43)
Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Height1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight50 kg (110 lb)
Team information
Current teamTIBCO-To-The-Top
Discipline Road
RoleRider, time-trialist
Professional teams
2003–2004Team Rona Esker
2005–2010Webcor Builders Cycling Team
2011–TIBCO-To-The-Top
Major wins
  • San Dimas Stage Race (2005)
  • Joe Martin Stage Race (2006)
Medal record
Women's road bicycle racing
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Pan American Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 São Paulo Time trial

Erinne Willock (born October 16, 1981 in Saanich, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional road cyclist. [1] She represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also claimed a silver medal in the women's time trial at the 2006 Pan American Road and Track Championships in Valencia, Venezuela. [2] Willock currently races for TIBCO-To-The-Top pro cycling team since she joined in 2011. [3]

Contents

Professional career

Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Willock was introduced to the sport at age fourteen under the guidance and mentoring of her father, Martin Willock, who previously raced for Canada in the men's team time trial at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Her uncle Bernie Willock, the 1980 Canadian road champion, was set to represent the same nation at the Olympic Games in Moscow before his team joined the US-led boycott. [4]

Willock started out in track cycling and mountain biking, until she shifted to road racing at her elite level. She first joined Team Rona Esker in 2003, and has landed top three places at the Canadian Championships and at the International Tour de Toona in eastern United States. Willock's career flourished when she rode for the United States' Webcor Builders Cycling Team from 2005 to 2010. [5] Followed by two successful pro seasons, Willock delivered her best results in the entire sporting career with a silver medal in the women's road race at the 2006 Pan American Road and Track Championships in Valencia, Venezuela, and a top twenty finish at the 2007 UCI World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. [6]

Continuing her family's Olympic tradition, Willock qualified for the Canadian squad in the women's road race at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by receiving the nation's third and final berth from the UCI World Cup. [7] [8] She successfully completed a grueling race with a thirty-seventh-place effort in 3:33:23, surpassing Australia's Sara Carrigan by a scanty, two-second gap. [9] [10]

In 2009, Willock scored a career-high, seventh place as the top North American cyclist in the 124-km women's road race at the UCI World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland. [11]

Following the end of the 2010 season, Willock announced that she would leave Webcor Builders for the TIBCO-To-The-Top pro cycling team under a bi-annual contract. On January 10, 2012, Willock also decided to put her Olympic bid on hold, as she and her husband Tony Zarsadias, a professional road cyclist, were expecting to have their first newborn child shortly before the Olympic Games in London. [12]

Career highlights

2002 – where she won her very very first race ever anywhere – Hartford, CT criterium riding for then top ranked (and steroid free) USA cycling team – Verizon Wireless presented by Cervelo https://www.bikereg.com/Results/s/15543/hartford-downtown-criterium Pro/1/2/3 Women 1 Erinne Willock Verizon Wireless-Cervelo 49:56

after having come in second only two weeks prior to the multi time (and future Verizon Wireless rider) Laura Van Gilder at the iconic Bear Mountain race just outside NYC https://www.bikereg.com/Results/s/15540/bear-mountain-spring-classic Women 1/2/3 32 Starters 56 Miles 1 Laura Van Gilder Trek Plus 2 Erinne Willock Verizon Wireless

and the day before... second again https://www.bikereg.com/Results/s/15539/sterling-classic

