June 23, 2006 — This weekend Mont Ste-Anne, Que. celebrates 15 years of hosting a UCI MTB World Cup. Canada’s showcase competitive mountain biking event at Mont Ste-Anne (MSA) is part of the three-weekend Velirium cycling festival. The world’s top mountain bikers in cross country, downhill and four-cross will descend upon the Quebec alpine resort’s challenging trail network and go head-to-head in the chase for the blue World Cup leader’s jersey. This is the only North American stop for the World Cup this year, making it a vital event for the best Canadian and U.S. riders.

Cross country
All eyes will be on Canada’s Marie-Hélène Prémont (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), who is in third spot overall in the World Cup series, as she aims to repeat her winning performance from last year on her home course. She’s vanquished the series leader — powerful Norwegian Gunn-Rita Dahle (NOR, Multivan-Merida) — before and she can do it again.

Sabine Spitz (GER, Specialized), currently second overall, is also on the women’s start list, which consists of 86 women, 24 of whom are Canadians. Alison Sydor (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), Kiara Bisaro (CAN, Team R.A.C.E.), Wendy Simms (CAN, Kona-Velo Bella), Catharine Pendrel (CAN, Norco) and Mical Dyck (CAN, Terrascape) will be among the ones to watch as the start pistol fires at 11:00 a.m. EST Sunday.

In the men’s race, Canadian fans will be looking for big things from Geoff Kabush (CAN, Maxxis), who placed third at the MSA event last year in his first-ever World Cup medal performance, which he bested the following weekend when he placed second at the World Cup in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Kabush is in good form with some strong performances in NORBA series races this season. Now he just has to out-pedal the 130 other men who will start at 2:00 p.m. EST.

The top 20 of the series standings are on the start list, including numbers one, two and three: Julien Absalon (FRA, Bianchi-Agos), Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (ESP, Multivan-Merida) and Bart Brentjens (NED, Giant).

Of the 42 Canadians registered, Seamus McGrath (CAN, Felt) is ranked highest in 22nd after he finished ninth in the first World Cup of the season in Curacao. Other Canucks who will be powering around the course are: Max Plaxton (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), Ricky Federau (CAN, Team R.A.C.E.), Raphael Gagne (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), Andrew Watson (CAN, Team R.A.C.E.), Neal Kindree (CAN, Kona-Les Gets) and Marty Lazarski (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects).

This year’s rolling five-kilometre course is the same as last year’s, with a significant climb at the start, which includes a steep pitch. Racers will be sent on a fast, wide start loop to spread things out, so things don’t bunch up too much when they hit the first descent. The descents and singletrack are rocky, rooty and technically challenging for riders and exciting to watch for spectators. Riders are expected to complete the same number of laps as last year: six laps for the men and five for the women. The weather forecast looks ideal, calling for a mixture of sun and cloud with temperatures in the mid 20’s.

Downhill/Four-cross
The heart-pounding World Cup downhill is first on the agenda this weekend, with the final taking place on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. EST. The 3.2-kilometre course starts at the top of the mountain and drops over 600 vertical metres. The route will challenge the world’s top racers with rocks, roots, drops, berms and pedaling sections as they race against the clock.

Thirty-six daredevil women will vie for the win tomorrow afternoon, including the top three overall: Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Iron Horse), Tracy Moseley (GBR, Kona-Les Gets) and Rachel Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant). Over 25 percent of the field consists of Canadian racers, including top-ranked Danika Schroeter (CAN, Team Cove Bikes), Claire Buchar (CAN, Specialized-RockShox) and defending National Champ Adrienne Millar (BC, Devinci-Daredevil).

Greg Minnaar (RSA, G-Cross-Honda), Samuel Hill (AUS, Monster-Iron Horse-Mad Catz) and Nathan Rennie (AUS, Santa Cruz Syndicate) are the top three overall in the World Cup and among the 165 racers that will test their mettle on the slopes of Mont Ste-Anne. A contingent of 38 Canadian men is registered, including Canada Cup leader Luke Kitzanuk (CAN, Giant), National Champion Tyler Morland (CAN, Team Cove Bikes) and Eric Goss (CAN, Giant). Andrew Mitchell (CAN, Team Cove Bikes), who placed 10th at the NORBA #3 downhill in Vermont last weekend, will also be ripping up the track on Saturday.

The #1 crowd-pleaser, the World Cup four-cross, takes place Saturday evening in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The racers will use all their skills and cunning to catch the holeshot and keep it, as they fly around berms, off drops and over gaps to arrive first at the finish. Four-cross specialists Michal Prokop (CZE, Author), Brian Lopes (USA, G.T.-Oakley) and Roger Rinderknecht (SUI, G.T.) are some of the favourites, who will likely bump elbows in the final, which starts at 7:00 p.m. EST. Nine Canadian men will hit up the four-cross course tonight with the hopes of qualifying for tomorrow evening’s spectacle. Canuck riders include Derek Cowell (CAN, Norco), Charles-Alexandre Dube (CAN, DHracer.com) and Kitzanuk.

In the women’s competition, only 12 riders are registered, none of whom are Canadian. However, all the top contenders are on the start list, including series leader Jill Kintner (USA, G.T.), Anneke Beerten (NED, Specialized), Katrina Miller (AUS, Jamis) and Tara Llanes (USA, Giant-Pearl Izumi).