The women’s cross-country race is expected to be intense on Saturday

(Barrie, ON – July 18, 2014) When the elite women take to the start on Saturday at the 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships at Hardwood Ski and Bike in Oro-Medonte, near Barrie, ON, expect a fierce and intense battle.

Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON/Trek Factory Racing), the defending Canadian Champion, will be firing up all her cylinders with the hopes to preserve the title, but many strong women will be vying to dislodge her from the red and white maple leaf jersey.

Atop that list, we find none other than former World Champion, World Cup Champion and four-time Canadian Champion Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC/Team Luna Pro), who relinquished the jersey in 2013 as she didn’t participate in the race due to an injury.

“I’m really looking forward to the race. The course is a lot of fun and has definitely changed since the last time I rode here in 2006. I think it will be a very tough race. There is no recovery out there, and it’s all full gas. It certainly will be a lot of fun and some good challenges,” said Pendrel.

“The Canadian Championships is something that every Canadian holds pretty near to their hearts. It was tough for me to miss the event last year, but I think Emily has done an amazing job of representing the maple leaf. I know she is on great form and that she grew up on these trails. I think she will give me a super tough battle for the title, for that jersey. Whoever gets it will wear it very well. I’ll certainly do my best to get the maple leaf back,” continued Pendrel, who stood on the World Cup podium this year at her first start of the season.

Batty, who has been wearing the maple leaf for the last year, is excited to defend the title, especially with Catharine Pendrel on the start line: “I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I feel as my fitness and my form are spot on. The last fews days on the track went well. Being so close to home, I was able to do quite a few laps, a few more than what we would normally get at a World Cup race. I’ve done all my studying and work, and now it’s about getting to the line and have all the stars align.”

Speaking of the battle with Pendrel for tomorrow’s duel, Batty was very humble, and anticipates a tough fight to the finish line: “I am a very patriotic person. I am very proud to be Canadian, and to have won the jersey last year. However, Catharine wasn’t here. I respect her more than any other competitor. She is a wonderful person, and an amazing athlete. She’s back, and we’ll get to battle it out for a true race tomorrow. She’ll never make it easy. We’ve raced together for years, and I think it will be a very good spectator race. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put on a good show.

Along Pendrel and Batty, there is a long list of contenders for the title, such as three-time Canada Cup Champion Sandra Walter (Coquitlam, BC/Liv Giant), Jean-Ann Berkenpas (Maple Ridge, BC/ Xprezo‐Borsao), Mikaela Kofman (Toronto, ON/Scott-3ROx Racing), Amanda Sin (Collingwood, ON/Scott-3Rox Racing), Andreanne Pichette (Quebec, QC/Opus-OGC), Hayley Smith (Uxbridge, ON/Norco Factory Team), Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Quebec, QC/Rocky Mountain Bicycles Factory Team), Cindy Montambault (Val David, QC/Equipe du Québec) and Catherine Fleury (Cyclone d’Alma) just to name a few.

The cross-country races for all categories will be presented on Saturday, staring at 10: 30am Eastern Time.

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Trudel has been unbeatable at Canadian Cross-Country Championships since turning junior

(Barrie, ON – July 18, 2014) Frederique Trudel (Breakyville, QC/Specialized Racing Canada) is coming to the 2014 Canadian Cross-Country Championships with the hopes of extending to four her winning streak at this prime event.

Trudel, who races in the women’s U23 category, won both titles when competing in the junior category (2011, 2012), and last year showed how dominant she can be by taking the espoir (U23) title in the first year racing in the category.

“I am trying not to put pressure on myself to win for a fourth time. I know that anything can happen and nothing is settled yet. It would be a great personal achievement but I prefer not to impose too much pressure. My transition to the U23 category went very well last year. I had a great season. This year I was a little tired early in the season, so I have not reached my objectives but I now feel ready to race on Saturday,” said Trudel.

A fourth consecutive Canadian title would place her among an exclusive group of Canadian mountain bikers who have accomplished the feat –four consecutive titles–  such as, Marie-Hélène Prémont (6, Elite, 2003-2009), Geoff Kabush (6, Elite, 2005-2010), Alyson Sydor (5, Elite,1994-1998), Catharine Pendrel (4, Elite, 2009-2012) and Emily Batty (4, Espoir, 2007-2011).

The young rider has also been a force to reckon with at the Canada Cup levels, taking the overall junior series championships in 2011 and 2012. In her first season racing against the elites on the 2013 Canada Cup Series, and despite taking part in only three of the four races, she finished a respectable fourth place in the overall standings.

At the World Cup level, Trudel finished in first place at the Mont-Sainte-Anne junior women race in 2012, and second place in Windham the following week. She also won the Canada Games women cross-country race in 2013, and the bronze in the team relay at the same event.

The cross-country races will be presented on Saturday.

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Venue will also host test event for Games in July 2014

ORO-MEDONTE, ON July 17, 2014 – The best mountain bikers in the Americas will be chasing down gold as they fly down the Boneshaker, go on a Coffee Run and do the Grunt Climb at Hardwood Ski and Bike in the summer of 2015.

