GEOFF KABUSH ON THE BRINK OF MAKING HISTORY
Three-time Olympian hopes set himself apart this weekend
(Barrie, ON – July 18, 2014) Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC/3 Rox Racing), Canada’s most prolific men mountain biker, is on the brink of history on Saturday as he competes in the men elite race at the 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships at Hardwood Ski and Bike in Oro-Medonte, near Barrie, ON.
At 37 years of age, Kabush is undoubtedly a Canadian legend in cycling, having won seven Canadian Championships titles in cross-country alone, as well as four Canadian titles in cyclo-cross. Impressively, he has been racing elite for more than 20 seasons.
“I feel pretty lucky to have a lot of success, but coming to the start line here, those numbers don’t mean much. It’s a brand new day, and I am looking forward to a good race. The last couple of years have been great, to see the level of my teammates rise. It was rewarding to see Derek [Zandstra] take the title last year. Cameron [Jette] has been strong, currently leading the Canada Cup,” said the Kabush.
A title this weekend would set Kabush apart as the Canadian mountain biker with the most titles. Currently, with seven Canadian cross-country titles, he shares the top spot with Olympic silver medallist and World Champion Alyson Sydor, who set the mark in the elite women category.
Kabush will be attempting to reach this milestone on Saturday as he takes on Canada’s best elite men mountain bikers, including his teammate and defending champion Derek Zandstra, two-time Canadian champion Max Plaxton (Cannondale), Raphael Gagnée (Rocky Mountain Factory) and Cameron Jette (Scott-3Rox Racing) just to name a few.
“It’s great heading into the weekend with three strong guys racing for Scott-3Rox Racing. It will definitely be a battle with Max [Plaxton] showing he’s on the top riders in the World, and Raphael [Gagné] having his strongest season ever. The course has a lot of new features and it will certainly be a difficult race.”
This season, Kabush has enjoyed a successful season. He won the overall title of the US Cup series. In doing so, he became the winningest mountain biker of the American-based series with a total of five overall titles.
“It’s been great to see a lot more excitement back into the US Cup Series. They have put a lot of energy in it. The series was certainly a big target for Team Scott-3Rox Racing this year. I’ve had some ups and downs, but I posted some great rides there, and it was gratifying to wrap the series up for the team last month. It’s been a big boost for the team, and hopefully we’ll continue to have this success this weekend.
Throughout his career, Kabush has consistently been among world’s best mountain biker at major international events, such as Olympic Games or World Championships. At the last Olympic Games in London, Kabush posted Canada’s best-ever results in men’s mountain biking, finishing in eighth place. He boasts two Top 10 performances at Olympic Games (9, Sydney 2000; 8, London 2012).
His best World Championships result came in 2009 when he placed fifth in Canberra, Australia. Racing in Canada at the 2010 World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Kabush also cracked the top 10, finishing eighth. He has nine World Cup podiums to his credit.
Along with his individual performances, Kabush was a member of the Canadian Team Relay that won the gold medal at the 2004 World Championships in Les Gets, France, and the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Canberrra, Australia.
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