July 11, 2010 (Invermere, BC) – Andrew Mitchell (Victoria, BC) and Micayla Gatto (West Vancouver, BC) took home the Canadian Elite titles at the 2010 Mountain Bike Canadian Championships, which kicked off Sunday with the downhill events in Panorama Mountain Village, BC.

Over 175 riders from all over Canada gathered in Panorama Mountain Village, British Columbia, for the 2010 Mountain Bike Canadian Championships downhill race, including 53 riders in the coveted Men’s elite category and 14 riders in the Women’s elite category.

Andrew Mitchell came out on top of the group to take the ultimate honors in the tough Men’s Elite category, stopping the clock at 3 minutes 27.97 seconds. Mitchell, who qualified with the second fastest time in Saturday’s seeding run, is thrilled of this title, which is part of his comeback master plan.

“I am looking to getting out and doing more race because I got a lot of catching up to do. This Championships was part of my come back plan. The track today required a lot of fitness, it was a weird course. There was a lot of pedalling, with lots of crazy fast sections. It was a hard track to come back to after my injury,” said Mitchell, a three-time Canadian Champion in the Elite category.

Mitchell hasn’t been riding much since he broke his right ankle and shattered bones in his right leg in July of 2009. Sunday’s Championship race is Mitchell’s second race of the season.

“I am looking forward to do as much races as I can. I got a lot a catching up to do before the World Championships. It would be great to get out there and represent Canada at that event along with some of the top boys. I am really looking forward to next year.

Jamie Biluk (Winnipeg, MB) came in second place, trailing the winning time by just under two seconds. Dean Tennant, benefiting from the fastest seeding time, came third for a second straight year with a time of 3 minutes 30.38 seconds.

In the women’s elite category, it is without surprise that Micayla Gatto won the event. Gatto, Canada’s second highest ranked downhill specialist, currently sits in 14th place of the UCI World Rankings.

Gatto finished the course in 3 minutes 55.13 seconds, with a solid eight seconds lead over second-place Miranda Miller (Squamish, BC). Casey Brown (Revelstoke, BC) took the third spot of the 14-rider field.

“It feels amazing to be Canadian Champion, obviously I am very happy about that,” said Gatto after the race. “I felt a lot of pressure coming into this race, because I knew everyone had a really good shot, with a lot of good girls out here,” said Gatto of the race

“I couldn’t be happier as far as my run is concerned. I hit all my lines, I felt very smooth, and I just pedalled as much as I could and came out with the win. I tried to prepare the same as usual, but this race being closer to home makes it hard not to more relax. Racing locally and internationally is totally a different mind game,” added Gatto, who finished seventh at the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Downhill.

The Mountain Bike Canadian Championships were held in Panorama for the first time in history. Panorama has a long history of hosting Provincial events and BC Cup events, but this event marked the biggest Mountain Bike race held in the Panorama Bike Park.

“(Panorama) have been very good organizers. They ran a professional event. We can clearly see their experience in event organisations,” commented Nicholas Vipond, Coordinator for Mountain Bike at the Canadian Cycling Association.

In the Junior category, Remi Gauvin (Nanoose, BC) flew down the course at remarkable speeds, posting a time of 3 minutes 28.51 seconds, an impressive three seconds in front of Nicholas Geddes (Whistler, BC) who came second. Kelsey Begg (Langley, BC), the only women entered in the junior category, posted a time of 5 minutes 15.15 seconds.

Jordan Gosteli (Squamish, BC) won the title in the U17 category, beating Newfoundlander Sheldon Smith and Canadian-born, California-resident Vezina McKay to the finish line.

Cory Leclerc (Coquitlam, BC) and Graham Beatty (Squamish, BC) took home the Master’s title in the two men’s categories, while Karaleen Westmoreland (Port Moody, BC) won the Women’s Masters race.

Over 30 volunteers from the Panorama Mountain Village were involved in ensuring this event went on smoothly.

The 2010 Canadian Championships have significant importance this season as they are considered a qualifying event for the selection pool to the team that will represent Canada at the 2010 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships held September 1-5 in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Québec. The Top Three in each eligible category will receive automatic selection to the pool.

