July 18, 2008 (Mont Ste-Anne, Que.) – The Canadian National MTB XC Championships take place tomorrow at Mont Ste-Anne, Que., where the country’s top riders will battle for the honour of wearing the prestigious maple leaf jersey for a year.

Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain and Geoff Kabush (BC) Maxxis are the perennial favourites to defend their long-standing elite women’s and men’s reigns, but other Canucks have delivered strong and consistent rides this season, and they should not be discounted. For the U23 women’s title, Emily Batty (ON) Trek Store is expected to add another to her string of National titles, while Canada Cup series winner Raphaël Gagné (QC) Rocky Mountain is a safe bet in the U23 men’s race.

In the junior men’s ranks, a new champion is guaranteed, while Andréanne Pichette (QC) Equipe du Quebec will expect some tough competition in her bid to repeat as junior women’s National Champion.

If anyone should be making Prémont nervous, it’s fellow Olympic Team member Catharine Pendrel (BC) Luna Women’s Team, who has been breathing down the current World Cup leader’s neck all season. Pendrel has yet to best Prémont, but there’s a first time for everything. Other elite women’s podium threats include Kiara Bisaro (BC) Opus, Mical Dyck (AB) Trek-VW/Terrascape, Wendy Simms (BC) Kona, Amanda Sin (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing, and Sandra Walter (BC) X.O-Felt Women’s MTB Team. The elite women will complete five laps, the first of which is a slightly modified lap.

Most of the top elite men will be on hand to put pressure on Kabush, including Mathieu Toulouse (QC) Maxxis, who is coming off a recent NMBS win. Derek Zandstra (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing and Max Plaxton (BC) Rocky Mountain are among the favourites as well. Olympic Team rider, Seamus McGrath (BC) Fuji is sitting out Nationals in order to better prepare for Beijing. The elite men will race six laps with the modification on the first.

Gagné’s biggest U23 men’s rivals will likely be Adam Morka (ON) Scott-3 Rox, Francis Morin (QC) Specialized Julien Fillon (QC) Fillon-VM, while Marie-Claude Surprenant (QC) Sportif Bromont and Mikaela Kofman (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing are expected to be Batty’s closest chasers in the U23 women’s field. The U23 men will race five laps, and the U23 women’s race will consist of four laps.

Canada Cup series winner Tyler Allison (BC) Team BC, and World Championships team members Evan Guthrie (BC) Team BC, Tyson Wagler (ON), and Jonathan Boucher (QC) are all expected to be in the junior men’s mix, while on the junior women’s side, Canada Cup series champ Rebecca Beaumont (QC) Cyclone d’Alma, and Worlds team members Bianca Adolf (BC) Team BC/Natural Earth and Leah Kirchmann (MB) Alter Ego will face off with Pichette. The junior men will race four laps, and the junior women will complete three laps.

There are a few slight course changes from past editions of the Nationals and World Cups here at Mont Ste-Anne. Most of the revisions come in the second half of the 5.1km course, which follows a similar route to the “old” versions, but include some new technical twisty bits. The steep initial climb and rocky, rooty descent are still major fixtures of the course, along with the switchback climb mid-lap, and other exciting technical passages.

The course conditions are slightly greasy from rain showers over the past two days, with more showers in the forecast for this evening, and possibly on race day. The clouds and slight breeze are keeping the mugginess at bay, and temperatures are expected to peak in the mid-20’s tomorrow.

Start lists here.

Schedule
Saturday, July 19
– 9:00 a.m. – Junior/U17 Men and Women
– 11:45 a.m. – Elite/U23 Women
– 2:30 p.m. – Elite/U23 Men

Sunday, July 20
– 11:45 a.m. – Master 30-39 Men; Master 40-49 Men; Master 50+ Men; Master
30-39 Women; Master 40+ Women