Known at Games time as Hardwood Mountain Bike Park, the venue will test 45 top male and female riders competing at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games with a brand-new, adrenalin-pumping race course currently under construction.

The run features a challenging mix of uphill and downhill terrain along with highly technical sections, such as a white-knuckle rocky descent known as the Boneshaker. Over its four- to five-kilometre length, riders will tackle new and existing features such as Sidewinder, Sydor Slider, JP’s Nemesis, Big Z and Doug’s Hill.

“For more than three decades, Canada’s best mountain bikers have tested their mettle at Hardwood Ski and Bike,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015). “In 2015, the facility and Oro-Medonte will make their international Games debut when the best riders in the region are crowned Pan Am champions here.”

Mountain biking made its Pan American Games debut in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1995. Since then, Canada has earned seven medals in the sport, including three gold. Only the BMX events are newer to the Pan Am cycling program, which has been part of the sport schedule since 1951.

At the Guadalajara 2011 Pan Am Games, Canada’s Max Plaxton won silver, while Amanda Sin of Collingwood, ON, captured bronze. Canada’s last gold was won by Catharine Pendrel at the Rio 2007 Pan Am Games. All medallists are still competing on the world stage.

“I’m looking forward to competing here at home in front of my friends and family and this time taking gold at the Pan Am Games!” said Trenton, Ontario’s Derek Zandstra, the current Canadian mountain bike cross-country champion and World Cup racer vying for a spot on the Pan Am Games and Olympic Games mountain bike team. “It means a lot to homegrown riders like me. We can’t wait to hit the trails and race against the best the Americas and Caribbean have to offer.”

The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), added: “Canada is always a serious medal contender in mountain biking at the Pan Am Games, and we look forward to seeing our athletes excel on home soil next summer. Our Government is a proud supporter of the Games, and our investment will result in lasting legacies for Canadian athletes for many years to come.”

As the sole Ontario facility with a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-rated race course, Hardwood Ski and Bike has previously hosted Canada Cup and Ontario Cup events, as well as national championships.

From today to July 20, the venue will also host the 2014 Canadian XCO/XCE Mountain Bike Championships, one of 40-plus national and international sport test events the Organizing Committee is bringing to Ontario over the next 12 months. The competition will feature some of Canada’s best in the sport as well as riders from every level, with ages ranging from five to 60.

“Hosting the 2015 Games will bring long-lasting benefits to all in Ontario,” said Michael Coteau, Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. “Not only will athletes have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of their sport on home soil, future generations of athletes will also enjoy world-class facilities like the Hardwood Mountain Bike Park.”

Oro-Medonte Mayor Harry Hughes added: “We are pleased that the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee has recognized Hardwood Ski and Bike as a world-class mountain biking venue. Our township has a deep connection with mountain biking and has long been a big supporter of our Canadian athletes. We look forward to celebrating these athletes from the moment they arrive here to compete to when they step on the podium.”

In order for mountain bikers to compete at their best, the Games will have satellite accommodation for athletes, located nearby at Horseshoe Valley Resort in Barrie. This village is in addition to the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village, located in downtown Toronto.

Both Ontario athletes hope to defend their titles in their home province

(Barrie, ON – July 15, 2014) The 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships will be held again this year near Barrie, ON, at the Hardwood Ski and Bike resort. Both Ontario athletes Derek Zandstra (Kingston, ON/Scott-3 Rox Racing) and Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON/Trek Factory Team) will be defending their Canadian title as the reigning champions.

The Canadian Championships is the most important one-day race of the season for the top Canadian stars, with the highly-coveted Maple Leaf Jersey on the line. The National Champion jersey is a symbol of pride and achievement that a rider will wear for the following year, and is what drives many cyclists in their competitive career.

“We had a spectacular championship in 2013, and are looking forward to racing at Hardwood Hills for the 2014 edition of the Championships. The venue is ideal to setup a close battle to the end, in all races,” said Nicholas Vipond, Competitions coordinator at Cycling Canada. “We have all the elements in place to create a memorable weekend of racing, and crown new champions that will carry the maple leaf jersey across the world.”

“We are excited to welcome the best of the best mountain bikers to Hardwood Ski and Bike,” said Glenn Meeuwisse, head of the Organizing Committee. “We hosted a successful event in 2013, and we have worked relentlessly to find ways and improve the event for 2014. Everyone who comes in a race this event will appreciate the challenge and the difficulties that the course offers to Canada’s elite athletes and stars of the sport.”

In 2013, Derek Zandstra surprised both the defending Champion Max Plaxton (Victoria, BC/Cannondale Factory Racing team) and teammate Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC/Scott-3 Rox Racing) to capture his first Canadian Elite Title, after years of hard work and determination. Zandstra came in hot form at the event, and took advantage of his knowledge of the course to claim the victory. Expect the race in 2014 to be another nail-biter between the three World Cup riders, along with other riders such as Raphael Gagné (Québec, QC/ Rocky Mountain Factory Racing), which is having a great season to date.

In the women’s elite race, Canada’s reigning Champion Emily Batty will have a fierce competition from rival Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC/Luna Pro Team), who missed last year’s Championships due to a broken clavicle. With both athletes healthy, the battle will be fierce, and certainly not to miss.

