Mountain Bike – Page 14 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES CANADIAN CYCLING HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES FOR 2017

OTTAWA, July 26, 2017 – Established in 2015, the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding achievement and contribution to cycling racing in or for Canada. There are currently two categories of membership in the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame: Athletes and Builders. At present, sixteen members have been inducted to the Hall of Fame; fourteen athletes and two builders that were selected in 2015 and 2016.

The class of 2017 includes three athletes and one builder who will be recognized at the annual Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame celebrations to be held on Sunday, October 1^st at RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton in conjunction with the Canadian Track Championships. The athlete inductees are Gary Longhi, Karen Strong and Steve Smith and the builder is Albert Schelstraete-Coulier.

Gary Longhi, para-cyclist and multi-time paralympian led Canadian cyclists at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games winning a gold medal in the Individual Time Trial (ITT) and a bronze in the Road Race. He was a silver medalist in the ITT at the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games and was the flag bearer for the Canadian Paralympic Team at the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Albert Schelstraete-Coulier’s cycling career covered many facets including racing but his recognition as a builder comes about due to his leading role in two specific areas. He served as the President of the Canadian Wheelmen’s Association (1952-1957) and later as the President of the Canadian Cycling Association (1972-1974). In addition to this, he built the Delhi, ON velodrome in 1939 and the first portable track in 1948 and went on to build numerous tracks in North America from 1948 to 1975.

Karen Strong is a recognized forerunner for many of Canada’s top road athletes. As the first Canadian woman to win medals at the Track World Championships her bronze medal in 1977 and silver in 1980 paved the way for future Canadian successes in the discipline. In addition to several international podiums, Karen dominated the Canadian Road Cycling Championships from 1975 to 1982. Following her incredible competitive career she served as the first full-time women’s coach for the national body.

Steve Smith, Canada’s greatest downhill mountain biker, tragically lost his life in May of 2016 as the result of a motocross accident. From 2004 to 2013 Stevie’s legend grew, culminating in being the 2013 World Cup Champion. Included in his three win’s in 2013 was a memorable gold medal run on home soil at Mont-Ste-Anne, QC which contributed to him being named Cyclist of the Year for 2013. After two injury-plagued seasons in 2014 and 2015 he came back in early 2016 with a World Cup podium at Lourdes, FRA to start his final season.

The Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame celebrations will be held on Sunday, October 1^st at RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, ON. The event will kick-off in the morning with the 2^nd annual Ride with Legends presented by Lexus where guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a VIP, fully-supported road ride in the Halton Hills alongside many of Canada’s Hall of Fame inductees as well as current National Team athletes. The ride will be followed by the induction luncheon where the 2017 class will be honoured and celebrated.

When: Sunday, October 1^st from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm

Where: RattleSnake Point Golf Club (Milton, ON)

Info & Tickets: https://hoponcanada.ca/product/ridewithlegends/

July 26, 2017/by Communications

NORCO FACTORY RACING WINS TEAM RELAY

CANMORE, July 24, 2017 – The Canadian Mountain Bike Championships p/b Lexus concluded on Sunday in Canmore, Alberta, with the Team Relay competition. The Norco Factory Team decisively won the title, finishing almost two minutes ahead of Team Quebec, with Pivot Cycle – OTE finishing third.

The Team Relay consists of four rider teams, with each rider riding one cross-country lap flat out. Each team contains an Elite Man, Under-23 Man, Junior Man and Elite Woman. Teams can send their riders off in any order, and tactics make up a large part of the race, with some teams sending their fastest riders first, hoping to hold onto the lead at the end when their slower riders go. Another tactic is to save the fastest riders until last, hoping that they can catch the other teams.

Norco had a team stacked with Championship medal winners, and was the favourite. Under-23 bronze medalist Quinton Disera went first, followed by Junior silver medalist Gunnar Holmgren, then Elite women’s bronze medalist Haley Smith, and finally Elite men’s champion Peter Disera. The team took the lead in the opening lap and was never challenged.

Team Quebec had an impressive ride for second, after losing their Elite man to illness before the race, requiring Under-23 rider Felix Longpre to do two laps. Team Quebec overtook Pivot Cycle – OTE on the third lap to move into second.

“It’s kind of like a time trial,” said Haley Smith of Norco, “and it’s just 12 minutes of absolute suffering. But it is pretty special because you know you are racing for your team, for each other, and that’s a unique feeling in mountain biking. I think our team has really built something as a team this year, and we really rely on each other, so it’s fun to be able to reap the benefits of our tight knit team in this event.”

