February 27, 2008 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Cycling Association is pleased to unveil the 2008 National Mountain Bike Calendar. Seven (7) sites will welcome the best mountain bikers of Canada and elsewhere. On the schedule are 9 Olympic cross-country events, 6 downhill events and two four-cross events.

The season will start in Baie-St-Paul on May 11 where precious UCI points will be offered early in the season to help athletes who wish to enter a World Cup event. Since 2007, riders need a minimum of 20 UCI points in order to enter a World Cup event.

Canada will be host of two World Cups in 2008. The first one will be held in the magical venue of Mont-Sainte-Anne for the 17th time now. Mont-Sainte-Anne has hosted a World Cup every year since the beginning of the series in 1991, except for 1998. That year, Mont-Sainte-Anne hosted the World Championships.

The second World Cup event will be held in Bromont. The World Cup is making a comeback in Bromont after almost a decade. The last World Cup event was held in 1999. A brand new site dedicated to mountain bikers will be used for the event. The site will be put to test at the opening round of the Canada Cup on May 17-18.

The National Championships will be held prior to the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup. The downhill event will take place on July 12-13 and the Olympic cross-country on July 19-20. The season will come to an end in Sun Peaks, British-Columbia on August 24, with the presentation of the downhill Canada Cup final.

2008 National Mountain Bike Calendar
– May 11, 2008 — Coupe du Québec, Baie-St-Paul, QC — XCO UCI 2
– May 17-18, 2008 — Canada Cup Bromont, QC — XCO UCI 1 / DHI UCI 2
– May 24-25/2008 — Canada Cup, Mont Tremblant, QC — XCO UCI 1 / DHI UCI 2
– June 1, 2008 — Canada Cup, Hardwood Hills, ON — XCO UCI 1
– June 29, 2008 — Canada Cup, Kamloops, BC — XCO UCI 2
– July 5, 2008 — Canada Cup, Canmore, AB — XCO UCI 1
– July 12-13, 2008 — Tim Hortons National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC — DHI UCI CN
– July 19-20, 2008 – Tim Hortons National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC — XCO UCI CN
– July 26-27, 2008 — World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC — XCO, 4X/DHI UCI B
– August 2-3, 2008 — World Cup, Bromont, QC — XCO/4X/DHI UCI B
– August 24, 2008 — Canada Cui, Sun Peaks, BC — DHI UCI 2

All of the necessary information concerning dates, locations, and organizers can be found at the following here.