Both defending Champions, Batty and Zandstra, have shown they are in top form heading to the championships weekend, winning the Canada Cup race held in Sudbury this past weekend.

The Espoirs (U23) Men race is always a close one with a group of five young Canadian riders ready to showcase their talent and explode on the international scene. Mitchell Bailey (Barrie, ON/ Trek Canada Mountain Bike Team), the current Espoir (U23) Canadian Champion who grew up racing the Hardwood Hills course, will undoubtedly be challenged by some fierce competition coming from Evan McNeely (Kingston, ON/Norco Factory Team), Evan Guthrie (Peachland, BC/Norco Factory Team), Léandre Bouchard (Alma, QC/Cycles Devinci), Antoine Caron (Stoneham, QC/Specialized Factory Racing) to name just a few.

As in 2013, there will be medals and jersey awarded to the winner of each race the Cadet (U17), Junior (U19), Espoir (U23), Elite and Master categories for both Men and Women, as well as to the winner of the Open Team Relay.

The traditional cross-country race will he held on the same challenging course as last year. The six-kilometre loop offers some arduous climbs, treacherous descents, and rock gardens notably– all features that are designed to crown the ultimate rider. The men will travel six lap for a total of 36 kilometers while the women will race five laps for 30 kilometers.

In addition to the endurance race that is cross-country, these Canadian Championships will for the second consecutive year feature the Eliminator race, an elbow-to-elbow sprint race held in a single elimination format. In 2013, Léandre Bouchard (Alma, QC/Cycles Devinci) was the fastest sprinter of the group and raced to the Canadian Championships title of the men’s Open race. Jean-Ann Berkenpas (Xprezo-Borsao Factory Team) had the race of her career in 2013 and captured her first Canadian Championships title in the women’s Open race.

The Eliminator is an exciting, fast-paced, spectator-friendly, and short race that condenses many of the regular features of a cross-country race, typically contested on a course under one kilometre in length. The event is relatively new on the World Cup circuit and is now becoming a regular events at UCI World Cup tour.

Registration can be found here: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=6041&lan=1&cartlevel=1

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Sun Peaks, BC to welcome 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships this weekend

(Ottawa, ON – July 9, 2014) The 2014 Canadian Mountain Bike Downhill Championships will take place near Kamloops, BC, at the Sun Peaks Resort this coming weekend. Canada’s Steve Smith of Nanaimo, BC (Devinci Global Racing) and Micayla Gatto of North Vancouver, BC (Cycling BC) will both be looking to defend their titles from 2013.

The Canadian Championships is the most important one-day race of the season for the top Canadian stars, with the highly-coveted Maple Leaf Jersey on the line. The National Champion jersey is a symbol of pride and achievement that a rider will wear for the following year, and is what drives many cyclists in their competitive career.

“If you are looking for an adrenaline rush from start to finish, then mountain bike downhill is your top cycling sport to watch. The course will be spectacular for these Championships, and expect the tightest battle all way to the finish line,” said Nicholas Vipond, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “The Canadian Championships crown the best this country has to offer, and this year will be no exception.”

The Downhill race course starts on the aptly named “DH” trail, a relatively steep descent winding in and out of sub-alpine forest offering steeps, fast and flowing berms, and some epic singletrack that will challenge the riders.

“Holy Rollers” is the next section on the menu, with a more mellow grade that will force pedalling to reach maximum velocity. This section is wider with tons of berms and small hits along the way that will leave participants balancing speed and style, leading in to the final section of the course.

The notorious “Arm Pump” holds this honour and is definitely the most technical section of the course. Fun and flowing singletrack with roots, rocks, and some new berms and drops added this summer to keep speeds up as riders race towards the finish line below.

“Sun Peaks has been a favourite course of many riders on the racing circuit for the last couple of years and we are really excited to welcome top racers from across the nation to what will be an entertaining and action packed weekend. ‘Canada’s Alpine Village’ is the perfect setting for the National Championships this year,” said Henry Pejril, race organizer.

In 2013, Steve Smith took these Championships by storm, winning the men’s elite race and the coveted sleeve in a dominating fashion. The downhill veteran and crowd favorite won the race with a four second lead. Coming back from injury, Smith will compete against the likes of Kyle Sangers, Rob Fraser, Mckay Vezina, Kirk McDowall, Samuel Thibeault, Mark Wallace, and Matt Beer just to name a few contenders for the title.

In the women’s race, veteran Micayla Gatto, a multiple medallist at World Championships, took the title with a three-second lead last year. A win for her this year would represent her career fourth Canadian Championships downhill title. Vaea Verbeek, Denise Uyesugi, and Kirby McLean are all expected to provide a stiff competition to the defending champion in the women’s elite race.

As in 2013, there will be medals and jerseys awarded to the winner of each race the Cadet (U17), Junior (U19), Elite and Master categories for both Men and Women.

The timed sessions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, while the Canadian Championships races will be presented on Sunday.

Online Registration is open until July 10, 6pm Mountain Time. Elite and Junior Expert categories must register a minimum of 48 hours before the event: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=6041&lan=1&cartlevel=1  

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