July 24, 2017/by Communications

BATTY AND DISERA TAKE CANADIAN XC TITLES

CANMORE, July 23, 2017 – After a six year absence, the Canadian Mountain Bike Championships p/b Lexus returned to Canmore, Alberta, on Saturday. In the Elite categories, Emily Batty (Trek Factory) of Brooklin, Ontario, successfully defended her women’s title, while Peter Disera (Norco Factory) of Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, upset the men’s field while riding up a category from his usual Under-23 category.

The Canmore Nordic Centre, site of the 1988 Olympic cross-country skiing events, remains as spectacular as ever, with a backdrop of the Kananaskis Country mountains leading into the Banff National Park.

The circuit has been revised substantially from when the Championships were held in 2010 and 2011, reflecting the change to shorter courses at the World Cup and world championship level. The previous course measured 6.8 kilometres, while current circuit is four kilometres in length, looping back into the main finish bowl area multiple times.

As expected, the women’s race came down to Canada’s top two riders – Batty and Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team) of Kamloops, BC. The pair quickly distanced the rest of the field on the first half lap, with Haley Smith (Norco Factory) of Uxbridge, Ontario, moving into third and holding that position through the rest of the race.

Batty and Pendrel rode together through the entire race until the final half lap, when Batty attacked on a climb, dropping her rival and winning her third Elite title.

“It was not an easy race by any means,” agreed Batty. “I rode my hardtail, and I was questioning a little bit whether that was the right choice because it is such a technical and bumpy course, but it was rocking up the climbs. Catharine didn’t make it easy; the two of us set a really high pace right from the start. I found through the course of the race that I was feeling really good. I knew I was going to put an effort in on one of the climbs at some point, and I chose a spot where I felt strong and punched it.”

The men’s race had no clear favorite. Among the contenders were Leandre Bouchard (BH SR Suntour KMC) of Alma, Quebec, and former champion Raphael Gagne (Cannondale-3Rox) of Quebec City, Quebec. Disera, although an Under-23 aged rider, has four top-10 finishes on the World Cup (U23) circuit this season, and decided to ‘ride up’ a category, in hopes of gaining valuable UCI ranking points with a top-5 result.

He attacked on the first climb, with only Bouchard able to follow. Gagne bridged up on the second lap, and Bouchard was dropped by the other two on the fourth lap. From that point on, Disera and Gagne rode together, neither able to open a gap on the other. It looked like it was going to come down to a sprint finish, until Gagne made a mistake on one of the final descents, going down hard and leaving the door open for Disera to cruise in to the national title.

“I felt really good and Dre [Bouchard] went with me,” said Disera. “Coming into the second lap, Raph came out of nowhere, so there were three of us. Going into the last three laps I started throwing down attacks and Dre just fell off the back. I felt good and wanted to dictate the pace so I stayed at the front. I knew Raph was going to attack and I was able to follow and then get to the front before the descent. Unfortunately he had a little mishap, but I was ready for a sprint.”

In other categories, Jenn Jackson (AWI Racing) of Oro Medonte, Ontario, won the Women’s Under-23 title, while Sean Fincham (Forward Racing-Norco) of Squamish, BC, was the Under-23 Men’s champion. Roxanne Vermette (Equipe du Quebec) of St-Ferrol-les-Neiges, Quebec, won the Junior Women’s title, with Charles-Antoine St-Onge (Equipe du Quebec) of St-Denis-de-Brompton, Quebec, becoming the Junior Men’s champion.

July 23, 2017/by Communications

XCO NATIONALS RETURN TO CANMORE

CANMORE, July 20, 2017 – For the first time since 2011, the Canadian XCO Championships return to Canmore, Alberta, on July 22-23. The Canmore venue, site of the 1988 Olympic cross-country skiing events, remains as spectacular as ever, with a backdrop of the Kananaskis Country Mountains leading into the Banff National Park.

While the area has been spared the terrible forest fires ravaging the B.C. interior, riders can expect warm, dry conditions. The circuit has been revised substantially from when the Championships were held in 2010 and 2011, reflecting the change to shorter courses at the World Cup and world championship level. The previous course measured 6.8 kilometres, while current circuit is four kilometres in length, looping back into the main finish bowl area multiple times.

Race Director Ron Sadesky says, “Canmore is excited to host the 2017 Mountain Bike National Championships. This year’s course is perhaps one of the best ever National’s courses, featuring a clover leaf design full of technical features and grueling climbs. It is a 4 kilometre course that utilizes the natural landscape and rugged beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.”

