July 22, 2006 (Whistler, B.C.) — It wasn’t a surprise that freshly crowned Elite Women’s National Champion Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC, Rocky Mountain/Business Objects) dominated the 32-kilometre race, despite some top competition from Canadian as well as some international racers like Mary McConneloug (USA, Seven Cycles/Kenda).

Prémont stormed the field, steadily gaining time with each pedalstroke of each of the four laps. By mid-way through the first lap, she was already catching elite men who had started two minutes before. McConneloug settled into second with Alison Sydor (BC, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) was in third, until a mechanical in the first lap catapulted her to the back of the field. Kiara Bisaro (BC, Team R.A.C.E.) moved up to third spot and held it for the entire race, while Sydor managed to fight her way up to eighth place.

Men’s Race

The 2006 National Champion reigned supreme in Whistler today, as Geoff Kabush (BC, Maxxis) won the 40-kilometre Elite Men’s race. It was roasting hot (mid to high 30s), and one of the biggest challenges for the riders was finding ways to beat the heat. Many riders minimized warm up times and completed pre-race routines with ice packs on the backs of their necks or wearing cooling vests.

In the five-lap men’s race, Kabush and Ricky Federau (BC, Team R.A.C.E.) took the early lead. Federau then attacked the National Champion and gapped him, but Federau was not able to hold off the storming Kabush. By the third lap, Kabush had established himself as the leader, with the race for second becoming most exciting.

In the end, Federau dropped out of the race due to the heat, with Andrew Watson (ON, Team R.A.C.E.) and Matt Hadley (NB, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) filling in second and third spots on the podium. It was a hard-fought battle, with Mike Garrigan (ON, Team Ontario), Adam Craig (USA, Giant), Michael Broderick (USA, Seven Cycles/Kenda) and Neil Kindree (BC, Kona/Les Gets) making bids for the top three.

Results

Senior Elite Women

1. Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 1:55:55
2. Mary McConneloug (USA) Seven Cycles/Kenda 3:29
3. Kiara Bisaro (ON) Team R.A.C.E. 6:16
4. Melanie McQuaid (BC) Orbea 7:38
5. Wendy Simms (BC) Velo Bella – Kona 8:23
6. Kelli Emmett (USA) Ford Cyclino 9:14
7. Alison Sydor (BC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 9:34
8. Catherine Pendrel (BC) Norco Factory Team 9:36
9. Amanda Sin (ON) 3 Rox Racing 13:39
10. Catherine Vipond (ON) Urban Athlete/ Sportswap 13:58
11. Mical Dyck (AB) Terrascape Racing/ Trek 13:58
12. Sandra Walter (BC) X.O-Felt 15:09
13. Caroline Villeneuve (QC) Équipe du québec/brunet-la vie 17:03
14. Jean Ann McKirdy (BC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 19:27
15. Meghan Kindree (BC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 21:34
16. Patricia Sinclair (BC) Scott USA/Kenda 23:43
17. Susan Trimble-Haviland (ON) Havy’s Bike Shop 23:47
18. Mathilde Hupin Debeurme (QC) Équipe du Québec – Sportif Bro 23:56
19. Michelle Bellamy (NZl) Jamis/BellamyGallery New Zealand 25:40
20. Joanna Harrington (BC) 29:28
21. Christy Love (BC) Sugoi Factory Team 32:02
22. Danelle Kabush (AB) Timex 32:23
23. Julie Sanders (QC) Equipe du Quebec/Xprezo 33:42
24. Christine Misseghers (AB) Mountain Bike City 35:28
25. Kelly Jones (BC) Sugoi Factory Team/Giant Bicycle 35:50
26. Lorien Lightfield-Oberlander. Tamarack Resort 38:15
27. Kate Scallion (NS) The Cyclery 38:48
28. Melissa Dekker (BC) Dodge City Cycles 38:49
29. Isabelle Jacques (QC) Brunet-La Vie Sportive 38:50
30. Ashleigh Miller (BC) Natural Earth Racing 40:16
31. Charlotte Klein (BC) Corsa Cycles 41:06
32. Kylie Case (ON) Urban Athlete/Sport Swap 42:00
33. Heather King (BC) Natural Earth Racing 44:11
34. Andrea Bunnin (SK) CYCLDELIA / KONA 0:04
DNF Pepper Harlton (AB) dirtgirls
DNF Anne-Marie Jobin (QC) X’CLUZIV
DNF Julie Melanson (BC)
DNF K.J. Sadler (BC) Steed Cycles/NSA/Utopia Optics
DNF Linda Robichaud (BC) Floraglo-Norco
DNF Sophie Fortin (QC) La cordée plein air
DNF Elsie Torresan (QC) Equipe Quebec/Specialized
DNF Martina Feldmann (BC) Felt X.O / Fact Canada
DNF Jennifer Schulz (BC)
DNF Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru Gary Fisher

