May 23, 2009 (Madrid, Spain) – Welcome to Madrid, the capital of Spain! Boasting 1,800 hectares, the “Casa de Campo” has become a haven for the population of Madrid. Created in 1560, it became a public park in 1931, and today, thanks to its close vicinity to the capital city, it’s an extremely popular spot for rest and entertainment.

The Mountain Bike World Cup race will be organized by Last Lap, which has been involved in more World Cup events than any other European organizer. In 1995, Last Lap organized its first XCO World Cup Race at the “Casa de Campo” in Madrid, attracting 60,000 spectators.

As there are no mountain ranges near the centre of Madrid, the climbing on this course will be made up of numerous short sharp ascents. The 7km course will naturally be fast, but also technically challenging. One of the few major European capitals that have not yet hosted the Summer Olympics, Madrid is officially bidding for 2016 Games.

Representing Canada are Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), Catharine Pendrel (Luna Women’s MTB Team) and Marie-Hélène Prémont (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain). The women begin 10am local time (4am EST) on Sunday and the men’s start is at 12:30pm local time (6:30am EST).-ed

Men’s start list here.
Women’s start list here.
Freecaster Live Webcast begins at 4am EST here.