“A lot of thought and creativity went into the layout and design of the course and we are thrilled with the outcome. The buzz around the Canmore Mountain Bike community has been all very exciting and positive. The athletes we have talked to are also thrilled with the natural features and the complexity of the course design. The fact that the course offers incredible and numerous spectator options makes for an intense viewing spectacle.”

The Cross-country championships for men and women will take place on Saturday, July 22nd, for categories ranging from Cadet (Under-17) through Junior (Under-19), Under-23, Elite and Masters. On Sunday, July 23rd, the Team Relay event will conclude the Championships.

In the Elite women’s race, expect to see a battle between Olympians Emily Batty (Trek Factory) and Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team). Pendrel won the title here in both 2010 and 2011 while Batty, a first year Elite in 2011, finished third that year. However, Batty is now the defending champion and has had a stronger season thus far on the World Cup circuit. Other podium possibles are Sandra Walter (Liv Giant), Catherine Fleury (Specialized Canada), Haley Smith (Norco Factory) and Cindy Montambault (Equipe du Quebec).

The men’s race has a deep field of contenders, including defending champion Derek Zandstra (Cannondale-3Rox) and his team mate Raphael Gagne, top Canadian World Cup ranked Leandre Bouchard (BH SR Suntour KMC), Evan Guthrie (Team Solo Evan), and the Forward Racing duo of Andrew L’Esperance and Evan McNeely. The unknown factor is Geoff Kabush (Scott-Maxxis). Kabush retired from World Cup competition at the end of last season, but is still a strong contender, coming off a win last week at the B.C. Bike Race stage race. Kabush won here in 2010 and was second in 2011.

“We are very excited to return to Canmore for the 2017 Canadian XCO Championships,” says Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “Organizers have been hard at work over the past 12-plus months, creating brand new trails and features that will take advantage of the rugged terrain that the Canmore Nordic Centre is known for. Riders should expect a race loop full of punchy climbs and technical descents mixed with plenty of double track for optimal passing opportunities.”

July 20, 2017/by Communications

NIEUWOLD & VIALLE WIN MARATHON TITLES

EAST HEREFORD, July 18, 2017 – Elyse Nieuwold (Angry Johnny’s Evolution p/b Norco & Horseshoe) of Newmarket, Ontario repeated as the women’s champion at the 2017 Marathon (XCM) Canadian Championships on Sunday, in East Hereford, Quebec. In the men’s category, Alexandre Vialle (Toyota St-Eustache) of Prevost, Quebec, took his first Marathon title in the men’s category.

The 82 kilometre race, the longest event in the cross-country discipline, saw the race open with a long climb, punctuated by sections of singletrack. After a descent at the 30 kilometre mark, riders began a series of climbs to the highest point of the course at 864 metres, 60 kilometres into the race, before descending steadily to the finish line.

Nieuwold was clearly the strongest rider in the women’s field, finishing with a time of four hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds, a time that would have put her 13th among the men. Nieuwold finished nearly four minutes ahead of team mate Heather Gray, of Kanata, Ontario, the 2015 Marathon champion. Caroline Villeneuve (Le Pedalier) of Quebec City, Quebec, was third, a further 58 seconds back, finishing in the same position as 2016.

Vialle was the only rider to crack the four hour barrier, finishing with a time of three hours, 57 minutes and 11 seconds. In second place, almost 20 minutes back, was Cory Wallace (Kona), the 24 Hour Solo world champion, who finished second last year. In third place, 41 seconds behind Wallace, was Marc-André Daigle, of Montreal, Quebec.

July 18, 2017/by Communications

MILLER & MCDOWALL REPEAT AS DOWNHILL CHAMPIONS

PANORAMA, July 18, 2017 – After a three year absence, the Canadian Downhill Championships returned to Panorama, BC, for the awarding of the maple leaf jerseys that winners will wear around the world when they compete over the next 12 months. Repeating as champions in the Elite category were Miranda Miller (Specialized Gravity) of Squamish, BC, for the women, and Kirk McDowall of Anmore, BC, for the men.

Miller, who has successfully come back from injury in an early season crash, beat fellow World Cup competitor Vaea Verbeeck (Rocky Mountain/Hope Technology) of Vancouver, BC, in qualifying, and did the same again in the final, recording a winning time of three minutes and 49.29 seconds, over two seconds faster than Verbeeck. Georgia Astle of Whistler, BC, was third. Kyleigh Stewart of Kamloops, BC, was the only Junior woman competitor.

