July 19, 2008 (Mont Ste-Anne, Que.) – The Elite/U23 Women’s MTB XC National race is next up at Mont Ste-Anne and they’ll complete 5 laps of the 5.1km course. There are 23 Elite Women and six U23 women on the start line who will complete 4 laps… and the women are off.

Lap 1
Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain has a 15-sec lead on Catharine Pendrel (BC) Luna Women’s MTB Team as the women are on lap 1 of five.

Lap 2
Pendrel has taken over the lead and has a minute on Prémont with Wendy Simms (BC) Kona on her wheel in 3rd followed by Amanda Sin (ON) 3 Rocks in 4th at 15 sec. with Kiara Bisaro (BC) Opus in 5th at 15 sec. Another 45 seconds back is Sandra Walter (BC) XO Felt in 6th together with Mical Dyck (AB) Trek/Terrascape in 7th.

Emily Batty (ON) Trek Store Toronto is leading the U23 Women’s race… no word yet on who’s in second.

Lap 3
As they start the climb on lap 3 Pendrel has a 1:05 lead on Prémont with Simms at 15 sec. in 3rd. Sin hold on to 4th at 45 sec. with Bisaro another minute back in 5th. Dyck is in 6th a minute behind Bisaro with Walter in 7th another 15 seconds back. Jean Ann McKirdy (BC) Rocky is in 8th, Caroline Villeneuve (QC) is in 9th, and Catherine Vipond (ON) is in 10th.

Batty has a 1:30 lead over Marie-Claude Surprenant (QC) Sportif Bromont in the U23 Women’s race.

Lap 4 – U23 Final
As the riders begin the first climb on lap 4 Pendrel’s lead has dropped to about 20 sec. as Prémont has picked up the pace. The gap to Simms in 3rd is 2:40 with Sin in 4th at another 45 sec. while Bisaro is 2:40 behind in 5th. Dyck is 6th, Walter is 7th and U23 leader Batty is 8th with Villeneuve taking over 9th, McKirdy is 10th, Karine Travaillaud (QC) is 11th and Surprenant is second in the U23 race and 12th overall. Batty wins the U23 title.

Lap 5 Final
Pr̩mont has caught Pendrel on the last lap Рthe duo have a substantial lead on the rest of the field so the race for the 2008 title is between them. Pr̩mont takes the win over Pendrel by 5 seconds.

Full results pdf here.

Results

U23 Women

1. Emily Batty (ON) Trek Bicycle Store Team 1:28:40
2. Marie-Claude Surprenant (QC) Sportif Bromont 4:44
3. Mikaela Koffman (ON) 3 Rox Racing 9:39
4. Andrea Bunnin (SK) Team Saskatchewan/Kona 20:04
5. Kaitlin Michener (ON) Team Ontario 39:39
DNF Justine Guay-Langevin (QC) Acidose Lactique

Elite Women

1. Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain 1:42:12
2. Catharine Pendrel (NB) Luna MTB Women’s Team 0:06
3. Wendy Simms (BC) KONA 4:10
4. Amanda Sin (ON) 3 Rox Racing 5:42
5. Kiara Bisaro (BC) Independant-VM 10:20
6. Mical Dyck (AB) Terrascape/Trek 11:47
7. Caroline Villeneuve (QC) Opus/OGC 14:48
8. Sandra Walter (BC) X.O-Felt Women’s MTB Team 16:07
9. Jean Ann McKirdy (Can) Rocky Mountain 17:04
10. Karine Travaillaud (QC) Specialized 19:49
11. Josiane Mathieu (QC) Demers-Specialized 22:59
12. Marie Allaire (QC) Xprezo 23:29
13. Catherine Vipond (ON) Norco Evo 27:23
14. Kathleen Villeneuve (QC) La Cordee Plein Air 27:45

1 Lap Behind

15. Cindy Montambault (QC) Accro Velo Val-dOr
16. Veronique Fournier (QC) Independant-VM
17. Sue Haviland (BC) Norco Evolution Team
18. Mandy Dreyer (ON) Freewheel Cycle
19. Chantal Rochefort (QC) Marin Bikes
20. Sophie Garant (QC) CVM Subway-Genetik
DNF Anne-Marie Jobin (Can) Xcluziv
DNF Erica Musyj (SK) BCW/Team Sask
DNF Julie Sanders (Can) Xprezo