Panache to Withdraw from Hosting Canadian 2027 Gravel Championships
- Jon Watkin
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Victoria, BC — Panache Cycling Sports announced today that it is withdrawing its bid to host the 2027 Canadian Gravel Championships, concluding its 8-year involvement in hosting Cycling Canada and UCI‑sanctioned events in road, gravel, cross country mountain biking, and cyclocross. This follows Cycling Canada's original announcement of the 2027 National race calendar on July 27, 2026 in a broad media release, though they subsequently removed references to the event from their website weeks later.
While the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the 2026 Canadian Gravel Cycling event were a contributing factor, Panache emphasizes that the core reasons for stepping back are mounting technical, operational, logistical, and economic challenges associated with hosting UCI/Cycling Canada events. This also comes on the heels of the recent success of Panache organizing the 2026 Canadian XCO/XCC Mountain Bike championships in Langford on July 16-19.
“Panache has always taken pride in delivering safe, wellrun, community‑focused cycling events,” CEO and President, Jon Watkin stated. “However, the mounting technical, operational and financial pressures associated with national‑level sanctioning make it impossible for us to continue. We take great pride in having run a wide range of UCI/Cycling Canada events over the past 8 years, supporting Canada's best athletes while maintaining the highest safety standards. We thank Cycling Canada for the opportunity to have hosted these iconic events and wish them well in organizing future events."
Complete historical portfolio of Panache Events sanctioned by CCC/UCI:
2018 Bear Mountain Canada Cup XCO C2
2018 Canadian Masters Road Championships
2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup XCO C1
2019 Canadian Masters Road Championships
2022 Canadian Cyclocross Championships
2023 Canadian Cyclocross Championships
2024 Canadian Masters Road Championships
2025 Canadian Masters Road Championships
2025 Canadian XCC/XCO Championships
2026 Pacific XC UCI C1 XCO Canada Cup
2026 Canadian Gravel Cycling Championships
2026 Canadian XCC/XCO Championships
Panache confirmed that it will no longer pursue or host any future UCI or Cycling Canada events moving forward. Instead, the organization will focus on expanding its successful portfolio of public‑participation cycling events, regional gravel races such as the BC Gravel Series, and broader outdoor festivals throughout British Columbia such as the Langford Bikefest. These events have seen strong growth and engagement, and Panache intends to build on that momentum with new formats, partnerships, and community‑driven experiences.
“We remain deeply committed to the cycling community in BC,” the statement continued. “Our future lies in events that celebrate participation, adventure, and the unique landscapes of our province, without the constraints that have made national sanctioning increasingly unsustainable.”
Panache Cycling Sports will release further details about its 2027 event calendar later this fall.
Media Contact:
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Jon Watkin
President and CEO - Panache Cycling Sports Ltd.
Cell: 250-415-3246
Event Director
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