“It was a good day,” said Miller. “I’ve had kind of a rough past month, so I’ve been focussed on this event. It was a fun track but conditions made it tough; very dry, blown out and changing every run. You had to stay focused all the way down.”

In the men’s final, McDowall showed that last year’s win was no fluke, beating World Cup rider Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory) of Duncan, BC, by nearly three seconds, with a time of three minutes and 11.62 seconds. Wallace, who had qualified first but flatted during his Final run, is currently ranked sixth in the World Cup standings. Magnus Manson (Kona Factory) of Sunshine Coast, BC, was third.

In the Junior men’s competition, the absence of defending champion Finnley Iles (Specialized Gravity), the current world and World Cup champion, opened the way for a new winner, with Kendall McLean of Victoria, BC, taking the title with a time of three minutes and 24.04 seconds, good enough for 12th place in Elite men. Blake Bunting (C4 Norco) of Vancouver, BC, was the top qualifier, but had to settle for the silver medal, with Jacob Stefiuk (C4 Norco) of North Vancouver, BC, finishing third.

July 18, 2017/by Communications

MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN THIS WEEKEND

OTTAWA, July 14, 2017 – Two weekends of Canadian Mountain Bike Championships begin this weekend with the Downhill (DHI) and Marathon (XCM) championships. One week later, the Cross-country (XCO) championships will take place.

The XCM Championships return to East Hereford, Quebec, on July 15th, where riders will compete in the longest endurance discipline of mountain biking, the Marathon. The race opens with a long climb, punctuated by sections of singletrack. After a descent at the 30 kilometre mark, riders began a series of climbs to the highest point of the course at 864 metres, 60 kilometres into the race, before descending steadily to the finish line.

The defending champions are Elyse Nieuwold of Newmarket, Ontario for the women, while multi-time XCO and Cyclo-cross champion Geoff Kabush (Scott-Maxxis) of North Vancouver, BC, won the men’s. Kabush will not defend his title, since he is just finishing up the B.C. Bike Race stage race.

“We are excited to once again return to the East Hereford region of Quebec for the 2017 edition of the Canadian Cross Country Marathon Championships,” said Josh Peacock, Event Coordinator for Cycling Canada. “As a part of the greater FestivAllezY Jean-D’Avignon, riders at both the competitive and recreational levels will be treated to some of the best terrain the region has to offer. We expect both familiar faces and new challengers to compete for the coveted maple leaf jersey, and look forward to some great competition.”

The Downhill Championships will be held at the well-known venue of Panorama, BC, which has a long history of producing top level competition.

“We are very excited to have Panorama Mountain Resort play host to the 2017 Canadian Downhill Championships,” said Peacock. “Hosted in conjunction with the Dunbar Summer Series of events, the weekend will provide racers and spectators alike a chance to experience the best downhill racing Canada has to offer at one of Canada’s prime mountain resorts. With Canada’s biggest names in Downhill present, we expect competition to be tight, and the course to have the technical challenges Panorama is known to offer.”

The competition will begin on Saturday, July 15th, with official seeding runs for Men and Women in the Elite and Junior categories. Sunday, July 16th, the Championship races will take place for all categories. Canadian red and white maple leaf jerseys will be awarded for both women and men in Under-17, Junior (17-18), Elite (19+) and Masters age group categories (30-39, 40-49 and 50+ for men, 30+ for women).

Among the athletes expected to be in attendance are World Cup professional riders Miranda Miller (Specialized), the defending women’s champion, Vaea Verbeeck, seventh at the most recent World Cup, and Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory), who is currently ranked sixth in the world.

July 14, 2017/by Communications

FINN ILES CLINCHES JUNIOR DOWNHILL WORLD CUP TITLE

Lenzerheide, July 10, 2017 – At Round 5 of the Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, on Saturday, Junior Men’s world champion Finnley Iles (Specialized), out of Whistler, B.C., took his third straight victory, and the fourth of the season in his category. The absence of his usual rival Matt Walker (Madison Saracen) gives Iles an insurmountable lead in the overall standings with 280 points to Walker’s 140, with only two rounds remaining, making Iles the de facto World Cup champion for 2017.