The Downhill event in Mountain Bike is similar to Downhill skiing. Each rider have one attempt to post the fastest time of the challenging course, which takes riders into a journey filled with banks, jumps, kickers, speedy open areas, and slower technical trails. The rider with the fastest time wins the race and crowned Champion.

The seeding runs were held on Saturday to determine the start order for Sunday’s Championships races.

The 2010 Mountain Bike Canadian Championships continues next weekend in Canmore, Alberta, with the presentation of the cross-country events, the Olympic Mountain Bike discipline.

Results for other Categories here.

Results

Junior Expert Women
1. Kelsey Begg (BC) Cycling BC 05:15.1
DNS Holly Feniak (BC) Cove / sunshine coast cycling club

Junior Expert Men
1. Remi Gauvin (BC) PerformX/Evil 03:28.5
2. Nicholas Geddes (BC) Norco Factory Team and BC Team 03:31.8
3. Kyle Sangers (ON) J&J Cycle 03:33.3
4. Riley Suhan (BC) Pinkbike/Devinci, Darkside, Smith 03:33.4
5. Max Horner (BC) brysonracingclan.com 03:37.0
6. Chayse Marshall (BC) Full Boar Bike Store, Sun Peaks, Knollu 03:39.9
7. Danny Frey (AB) THESECT/DECAL WORKS 03:40.7
8. Tyler Allison (BC) Team BC 03:41.6
9. Cody Ratte (AB) brysonracingclan.com 03:43.8
10. Linden Feniak (BC) Cove / Sunshine Coast Cycling Club 03:45.0
11. Guillaume Labrie (QC) Équipe du Québec/LamaCycles 03:47.5
12. Alex Currie (BC) Pinkbike/Devinci 03:48.6
13. Brandon Indic (AB) Independent 03:50.3
14. Philippe Morin (QC) Quebec Provincial Team 03:50.3
15. Brenden Klassen (AB) Independent 03:51.4
16. Michael Oosterveld (ON) Silent Davince 03:52.5
17. Justin Dale (BC) Dunbar Cycles 03:52.9
18. Sky Gustin (BC) Lama Cycles/Cycling BC 03:54.2
19. Kye Walstrom (BC) Cove Factory Team 03:56.7
20. Samuel Thibault (QC) Équipe du Québec – Gravité Sports 03:57.0
21. Taylor Smith (BC) Cycle Component Network 04:01.8
22. Brennen Brosinsky (AB) Independent 04:04.3
23. Cam Porteous (BC) DUNBAR CYCLES 04:05.1
24. Al Raines (BC) MC 1 Racing 04:07.3
25. Braeden Onciul (AB) Express Racing 04:09.3
26. Nicholas Grimm (BC) Bryson Racing Clan 04:10.8
27. Cam Hilts (BC) pinkbike.com/devinci 04:24.6
DNS Glithero Caleb (ON) Kamikaze/Troylee
DNS Brad Zdriluk (ON) GIANT ADRENILINE RACER 2 WHEELS

Elite Women
1. Micayla Gatto (BC) Cycling BC, Oakley 03:55.1
2. Miranda Miller (BC) SantaCruz/SRAM/Pinkbike/Cycling B.C 04:03.3
3. Casey Brown (BC) Independent 04:08.3
4. Rebecca McQueen (BC) Independent 04:13.1
5. Kjersten Lone (BC) ProCityRacing/Kali Protectives 04:17.4
6. Anne Laplante (QC) Équipe du Québec – XPREZO – BORSAO 04:17.5
7. Vaea Verbeeck (QC) Independent 04:20.6
8. Danice Uyesugi (BC) CCN/Intense/RaceFace 04:24.4
9. Jennifer McMillan (BC) thebrysonracingclan.com 04:30.5
10. Jaime Hill (BC) CycleComponentNetwork/Troy Lee Designs 04:31.5
11. Kristen Courtney (BC) Independent 04:42.3
12. Terri-Anne Howard (AB) Park Cycle/Oneghost Industries 05:08.0
DNF Kristen Smart (BC) cove bikes/sombrio clothing
DNS Lorraine Blancher (BC) Ind

