Mountain Bike – Page 16 – Cycling Canada Cyclisme

TREMBLAY 24TH IN UNDER-23 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

NOVE MESTO, May 21, 2017 – American champion Kate Courtney (Specialized) took the lead of the Under-23 women’s race at the opening round of the Cross-country World Cup in Nove Mesto after the start loop and never looked back.  Courtney dropped British champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory) on the first lap to win by nearly two minutes.  Richards took second, with European champion Sina Frei (JB Brunex Felt) finishing third.

Canada had two entrants in the race, with Anne-Julie Tremblay (Equipe du Quebec/Cyclone d’Alma) finishing 24th in her first European World Cup.

“I’m really happy with my race here,” said Tremblay.  “It was a hard start, but it went well for me.  I didn’t really have a plan because it was my first World Cup in Europe, but I wanted to do a top-25 and I made it.”

Mackenzie Myatt, riding for Team Canada, was racing her first ever World Cup after moving up from the Junior ranks, finishing 53rd.  “I was really happy with my start and through the start loop.  I passed a lot of people and felt really strong on the descents, but the technical climbs really hit me and I lost so much time there.  But I learned a lot and I’ll try to apply it in the World Cup next week.”

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ZANDSTRA FINISHES TOP-30 AT NOVE MESTO WORLD CUP

NOVE MESTO, May 21, 2017 – World and Olympic champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) continued his domination of the Nove Mesto course at the opening round of the Cross-country World Cup on Sunday, taking his fifth win in the seven years of racing at this Czech Republic venue (six World Cups and one world championship, last year).

Canadian champion Derek Zandstra (Cannondale-3Rox) finished 28th, despite getting caught behind a crash.  The start was marred by a crash in the first few metres, when Matthias Stirnemann (Scott-SRAM) went over the bars after his chain broke, causing a pileup behind him.

“I was on the left side,” explained Zandstra, “and I saw a guy’s head go down and all of a sudden there was a bike flying up in the air; I think he broke his chain and went over the bars.  I had to come to a stop but was able to get through and chase the pack.”

Thomas Litscher (JB Brunex Felt) jumped into the lead on the start loop, but he was quickly overtaken by Schurter and David Valero (MMR Factory) once the riders began their six laps of the course.  Valero hung on with Schurter for the first half of the race as the pair opened a gap on a chase group containing Julien Absalon (BMC), Maxime Marotte (Cannondale Factory) and Jordan Sarrou (BH-SR Suntour-KMC), but when Schurter put the hammer down on a climb the Spaniard was quickly dropped.

Schurter cruised to his 21st World Cup victory, with Valero holding on for second.  Absalon dropped the rest of the chase group to take third.

Zandstra was in the 40s for the first half of the race before starting to move up in the final few laps.  He cracked the top-30 at the start of the last lap and managed to move up two more places in the final circuit.

“I had a bit of a rough start to the season,” said Zandstra.  “I got sick around Sea Otter and I was on antibiotics as of last week, but it’s starting to turn around.  I knew I had some good fitness coming into this and training’s been good, minus the sickness.  Next week is another good race for me and I’m hoping to prove myself there.”

Other Canadian results include Leandre Bouchard (BH-SR Suntour-KMC) in 39th, Raphael Gagne (Cannondale-3Rox) in 64th, Evan McNeely (Team Canada) in 74th and Andrew L’Esperance (Team Canada) in 95th.

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DISERA 8TH AT ROUND 1 OF MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP

NOVE MESTO, May 20, 2017 – Canadian riders had mixed results on Saturday, the first day of competition at the opening round of the Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic.  Peter Disera (Norco Factory Racing) finished a strong eighth in the Under-23 Men’s race, however, Olympic bronze medalist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Bar Pro Team) suffered two mechanical incidents while in second place in the Elite Women’s race, putting her out of contention.