“I’m pretty happy,” agreed Iles, “it has been in the back of my mind all week that I have a chance of winning the overall at this race. I was thinking about it during my run and I almost blew straight off the first corner … I started thinking ‘what am I doing’ and began focussing. I felt like I rode pretty good, even though it was still slippery from the rain last night; all the roots had a good coating on them and it was hard to hold your line. You had to be slower going into some sections and it was more challenging.”

In the Elite Women’s race, Vaea Verbeeck was the top Canadian qualifier in ninth, followed by Canadian champion Miranda Miller (Specialized) in 13th. Miller, still recovering from a leg injury suffered in the second round, finished 12th in the Final, but Verbeeck had the best World Cup ride of her career, finishing seventh, just under two seconds off the podium. Verbeeck improves two spots in the overall standings to 12th, with Miller remaining in 13th place.

The top Canadian of the day for Elite Men was Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory) in 17th place. Forrest Riesco was 43rd, Canadian champion Kirk McDowall 72nd and Henry Fitzgerald (Norco Factory) 75th.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really happy with my run,” admitted Wallace. “But, all things considered, I can’t be too upset. It’s tough to come off a run that felt perfect like last week, and then have one that’s not quite there. It’s such a tough track to race here, I think it’s underrated for how hard it is. In my race run I just struggled and couldn’t flow. I’d push too hard in one section and make a mistake and then not push hard enough in the next one. It was frustrating.”

In the overall standings, Wallace moved up one spot to sixth, at 481 points, with Riesco in 46th place.

July 10, 2017/by Communications

TOP-10 RESULTS FOR CANADIANS AT XC WORLD CUP #4

Lenzerheide, July 10, 2017 – Canada did not score any podiums at Round 4 of the XCO World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, on Sunday, however, Peter Disera (Norco Factory) had his fourth straight top-10 in Under-23 Men, while both Emily Batty (Trek Factory) and Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro) finished in the top-10 in Elite Women.

Both Batty and Pendrel moved up strongly in the opening laps of the Elite Women’s race, with Batty reaching fourth and Pendrel sixth. However, altitude and a tough rain soaked course – that was shortened by a lap halfway through the race due to the conditions – caught up with them.

Batty, after finishing fifth last week in Round 3 in Andorra, had a strong start and was fourth after the first lap. She faded a bit in the middle of the race, dropping to eighth, before recovering in the final lap to finish seventh. Catharine Pendrel, who struggled in Andorra and started at Lenzerheide on the third row, had a much stronger race this week, setting the fastest lap time on the second lap and moving up as high as sixth before fading in the last lap and a half to drop to tenth. Haley Smith (Norco Factory) finished 23rd, her best result of the season, Sandra Walter (Canadian National) was 27th, Catherine Fleury (Canadian National) was 41st and Cindy Montambault (Canadian National) 50th.

“I’m disappointed with today’s performance,” admitted Batty. “I was hoping to build on my successes in Andorra, and I prepared well. The form is there, and I delivered a great start, but I honestly needed more times splits or position feedback during the race to target a better result and find my rhythm on the course. I also made a few little mistakes which all adds up, especially when the level of racing is extremely tight on a track like Lenzerheide. I’m well within the winning position, I just need to find a way to close that gap.”

Pendrel definitely felt better than last week, commenting “I’m super pleased with today and to feel like myself again out there riding aggressively. It was disappointing to lose four spots in the last lap, but I think I just used too much gas coming through traffic on laps 1 and 2 to be able to up the pace on the last lap.”

In the overall standings, Batty moves up two spots to eighth, while Pendrel remains in 17th.

In the Under-23 Men’s race, Disera had a strong start that saw him in fourth at the end of the first lap, but he began to struggle in the second half of the race, just holding on to tenth at the finish. Disera maintains his fourth place overall in the standings.

There were only two Canadians in the Elite Men’s race – Leandre Bouchard (BH SR Suntour KMC) and Andrew L’Esperance (Canadian National). Bouchard, starting back in the seventh row, managed to make his way up to 37th, while L’Esperance finished 60th, after starting on the ninth row.

Anne Julie Tremblay (Canadian National) was the top Canadian in the Under-23 Women’s category, finishing 29th, with Soren Meeuwisse (Canadian National) 38th and Amelie Simard 46th. Tremblay is the only Canadian in the rankings, in 26th place.

July 10, 2017/by Communications

ILES WINS DH WORLD CUP ON CANADA DAY, BATTY FIFTH IN XC

Vallnord, ANDORRA, July 3, 2017 – Over the Canada Day weekend, the Mountain Bike World Cup resumed at Vallnord, Andorra for Round 4 of the Downhill and Round 3 of the Cross-country.