Elite Men
1. Andrew Mitchell (BC) Dunbar/Intense/Sombrio 03:28.0
2. Jamie Biluk (MB) Pinkbike/Suspensionwerx/Bondtraining.ca 03:29.8
3. Dean Tennant (BC) Dunbar Cycles/Sombrio 03:30.4
4. Thomas Vanderham (BC) Independent 03:30.5
5. Ryan Vanderham (BC) Independent 03:30.9
6. Adriano Digiacinto (BC) Bryson Racing Clan 03:31.6
7. Kenny Smith (BC) SRAM, EVIL, Dakine, Chromagg 03:32.3
8. Benoit Rioux (QC) equipe qc xprezo borsao 03:34.1
9. Yann Gauvin (QC) Lama Cycles 03:34.3
10. Rob Fraser (ON) Primary Racing 03:34.5
11. Simon Garstin (BC) Team BC 03:34.6
12. Julien Laramee (QC) Quilicot 03:35.0
13. Philippe Cyrenne Blanchard (QC) Rocky mountain bicycle/ Cycle néron 03:35.1
14. Nick Quinn (AB) brysonracingclan 03:35.2
15. Andy Thibodeau (QC) Independent 03:36.0
16. Charles-Alexandre Dube (QC) On the Edge Canada 03:37.2
17. Ewan Fafard (BC) Cove Bikes 03:37.6
18. Matt Zdriluk (ON) LAPIERRE – RACEFACE 03:37.7
19. Tyler Gorz (BC) pinkbike.com & CBR 03:37.9
20. Matthew Beer (NL) Independent 03:38.0
21. Harold Woolnough (ON) Silent Devinci Racing 03:38.2
22. Jordie Lunn (BC) Jamis Biles/Rockstar Energy 03:38.3
23. Drew Paulter (ON) Primary/TREK/SRAM 03:38.3
24. Jeff Hunter (BC) Cove Bikes 03:38.6
24. Tyler Gnitt (BC) Independent 03:38.6
26. Dan Skogland (BC) Cove Bikes 03:40.0
27. Sidney Slotegraaf (ON) Lapierre/Raceface 03:43.0
28. Ross Measures (BC) Knolly Bikes/SRAM 03:44.1
29. Cameron Woods (BC) pinkbike.com/devinci 03:44.2
30. Jean Sebastion Therrien (BC) Trident Sports/Banshee Racing 03:45.0
31. Jeff Beeston (BC) Trail Bicycles/Eatmore Sprouts 03:45.1
32. Aaron Dobie (BC) Dunbar Cycles 03:47.5
33. Justin MacKnish (QC) Lamar Cycles/Morewood 03:47.6
34. Ross Roseingrave (Irl) Dunbar Cycles 03:48.8
35. James Frost (ON) Utopia Optics, Leatt Brace, Rudy Project 03:48.8
36. Mitch Thornton (AB) Giant / Dakine / Cyclepath 03:49.1
37. Benoit LaBelle (QC) Lama Cycles 03:50.3
38. Maxime Fortin Faubert (QC) Independent 03:51.3
39. Ken Faubert (BC) Dunbar Cycles 03:51.8
40. Guillame Lafleur-Smith (QC) Xprezo 03:54.9
41. Kevin Landry (BC) Banshee/Trident Factory Racing 03:55.0
42. Bryden Rigets (BC) CCN/Intense/SuspensionWerx 03:56.2
43. Robert Venables (BC) Dunbar Cycles 03:56.8
44. Tyler Paksi (AB) Independent 04:08.9
45. Derek Plehwe (AB) XPRESS RACING 04:09.4
46. Mike Trickett (NL) Freeride Mountain Sports 04:10.6
47. Mark Noftall (NL) Freeride Mountain Sports 04:21.0
48. Cole Carter (BC) DHRacer/Intersport/Specialized/Nema 05:04.1
DNS Adam Mautle (BC) Dunbar Cycles/Sombrio
DNS Adrian Cleary Cleary (BC) Skyride Cycle
DNS Bill Macewen (BC) Steed Cycles
DNS Kyle Lockyer (ON) Devinci
DNS Taylor Rowlands (ON) Independent