Disera, the Canadian Under-23 champion, had a strong start to his race, riding among the top-5 riders on the first lap and a half.  He dropped back slightly in the second half of the race but managed to retain a top-10 spot at the finish.  Petter Fagerhaug of Norway was the winner, followed by Martins Blums of Latvia.  Disera finished 1:47 behind the winner.  Other Canadian results include Sean Fincham (Team Canada) in 67th place and Marc-Andre Fortier (Team Canada) in 78th.

“I came into this race without a number in mind,” said Disera, “but I knew in the back of my mind that there was a chance I could be in the top-5 group fighting for the podium, and in the second lap I was in that group!  I held on for as long as I could, but I slipped back a little bit, although I managed to maintain top-10.  I’m not too surprised because this year has been going well and I was riding the best I have ever ridden on this course.  So I’m really pleased.”

In the Elite Women’s race, Pendrel moved into second place after the start loop, behind world champion Annika Langvad of Denmark.  On the second lap she first had a problem with her chain and then suffered a flat tire.  By the time she received assistance at the pits, she was back in the high-30s and nearly four minutes behind the leaders.  She managed to fight back to 21st by the finish.

“I felt good, this was probably the best start I’ve ever had on this course,” said Pendrel.  “I was feeling good and had good energy, and then coming through the last rock garden before the end of the lap I dropped my chain and it took three minutes to sort it out.  Then passing someone on a downhill I got a flat tire and had to ride that into the tech zone.  So luck wasn’t on my side today.  But my form is good, so that’s the positive takeaway.”

Canadian champion Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing), third on this course last year, had a poor start, dropping back to the mid-20s.  She worked her way back to finish in 17th place.  In other Canadian results, Haley Smith (Norco Factory Racing) was 28th, Sandra Walter (Team Canada) was 35th, Cindy Montambault (Team Canada) 38th and Catherine Fleury (Team Canada) 49th.

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CYCLING CANADA SENDS 8 RIDERS TO MTB WORLD CUP 1 & 2

OTTAWA, May 17, 2017 – Eight riders will race in Team Canada colours at the first two rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, to be held on the final two weekends of May.

“These races are a chance for riders to assess their fitness level at the start of a new year and new Olympic cycle,” explains Dan Proulx, Mountain Bike Head Coach.  “At the start of each quadrennial, there is definitely less pressure on our riders to perform at these events. There is a substantial period of recovery needed after each Olympics; then a gradual rebuild of fitness and racing performance for our returning Olympians.”

While many of Canada’s top pros, such as Olympic bronze medalist Catherine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC) and Rio fourth place finisher Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON) will be competing in their professional team colours, the national team project will enable other athletes to participate and gain experience at the highest level of competition.  The project will encompass the first two rounds of the World Cup – Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic on May 20-21 and Albstadt, Germany on May 27-28.

In the Under-23 age category, three riders will race in Canadian colours – Mackenzie Myatt, Sean Fincham and Marc-Andre Fortier.  Five riders will represent Canada in the Elite category – Catherine Fleury, Cindy Montambault, Sandra Walter, Andrew L’Esperance and Evan McNeely.

“The entire four year plan requires careful periodization if we hope to achieve results when it matters,” said Proulx.  “These races are more about the process and small technical improvements. We simply want to make sure that the fundamentals are in place and that fitness has advanced since our early season races in North America.”

Mackenzie Myatt – Musquodoboit Harbour, NS [U23 Women]
Sean Fincham – Squamish, BC [U23 Men]
Marc-Andre Fortier – Victoriaville, QC [U23 Men]
Catherine Fleury – Saint-Gedeon, QC [Elite Women]
Cindy Montambault – Val-David, QC [Elite Women]
Sandra Walter – Coquitlam, BC [Elite Women]
Andrew L’Esperance – Halifax, NS [Elite Men]
Evan McNeely – Kingston, ON [Elite Men]

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PODIUMS FOR CANADA AT LOURDES DH WORLD CUP

OTTAWA, May 1, 2017 – Canada had strong results at the opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup on Sunday, in Lourdes, France.  World champion Finnley Iles (Specialized Gravity) won the Junior men’s race, Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory) was second in Elite men, and Canadian champion Miranda Miller (Specialized Gravity) was sixth in Elite women.