Senior Elite Men

1. Geoff Kabush (BC) Team Maxxis 2:09:19
2. Neal Kindree (BC) Kona/Les Gets, Sole, Team Squamish at 0:49
3. Andrew Watson (ON) Team R.A.C.E. 1:26
4. Matt Hadley (NB) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 2:31
5. Michael Broderick (USA) 2:51
6. Eric Batty (ON) 3:42
7. Raphael Gagne (QC) RockyMountain/Business Objects 4:20
8. Adam Craig (USA) Team Giant 6:34
9. Derek Zandstra (ON) 3 Rox Racing 7:04
10. Roddi Lega (AB) Norco Factory Team/United Cycle 7:24
11. Kris Sneddon (BC) Kona Les Gets Factory Team 7:48
12. Frederic Bussieres (QC) QC/RockyMountainBusinessObjects 9:36
13. Ian Carbonneau (QC) Equipe du Québec/Vélo Chambl 9:46
14. Stefan Widmer. Sugoi/Giant 9:55
15. Mike Northcott. Jamis New Zealand 10:08
16. Evan Sherman (AB) United Cycle 10:43
17. Andrew Kyle (BC) Sugoi / Giant 11:26
18. Tristan Galbraith (ON) Dropmachine/Commencal 12:54
19. Mike Garrigen (ON) HB Cycling Club 15:02
20. Mark Batty (ON) Team R.A.C.E. 15:55
21. Shawn Bunnin (SK) SPOKE ‘N SPORT / CYCLDELIA 16:04
22. Cory Wallace (AB) Bicisport 18:46
23. Léni Gélinas Trudel (QC) Le Yéti/Équipe du Québec 18:52
24. Craig Richey (BC) Sugoi / Giant Bicycles 18:53
25. Edouard Duquette (QC) Equipe du quebec 19:54
26. Daniel Sessford (YT) 19:55
27. Andreas Hestler (BC) 20:28
28. Matthew Green (BC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 22:41
29. Thomas Skinner (BC) Sugoi Factory Team/Giant Bicycles 22:52
30. Andre Sutton (AB) Hadcore Cycling Club 24:44
31. Dallas Morris (AB) DeadGoat Racing 26:23
32. Matt Bodkin (BC) Giant Bicycles Canada 27:13
33. Jeff Ferguson (BC) 27:50
34. Carsten Ivany (BC) Natural Earth Racing 29:36
35. Ryan Edwards. 31:27
36. Chris Kendall. 32:26
37. Brad Tilby (BC) PNP Cycling Club 32:36
38. Benjamin Schmidt (BC) Natural Earth Racing 33:33
39. Daniel Nemetchek (MB) Manitoba 38:00
40. Christian Ravlic (BC) 40:33
41. Earl Nolan (AB) Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle 43:51
42. Scott McGregor (BC) Steed Cycles / SRAM 47:22
DNF Ricky Federau (ON) Team R.A.C.E.
DNF Jonathan Boulanger (QC) Specialized Quebec
DNF Martin Lazarski (ON) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects
DNF Benoit Simard (QC) Specialized Canada
DNF Dion Clark (AB) Bow Cycle/CMC
DNF Drew Mackenzie (BC) Sugoi/Giant
DNF Dustin Gordon (BC) Team Whistler/Nature’s Path
DNF Ian Mcavity (NB) Bikes and Beans
DNF Jean-Sébastien Lareau (BC) OBB-Victoria Wheelers
DNF Kevin Calhoun (BC) Rocky Mountain – Different Bike
DNF Luke Mills (BC) Aunt Bettys New Zealand
DNF Manuel Fehlmann (BC) Full Boar/ Devinci Bikes
DNF Mathew Hewitt (BC) Oak Bay Bikes
DNF Robert Leeds (AB) Cyclemeisters/ Bow Cycle
DNF Ryan Ingham (BC) VC Riomois
DNS Seamus McGrath (BC) Felt
DNF Steve Martins (AB) Hardcore
DNF Darren Lightfield. Tamarack Resort
DNF Sebastien Tremblay (QC) Specialized
DNF Jonathan Nutbrown (AB) Ridley’s Cycle/Devinci
DNF Adam Morka (ON) Urban Atlete/Sport Swap
DNF Cameron Jette (ON) The Epic Ride, HB Cycling Club
DNF Christopher Parrish (WA) WWU Cycling
DQ Max Plaxton (BC) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects
DNS Matt Martindill (BC) Cove factory racing
DNS Brendan MacIntosh (BC) Trek/Riders Cycles/Kenda/LX