Women 1/2/3 40m winning time = 1:42:16 42 racers competed

1. Yvonne Ilton Verizon Wireless – Cervelo 2. Erinne Willock Verizon Wireless – Cervelo

2003
2nd Stage 5, Tour de Toona, United States
2004
3rd Canadian Championships (Road), Kamloops, British Columbia (CAN)
3rd Overall, Tour de Toona, United States
3rd Stage 1
3rd Stage 6
2005
1st Overall, San Dimas Stage Race, United States
1st Stage 2
2nd Canadian Championships (Road), Kamloops, British Columbia (CAN)
2006
1st Overall, Joe Martin Stage Race, United States
1st Stage 3
2nd Pan American Road and Track Championships (ITT), Valencia (VEN)
3rd Overall, Tour of the Gila, United States
2nd Stage 2, Mogollon, New Mexico
3rd Stage 1, Tyrone, New Mexico
2007
3rd Stage 5, Tour de l'Ardeche, France
17th UCI World Championships (Road), Stuttgart (GER)
2008
3rd Overall, Tour of New Zealand, New Zealand
37th Olympic Games (Road), Beijing (CHN)
2009
3rd Stage 1, Nature Valley Grand Prix, St. Paul, Minnesota
3rd Stage 1, Joe Martin Stage Race, United States
7th UCI World Championships (Road), Mendrisio (SUI)
2010
3rd Overall, Cascade Cycling Classic, United States
1st Stage 2
3rd Stage 3
8th Overall, GP Ouest-France, France
9th Stage 5, Holland Ladies Tour, Rijssen (NED)
2011
3rd Canadian Championships (Road), Toronto (CAN)
5th Overall, GP Ouest-France, France

Personal life

Willock is the daughter of Martin Willock, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Her uncle Bernie Willock was scheduled to compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics, until Canada joined the boycott of that event. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyne Bessette</span> Canadian cyclist

Lyne Bessette is a politician and retired professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was elected to represent the riding of Brome—Missisquoi in the 2019 federal election as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Armstrong</span> American cyclist (born 1973)

Kristin Armstrong Savola is a former professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, the winner of the women's individual time trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Before temporarily retiring to start a family in 2009, she rode for Cervélo TestTeam in women's elite professional events on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and UCI Women's World Cup. She announced a return to competitive cycling beginning in the 2011 season, competing for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 at the Redlands Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velocio–SRAM Pro Cycling</span> Cycling team

Velocio–SRAM Pro Cycling, formerly known as Specialized–lululemon, was a professional cycling team based in the United States that competes in elite road bicycle racing and track cycling events. The final-season title sponsors were SRAM Corporation and Cervelo bicycles. Velocio Sports was the holding company for the team and the place-holder during a larger search for a title sponsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ina-Yoko Teutenberg</span> German racing cyclist

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg is a German former road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013 for the Red Bull Frankfurt, Saturn Cycling Team and Specialized–lululemon teams. She took over 200 wins during her career, including 11 stages of the Giro Rosa, the 2009 Tour of Flanders, and being part of the Team Specialized–lululemon team that won the World Team Time Trial Championship in 2012. She now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Women's Team Lidl–Trek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzie Deignan</span> English track and road racing cyclist

Elizabeth Mary Deignan is an English professional world champion track and road racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. She was the 2015 World road race champion.

Rachel Elisabeth Heal is an English former racing cyclist, who currently works a directeur sportif for UCI Women's Continental Team EF Education–Tibco–SVB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Pooley</span> British cyclist

Emma Jane Pooley is a British-Swiss athlete in multiple sports. A former professional cyclist who specialised in time trials and hilly races, she later transferred to endurance running, duathlon and triathlon, and was four-times world champion in long-distance duathlon. She competes in long-distance and uphill mountain running and has represented Switzerland at the world trailrunning championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mara Abbott</span> US professional womens bicycle racer (born 1985)

Mara Katherine Abbott is an American former women's bicycle racer. In 2010, Abbott became the first US cyclist ever to win the Giro d'Italia Femminile, one of the Grand Tours of women's bicycle racing. Abbott retired after the 2016 Olympic Games road race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasmin Duehring</span> Canadian cyclist

Jasmin Duehring is a German-born Canadian cyclist, who currently rides for American amateur team Virginia's Blue Ridge–TWENTY24. Duehring was part of the Canadian team that won bronze medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's team pursuit. She was also part of the team that won gold at the 2011 Pan American Games in the team pursuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Guarnier</span> American cyclist

Megan Guarnier is an American former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2019 for the Rabobank–Liv Giant, Boels–Dolmans and Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank teams. She was made a member of Phi Beta Kappa at Middlebury College in 2007.

Leigh Shawna Hobson is a Canadian retired professional road cyclist. She represented her nation Canada, as a 37-year-old, at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also placed third in the women's elite category at the Canadian Championships. Hobson also mounted first-place finishes at the Tri-Peak Challenge in 2006, and at the fourth stage of Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico in 2008.