Iles, who is the 2016 World Cup overall champion and the defending champion at Lourdes, won by over three and a half seconds to take the lead in the Junior men’s World Cup competition.

In the Elite women’s category, world champion and 2016 overall World Cup champion Rachel Atherton of Great Britain took a convincing win.  Atherton now has an incredible 14 straight World Cup victories, plus two world titles, since 2015.  Miller finished 10.764 seconds behind Atherton, but less than 2.2 seconds off the podium.

Miller, who is racing for her first pro team, commented: “My race run was a big improvement from qualifying and definitely a step in the right direction. I made a couple mistakes that I definitely regret, but even so I’m really happy with how the weekend went with the new team and crew.  [I’m] fired up for the next rounds!”

The Elite men race saw a storm blow in at the top of the course for the final ten riders – the top qualifiers – bringing blinding fog, heavy winds and rain, and making the course slippery and treacherous.  French rider Alexandre Fayolle, the 28th rider to start was in the Hot Seat at that point, followed by Mark Wallace and Marcel Gutierrez of Colombia.  None of the top contenders could beat the conditions, with most finishing in the 60s and 70s, leaving Fayolle to claim the title followed by Wallace and Gutierrez.

Wallace recognized that conditions were a factor in his best-ever World Cup result, “Even though it was my best finish and first podium it doesn’t feel like I completely earned it due to the weather. It’s unfortunate that something uncontrollable like the weather has such a big effect on results, but I guess that’s just part of competing in an outdoor sport, especially one in the mountains. That being said, I felt like I rode better today than I have in a while and was happy with my run so it was a good weekend!”

Wallace’s second at Lourdes is the same result his team mate, the late Steve Smith, achieved at this race last year.

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CYCLING CANADA ANNOUNCES TRADE TEAMS FOR 2017

OTTAWA, March 8, 2017 – In its continuing effort to develop programs, policies and services to support Canadian teams, Cycling Canada is pleased to release the list of Cycling Canada Trade Teams as well as UCI Continental and Women’s Teams who have affiliated with our organization for the coming year. Cycling Canada’s success depends on partnership and teamwork and we thank all the affiliated Trade Teams for their support and contribution.

The seven teams who will be taking part in the Cycling Canada Trade Teams program are NCCH Elite p-b MGCC, Team RaceClean, Smart Savvy + Garneau U23 Cycling Team, Transports Lacombe-Devinci, The Cyclery -4iiii, Stingray-Trek par Ultime Vélo and Lowestrates Cycling Team. All will be focused on road with the exception of The Cyclery -4iiii who will include both road and track athletes.

Cycling Canada will also count four UCI Continental and Women’s Road Teams – H&R Block Pro Cycling, Garneau-Quebecor, Silber Pro Cycling and SAS-MACOGEP, the only Canadian UCI Women’s Team. Canada is expecting more good results this year, with Silber Pro Cycling finishing second in the UCI America Tour ranking in 2016.

In other disciplines, Canada will also be working with 4 Mountain Bike UCI Teams – Cannondale-3Rox Racing (XCO), Norco Factory Racing (DH), Norco Factory Team (XCO) and Pivot Cycles – OTE (DH).

Trade Teams affiliated with Cycling Canada will receive benefits from organizers on the Cycling Canada Calendar, including free expo space at Canadian Championship and Canada Cup events. Cycling Canada encourages Canadian Organizers to give priority invitations to Canadian UCI and Cycling Canada Trade Teams to events on the Cycling Canada International and National Calendar when available. The NSO will also promote its Trade Teams through public relations efforts, social media and the Cycling Canada website.

“It’s very exciting to see the list of affiliated Canadians teams for the 2017 season. It is a very encouraging sign of commitment to see these teams and their partners support Canadian athletes who aim to reach international podiums. Trade Teams have such an important role in our ability to support and develop Canadian athletes” said Mathieu Boucher, Director of Performance Development at Cycling Canada.

