Leah Kirchmann (born 30 June 1990) is a Canadian racing cyclist, who rides for National Cycling League team Denver Disruptors.[5] She competed in the 2013 UCI women's road race in Florence.[6] At the 2014 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships, held in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, she won the road race, time trial and the criterium, becoming the first woman to win all three titles in the same year.[7][8]

Leah Kirchmann
Personal information
Born (1990-06-30) 30 June 1990 (age 34)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height166 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight59 kg (130 lb)
Team information
Current teamDenver Disruptors
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeAll-rounder
Professional teams
2011Colavita–Forno d'Asolo[1]
2012–2015Optum Pro Cycling[2]
2016–2022Team Liv–Plantur[3][4]
2023–Denver Disruptors
Medal record
Women's road bicycle racing
Representing  Canada
Pan American Championships
Silver medal – second place 2012 Mar del Plata Road race

Career

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Kirchmann's first sport was cross-country skiing. She continued to compete as a skier until about the age of 18. Kirchmann originally started mountain biking as summer training for ski racing. She turned professional in 2011 with the Colavita–Forno d'Asolo team.[1] When the team dissolved at the end of 2011, Kirchmann followed director Rachel Heal to the new Optum Pro Cycling team in 2012.[2] Kirchmann signed for Team Liv–Plantur on 8 October 2015 for the 2016 season.[9]

In June 2016, she was officially named in Canada's 2016 Olympic team.[10] She also qualified to represent Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[11]

In August 2022, Kirchmann announced that she would retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2022 season.[12] However, in December 2022, it was announced that Kirchmann would form part of the roster for the Denver Disruptors, for the inaugural season of the National Cycling League in 2023.[5]

Major results

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Source:[13]

2006
1st   Cross-country, National Junior Mountain Bike Championships
2009
1st   Criterium, Canada Summer Games
2010
National Road Championships
1st   Criterium
1st   Under-23 road race
6th Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau
2011
1st   Criterium, National Road Championships
1st   Overall Tour of Elk Grove
Nature Valley Grand Prix
1st Mountains classification
1st Sprints classification
1st Stage 5
4th Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau
10th Road race, Pan American Road Championships
2012
1st   Sprints classification, Energiewacht Tour
2nd   Road race, Pan American Road Championships
4th Liberty Classic
9th Overall Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
1st   Young rider classification
2013
National Road Championships
1st   Criterium
2nd Road race
1st White Spot / Delta Road Race
2014
National Road Championships
1st   Time trial
1st   Road race
1st   Criterium
1st White Spot / Delta Road Race
San Dimas Stage Race
1st Sprints classification
1st Young rider classification
1st Stage 3
2nd Chrono Gatineau
3rd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 3 & 4
3rd La Course by Le Tour de France
4th EPZ Omloop van Borsele
6th Overall BeNe Ladies Tour
7th Grand Prix cycliste de Gatineau
8th Road race, Commonwealth Games
2015
National Road Championships
2nd Road race
3rd Time trial
3rd Criterium
2nd Overall Tour of California
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 2 & 3
2nd White Spot / Delta Road Race
4th Overall Joe Martin Stage Race
1st Stage 2
6th Grand Prix cycliste de Gatineau
7th Overall San Dimas Stage Race
7th Overall The Women's Tour
7th Philadelphia Cycling Classic
8th Overall Tour of the Gila
2016
1st Drentse Acht van Westerveld
2nd Omloop van het Hageland
3rd Road race, National Road Championships
3rd Overall Tour of Chongming Island
3rd Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau
3rd RideLondon Grand Prix
4th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
6th Overall The Women's Tour
6th Chrono Gatineau
6th GP de Plouay
7th Gent–Wevelgem
8th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Prologue
10th Overall Holland Ladies Tour
10th Strade Bianche
10th Ronde van Drenthe
2017
1st   Team time trial, UCI Road World Championships
1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau
2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
3rd Crescent Vårgårda UCI Women's WorldTour
4th Overall The Women's Tour
4th White Spot / Delta Road Race
9th Chrono Gatineau
9th Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta
2018
National Road Championships
1st   Time trial
5th Road race
1st Team time trial, Ladies Tour of Norway
1st Stage 1 (TTT) Giro Rosa
2nd Brabantse Pijl
2nd Crescent Vårgårda TTT
UCI Road World Championships
3rd   Team time trial
4th Time trial
4th Overall Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta
1st Stage 1 (TTT)
5th Overall Holland Ladies Tour
2019
National Road Championships
1st   Time trial
2nd Road race
1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau
2nd Chrono Gatineau
2nd La Course by Le Tour de France
3rd Overall Ladies Tour of Norway
3rd Omloop van het Hageland
3rd Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden TTT
6th Overall The Women's Tour
8th Brabantse Pijl
10th Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden
2020
5th Overall Challenge by La Vuelta
5th Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
6th Overall Women's Tour Down Under
1st   Sprints classification
9th Race Torquay
2021
2nd Overall Festival Elsy Jacobs
6th Overall The Women's Tour
2022
3rd Time trial, National Road Championships

References

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  1. ^ a b Malach, Pat (21 February 2013). "Kirchmann thinking big in third season with Optum". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b Weislo, Laura (31 January 2012). "Colavita riders find reprieve in Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Team Sunweb confirm 2019 men's and women's rosters". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Team DSM". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b Tyson, Jackie (22 December 2022). "Miami Nights and Denver Disruptors launched for 2023 National Cycling League". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Final Results / Résultats finaux: Road Race Women Elite / Course en ligne femmes élite" (PDF). Sport Result. Tissot Timing. 28 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Leah Kirchmann sweeps Canadian Road Championships in historic hat trick". Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies. 30 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Women's news shorts: Hosking and Kirchmann ready for Qatar, Matrix signs Trott". Cycling News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  9. ^ Powlison, Spencer (8 October 2015). "Liv-Plantur signs Canadian Leah Kirchmann". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  10. ^ Tozer, Jamie (29 June 2016). "Returning Olympians highlight Canada's cycling team". www.olympic.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Leah Kirchmann". Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  12. ^ Frattini, Kirsten (29 August 2022). "Leah Kirchmann ends 12-year pro cycling career". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Leah Kirchmann". FirstCycling.com. FirstCycling AS. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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