EVAN GUTHRIE AND SANDRA WALTER TAKE 2014 CANADA CUP MTB XCO SERIES TITLES

Sandra Walter wins third consecutive title and career fourth title

(Ottawa, ON – August 18, 2014) The last set of races of the 2014 Canada Cup Mountain Bike XCO Series took place on the weekend in Whistler, BC, and four cross-country mountain bikers were crowned as the latest Canada Cup Champions.

Evan Guthrie of Peachland, BC (Norco Factory Team) and Sandra Walter of Coquitlam, BC (Liv/Giant Canada) both won the overall titles of the 2014 Canada Cup Mountain Bike XCO series.

Racing in the elite women category, Sandra Walter captured her third consecutive Canada Cup title and her career fourth title. Walter once again dominated the Canada Cup series this season, winning two of the four races while finishing second in the other two races.

In the elite men category, Evan Guthrie took advantage of the absence of the series leader, Cameron Jette of Toronto, ON (Scott-3Rox Racing) suffering from a wrist injury, to take his career first overall title. Guthrie was consistent throughout the season, finishing all four races within the Top 5, including a second place on the last race in Whistler on Friday.

Jette was leading the ranking after three races with a victory in Baie-St-Paul and a second place in Sudbury. He ended the 2014 Canada Cup series in second place. Marc-Antoine Nadon of Timmins, ON (SCOTT-3Rox Racing) raced all four races on the 2014 calendar, and a fourth place finish in Whistler was enough to jump him from fifth to third in the final ranking to close the season.

In the junior rank, Soren Meeuwisse of Barrie, ON (Team Ontario/Trek Canada) took the overall win of the series. Meeuwisse, also the Canadian junior cross-country champion, stepped on the podium in all three races in which she took part, including a win at the Sudbury event. Rhys Verner of Squamish, BC took advantage of his local trails knowledge to take the victory in Whistler, riding away with the series title of the junior men category.

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FINAL RANKINGS – 2014 CANADA CUP MTB XCO SERIES

XCO ELITE MEN

1. Evan Guthrie [Norco Factory Team] 575 pts

2. Cameron Jette [SCOTT-3Rox Racing] 475 pts

3. Marc-Antoine Nadon [SCOTT-3Rox Racing] 455pts

4. Andrew L’Esperance [Norco Factory Team] 426 pts

5. Geoff Kabush [SCOTT-3Rox Racing] 375 pts

XCO ELITE WOMEN

1. Sandra Walter [Liv/giant Canada] 750 pts

2. Cindy Montambault [Cvm 2 Vals] 595 pts

3. Amanda Sin [SCOTT-3Rox Racing] 495 pts

4. Haley Smith [Norco Factory Team] 425 pts

5. Catherine Fleury [Cyclone D’alma] 355 pts

XCO JUNIOR MEN

1. Rhys Verner [Cycling BC] 245 pts

2. Marc-Andre Fortier 185 pts

3. Felix Burke [Opus/OCG] 185 pts

4. Guillaume Larose-Gingras [Pivot Cycles- Ote] 182 pts

5. Raphael Auclair [Pivot Cycles – Ote] 182 pts

XCO JUNIOR WOMEN

1. Soren Meeuwisse [Team Ontario/Trek Canada] 255 pts

2. Laurie Arseneault [Equipe Iris] 234 pts

3. Anne-Julie Tremblay [Cyclone D’Alma] 200 pts

4. Amelie Simard [Club Subway Sigma]  175 pts

5. Marine Lewis [Espresso Sport] 170 pts