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PENDREL & GAGNE WIN OPENING ROUND OF CANADA CUP

VICTORIA, BC, March 5, 2017 – The first leader’s jerseys of the 2017 Canada Cup mountain bike series were awarded on Saturday at Bear Mountain Resort, just outside Victoria, BC.  The Canada Cup has been the career starting point for many of Canada’s top professional and Olympic riders.

Situated in the foothills of Mount Finlayson with breathtaking views of Victoria’s seaside harbour, Bear Mountain Resort is the national training centre for Canada’s mountain bike squad, and offers vistas of the Olympic Mountain Range, the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Four titles were awarded, in the Elite and Junior categories for men and women.  Olympic bronze medalist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Bar) of Kamloops, BC, won the Elite women’s race, after leading from the first lap.  Canadian national champion Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) of Brooklin, Ontario, was second, with U.S. champion Erin Huck (Cannondale-3Rox) third.

“I felt really good out there,” said Pendrel.  “You never know quite what to expect in the beginning of the season, but it felt like the whole package.  I felt strong on the climbs and really smooth in the woods, so I’m happy with how things went.  It was a little tricky on the first lap because I got boxed in and didn’t have a good position, but Emily and I were both in the same position; we both cleared it and were able to do our races after that.  It’s always great to start the season off strong.”

In the Elite men’s race, it was Rio Olympian Raphael Gagne (Cannondale-3Rox) of Quebec City, Quebec, in the lead from start to finish, with a dominating performance.  Evan Guthrie of Peachland, BC, held second place for most of the race before suffering a mechanical problem on the final lap.  Geoff Kabush (Scott Sports-Maxxis) of Victoria, BC, moved into second for the finish, followed by Canadian national champion Derek Zandstra (Cannondale-3Rox) of Belleville, Ontario in third.

“It was a little surprising,” admitted Gagne.  “Obviously, I felt really strong and good, but I didn’t know what to expect.  With a new team it brings very good motivation to do well, and I’m happy I could get the win.  I’ve been doing some fat bike races and they have been good preparation for this type of course.  It was a fun course and I’m happy to be racing.”

In the Junior competitions, Gunnar Holmgren (Team Ontario) of Orillia, Ontario, was the men’s winner, while American champion Gwendalyn Gibson (US National Team) won the women’s race.

The Canada Cup series will continue with Round 2 at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, on May 21st.

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CANADA CUP OPENS 27TH SEASON AT BEAR MOUNTAIN

VICTORIA, BC, February 28, 2017 – The 27th season of the Mountain Bike Canada Cup cross-country series opens on March 4th at Bear Mountain Resort, just outside of Victoria, BC.  The Canada Cup has been the career starting point for many of Canada’s top professional and Olympic riders.

Situated in the foothills of Mount Finlayson with breathtaking views of Victoria’s seaside harbour, Bear Mountain Resort is the national training centre for Canada’s mountain bike squad, and offers vistas of the Olympic Mountain Range, the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

In addition to the UCI sanctioned competitions for Elite and Junior men and women, the Bear Mountain Canada Cup will offer racing for age categories from kids to Masters.  The 5.97 kilometre circuit opens with a sustained climb on pavement and singletrack before a long rough and rooty descent.

As many as five Canadian Olympians will begin their season at Bear Mountain, including Rio bronze medalist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Bar), Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing), Raphael Gagne (Cannondale-3Rox), Leandre Bouchard (BH SR Suntour KMC) and Geoff Kabush (Scott Sports-Maxxis), as well as national Elite men’s champion Derek Zandstra (Cannondale-3Rox).

Mathieu Boucher, Director of Performance Development at Cycling Canada, says, “We are thrilled to open the Canada Cup series for the second year in a row at Bear Mountain Resort, the Training Center for our national Mountain Bike Program. Riders will be treated to an amazing and challenging course with all the hospitality that Bear Mountain Resort has to offer. The event will showcase Canada’s top riders as well top international pros who will begin their season with the opening round of the Canada Cup; it will be a week-end packed with action and fun for all the Mountain Bike Community!”