Alexandra "Alex" Wrubleski is a Canadian retired professional road cyclist. She has awarded three Canadian championship titles in both road race and time trial, and later represented her nation Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Wrubleski also raced for the United States' Webcor Builders Cycling Team, before she took a wide sporting break at the end of 2010 season.

Christine Thorburn is a retired American professional road cyclist. She became the U.S. women's individual time trial champion in 2004, and later represented the United States in two editions of the Olympic Games, where she narrowly missed the podium twice in the same event. Before retiring to pursue her medicine and rheumatology career in 2008, Thorburn rode for the Webcor Builders Cycling Team in the women's elite professional events on the UCI Women's World Cup and on the UCI World Championships, where she took home the bronze medal in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cath Cheatley</span> New Zealand cyclist (born 1983)

Catherine Cheatley is a retired New Zealand professional road and track cyclist. She won two New Zealand championship titles in both road race and individual track pursuit, and later represented her nation New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Before her official retirement in June 2012 because of sustained bike crash-related injuries, Cheatley moved to the United States to race for the Cheerwine and Colavita–Sutter Home pro cycling teams in the women's elite professional events on the UCI Women's World Cup, and UCI World Championships, where she earned the bronze medal for the women's points race in 2007.

Gina Grain is a Canadian retired professional road and track cyclist. She won a silver medal in women' scratch at the 2006 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Bordeaux, France, and later represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Before retiring to focus on her personal life and kinesiology career in 2010, she raced with a number of Canadian, American and Hong Kong road teams.

The 2009 season was the eighth for the Team Columbia–High Road Women cycling team, which began as the T-Mobile team in 2003. The main new riders for the team were the European Time Trial Champion Ellen van Dijk and the Canadian national champion Alex Wrubleski. Alexis Rhodes and Madeleine Sandig left the team and Anke Wichmann and Oenone Wood both retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Klein (cyclist)</span> German cyclist (born 1996)

Lisa Klein is a German professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Jackson (cyclist)</span> Canadian cyclist (born 1988)

Alison Jackson is a Canadian professional racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's Continental Team EF–Oatly–Cannondale. In April 2023, Jackson won Paris–Roubaix Femmes, described as the "biggest win of her career".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Hannos</span> Canadian cyclist

Andrea Hannos is a former Canadian professional road and track racing cyclist who first entered sport in track and field, specializing in the long and triple jump. She attended high school at Little Flower Academy in Vancouver, BC, and graduated in 1991 after winning the triple jump event at the BC high school track and field provincial championships. She then went on to compete in track and field for the Kajaks Track & Field Club and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds while earning a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology. She placed ninth in the triple jump at the 1995 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Montreal. Later, as a collegiate cyclist, she attended Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, obtaining a Master of Science degree in biology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen Faulkner</span> American racing cyclist (born 1992)

Kristen Faulkner is an American racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's Continental Team EF–Oatly–Cannondale. She is the reigning USA National Road Race Champion and won two gold medals in the women's individual road race and women's track cycling team pursuit at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Faulkner is the first American woman, and third female Olympian, in history to win two gold medals in two different disciplines in the same Olympic Games.

References

  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Erinne Willock". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  2. Dheenshaw, Cleve (16 June 2008). "Willock climbing toward Beijing". Times Colonist . Canada.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  3. "Erinne Willock joins fellow Canadians at Team TIBCO". Canadian Cycling Magazine. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  4. "Games boycott should use dollars, not athletes". Times Colonist . Victoria, British Columbia: Canada.com. 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  5. "Team PR: Webcor rolls out 2005 Women's team". Velo News. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  6. "Cycling, World Championships: Marta Bastianelli of Italy wins women's road race". The New York Times . 30 September 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  7. "Hobson could be Olympic bound". Cambridge Times. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  8. "Willock nominated for third Olympic women's cycling spot". Canwest News Service . Canada.com. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  9. "Women's Road Race". Beijing 2008 . NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  10. "Cooke weathers storm to take Olympic gold". Velo News. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  11. "Canada's Erinne Willock seventh in women's road race at world cycling championships". Canadian Cycling Association. 26 September 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  12. "Expecting Olympian Erinne Willock to Sit Out 2012 Season". Cycling News. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  13. "Games boycott should use dollars, not athletes". Times Colonist . Victoria, British Columbia: Canada.com. 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2013.