Winnipeg, Manitoba native Leah Kirchmann leads Joelle Numainville around the corner in a race when the two Canadian stars rode for different teams. In 2012 they were both members of the Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies women's racing team. In a string of misfortunes Kirchmann broke her collarbone in a crash at the Uptown stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix in June and was not selected for the Canadian Olympic team. She came back in late July, finishing 9th in the prestigious Tour de l'Ardeche and 21st in the UCI World Championships in Valkenburg, the Netherlands. Despite her abbreviated season, she finished 16th in the USA Cycling Criterium Calendar. Numainville, of Montreal, QC, was one of three Canadian women selected for the Olympic team and finished 12th in the women's road race and later, at the World Championships, took the 13th spot in the women's competition. She ended the season ranked 27 in the UCI elite women's world cup rankings. Fans of women's cycling are excited about the 2013 racing season and the expected performances from these two still developing young elite riders.
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