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2019 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHPS AWARDED TO MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, QC

OTTAWA, ON, October 12, 2016. – Cycling Canada and the Corporation Événements d’été de Québec are pleased to announce that Canada has been awarded by the International Cycling Union (UCI) the right to host the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike (and Masters Mountain Bike) World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC.

The announcement was made at the end of the first day of the UCI Management Committee meeting which is taking place in Doha, Qatar, during the 2016 UCI Road World Championships.“Cycling Canada is thrilled to partner with the Corporation Événements d’été de Québec in the hosting of the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada,” said Cycling Canada President John Tolkamp. “We wish to thank the UCI and congratulate the Mont-Sainte-Anne organization committee on securing this bid for Canada.”

“We now have 60 days to confirm  the event budget before it’s 100% official,” explained Yves Blouin, president of the Corporation Événements d’été de Québec. “We are pleased to confirm that Gestev will once again be engaged as our delegate producer for the event once this is completed.”

This will be the third time that Mont-Sainte-Anne will host the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships – a record.  It is the fourth time that Canada will host the event, also a record. Bromont, Quebec was the first Canadian site to host the Championships, in 1992. The Corporation Événements d’été de Québec and Gestev have previously organized and produced the World Championships in 1998 and 2010.

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CANADIAN JUNIORS FINISH 1-2 AT DOWNHILL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Val di Sole, ITA – September 12, 2016) Canadian riders Finnley Iles (Whistler, BC) and Magnus Manson (Vancouver, BC) dominated the Junior Men’s race at the Downhill World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, on Sunday, with Iles winning the world title and Manson taking the silver medal. For Iles, it completes a season as a first year Junior that has also seen him win three rounds of the World Cup and the overall World Cup title.

At the world championships, on an extremely technical course, Iles was the only rider to go under three minutes and 50 seconds, at 3:47.405, a time that would have placed him 14th among the Elite men. His compatriot Magnus Manson took the silver medal, 3.796 seconds back, followed by France’s Gaetan Vige, at 4.610 seconds. Henry Fitzgerald (Canada) was 29th.

“It’s pretty amazing to be world champion,” said Iles. “I did exactly what I wanted to do today, and just put it together. I’m happy with the way I rode and before my run I was just thinking ‘push harder than yesterday [in the seeding run, where he was third] and keep it clean’.”

“I had some doubts, because I was sore [from a crash], but in my second practice run I nailed everything I wanted to and I was confident coming into it. I just tried to do what I normally do on race day, and I kept it together.”

“I’ve been racing my whole life; from running, and track and field, XC racing and skiing … and I’ve had a lot of help in the last couple of years, and now if I think about riding well, then I do ride well. If I think about winning, then I just overdo myself and crash.”

CANADIAN RESULTS – MTB DH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

JUNIOR MEN

  1. Finnley ILES (Canada) 3:47.405
  2. Magnus MANSON (Canada) 3.796
  3. Gaetan VIGE (France) 4.610
  4. Nikolas NESTOROFF (USA) 5.468
  5. Elliott HEAP (Great Britain) 5.702

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  1. Henry FITZGERALD (Canada) 25.774
  2. Adam ROBBINS (Canada) 49.248

ELITE WOMEN

  1. Rachel ATHERTON (Great Britain) 4:20.187
  2. Myriam NICOLE (France) +3.114
  3. Tracey HANNAH (Australia) +9.453
  4. Marine CABIROU (France) +24.507
  5. Tahnee SEAGRAVE (Great Britain) +25.299

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  1. Miranda MILLER (Canada) +39.187

13 Georgia ASTLE (Canada) +46.022

ELITE MEN

  1. Danny HART (Great Britain) 3:32.484
  2. Laurie GREENLAND (Great Britain) +2.927
  3. Florent PAYET (France) +5.047
  4. Troy BROSNAN (Australia) +5.877
  5. Bernard KERR (Great Britain) +6.089

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  1. Mark WALLACE (Canada) +12.361
  2. Kirk MCDOWALL (Canada) +19.373
  3. Max SCHARF (Canada) +30.366
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