JAYDEN MCMULLEN
AGE: 18 HOMETOWN: St. Thomas, Ont. HIGHLIGHTS:
2024
1st, junior men’s national road
championships
3rd, Stage 2, Tour de l’abitibi
2nd, elimination, junior men’s national
track championships
3rd, scratch race, junior men’s national
track championships
3rd, madison, junior men’s national
track championships
2023
1st, junior men’s national cyclocross championships “I was always very active when I was growing up, making ramps to ride my little mountain bike with any scrap wood I could find or sometimes just using curbs to jump off of,” Jayden Mcmullen says.
His first cyclocross bike was a Christmas gift after a shop employee told his mom how ‘cross racing works. Last year, he became the junior national champion in CX and finished 23rd at worlds in February. This past June, he snagged another national title by winning the championship road race. That victory secured him a spot on the national team heading for the road world championships in Zurich in September. Mcmullen is active on the track, too. He donned a national team kit in August for endurance events at the junior world championships, which were held in Luoyang, China.
Mcmullen’s path from makeshift jumps to the world stage has involved a lot of people. Racing for KW Cycling Academy, he also trains with a club closer to his home, the London Centennial Wheelers. “I’m from a small city called St. Thomas. Low population, but it’s home to a few national champs,” he says, alluding to strong teens, such as Alex Fangeat and Eve Buczkowski. Mcmullen uses weekly crits and group rides for training. “I don’t think the average person understands that there are so many factors that come into play when you race and train,” he says. “The intensity and endurance, not to mention the mentality needed for some of these races.”
Next, Mcmullen’s hoping to take things to the next level. “Right now, I’m striving toward getting my name out in the cycling community,” he says. “My goal is to make it onto a pro conti team for my U23 years and excel further into the sport.”