Downhill
Canadian world champion Finnley Iles (Specialized Gravity) took his third Downhill World Cup victory of the season in the Junior Men’s category on Saturday at Round 4 in Vallnord, Andorra. In other Canadian results, Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory) was seventh in Elite Men and Vaea Verbeeck 10th in Elite Women.

Iles was the fastest at every checkpoint in the Junior Men’s race, finishing 4.973 seconds ahead of perennial rival Matt Walker (Madison Saracen), with Kade Edwards (Trek Factory) third. The Whistler-based rider now leads the standings with 220 points to Walker’s 140, followed by Edwards at 105.

“When I was at the top, [my manager] said ‘It’s Canada Day, put it down’, and I tried to ride as fast as I could,” said Iles. “I’m happy with my time; it was a good day. There was a section where I thought I had screwed up, but I was able to just carry speed out of it. I’d say it was definitely one of my better runs this year and I’m really happy with the result.”

In the Elite Women’s race, Miranda Miller (Specialized Gravity), back in her first World Cup after injuring her leg at Fort William, managed 11th, just behind fellow Canadian Vaea Verbeeck, who took her first top-10 of the season. Miller is 13th in the standings followed by Verbeeck in 14th.

In the Elite Men’s race, Wallace started 13th from the end, setting the fastest time at that point and moving into the Hot Seat. He held the lead until six riders to go, before eventually finishing seventh. Wallace drops one spot in the overall standings, to seventh, but is only 12 points out of the top five.

“I’m happy with the run, it’s a good Canada Day result,” said Wallace. “I think Finn [Iles] beat me this time. The run was mostly what I wanted; smooth and good. There were a few spots at the bottom where it got a bit scary, but that’s normal here.”

Cross-country
Canadian champion Emily Batty (Trek Factory) took her first World Cup podium of 2017 on Sunday at Round 3, with a fifth place result in the Elite Women. Peter Disera (Norco Factory) finished just off the podium in the Under-23 Men’s race, with a seventh place result.
In the six lap women’s race, Ukrainian rider Yana Belomoina took her second straight victory, and the second of her career. Batty had caught and dropped Swiss rider Linda Indergand to move up to fourth but, with a less than half a lap to go, the Canadian crashed, allowing the Swiss rider to get by her. In other Canadian results, defending World Cup champion Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team) had a rare off day, finishing 16th, and Sandra Walter (Canadian National) was 28th. In the overall standings, Batty moves up from 12th to 10th and Pendrel remains in 17th place.

“I’m enthusiastic with riding myself onto the World Cup podium after my performance at the first two rounds was far below my expectations,” said Batty. “I had a clean race today despite a last lap crash that lost me fourth place. I had been working hard the entire race and that likely caught up to me. I’m happy that my performance is moving in the right direction for the latter half of the season. I wanted to use this race to regain some confidence, hopefully build on this result in Switzerland and see what I can do in Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada, for round five of the World Cup.”

In the Elite Men’s race, won by world and Olympic champion Nino Schurter of Switzerland, Canada had only two riders entered, with Leandre Bouchard (BH SR Suntour KMC) finishing 26th and Andrew L’Esperance (Canadian National) finishing 69th. Bouchard is the top Canadian in the standings after Andorra, moving up to 22nd overall from 25th.

“I did a good race with a stronger second part of the race,” commented Bouchard. “I paid the price for a fast start in Laps 2 and 3, but after I recovered, I was able to stay with the riders and then pass them in the last laps when I found my pace. The altitude definitely makes it harder and challenging. I’m happy to finish close to my goal of top-20 and to see consistency in my season.”

Peter Disera was part of the lead group in the Under-23 Men’s race, despite suffering from an upset stomach. He dropped back as the chase group splintered, but still hung on for seventh place; another top-10 result to go with his third place in Round 2 and eighth in Round 1. Disera improved to fourth from sixth in the overall standings.

“It was an immensely hard day here in Andorra with the altitude, slippery conditions and me not totally feeling ‘on’,” said Disera. “I rode a good race with a few mistakes, but the real hindrance came from the body; just felt like I couldn’t get my superman legs. Still, in the end, 7th is not a bad day and it boosts my confidence that I am a top-10 rider with podium potential.”

Canadian champion Soren Meeuwisse (Canadian National) was the top Canadian rider in the Under-23 Women’s race, finishing in 35th place, followed by Amelie Simard in 42nd.

July 3, 2017/by Communications