July 18, 2013 (Barrie, ON) – Léandre Bouchard of Alma, QC (Équipe du Québec-Cyclones d’Alma) and Jean-Ann Berkenpas of Valemount, BC (XPREZO-Borsao) are Canada’s first ever Cross Country Eliminator Champions!
Bouchard and Berkenpas both took the first Canadian titles for the brand new cross country mountain bike discipline, which consists of an elimination-type format, with the top two of each heat moving on to the next rounds until the gold medal race.
In the men’s race, Leandre Bouchard rode to the gold medal in an exciting race, edging at the finish line junior rider Peter Disera of Barrie, ON (Team Ontario/CSAJCC p/b Norco LG) and Mitch Bailey, also of Barrie, ON (Trek Canada Mountain Bike), second and third respectively.
“It’s always a pride to wear the red and white colors. I have a lot of speed in me right now, and I’ll be ready to apply this speed to the cross-country race on Saturday. There are some very good riders in the U23 category in Canada, and that’s what this race has demonstrated,” said Bouchard, beaming of joy after crossing the finish line.
“The race [eliminator] is much shorter. It happens very quickly, hence the start is very important. Sometimes there are strategies to apply. With high speeds, the slightest mistake can be very costly, so you constantly have to be very careful.”
Jean-Ann Berkenpas took the women’s title, winning the ultimate race in front of Andreane Pichette of Québec, QC (Opus-OCG) in second place and Cindy Montambeault of Val David, QC (CVM 2 Vals) in third place.
“I am thrilled about this win. I had good luck with the heats with attacking in the start, and getting a small gap in the first section entering the technical forest. In the final, my plan didn’t quite work out as I entered third in the forest. After that, I just had to pass. I was lucky to have that opportunity in the BMX features, and after that I just went as hard as I could, and managed to hold them off,” said Berkenpas, who was taking part in her first ever eliminator race.
“The eliminator is a very spectator-friendly event, focussing on speed and action. There are usually some technical features, but it really favours the rider who is powerful and can sprint well. It’s quite different from the cross country which would normally favour a better climber, with endurance who will be strong at the end of the race. This race suits me very well, and it’s a very fun event to participate in.”
The crowd-pleasing race was held on a short 1-km course. Earlier in the day, riders qualified for the elimination heats in a time-trial format to determine the final seeding.
The fast-paced race is organized for the first time on the UCI World Cup as a full event.
Tomorrow, the riders will enjoy a day of training before Super Saturday, where all cross country Canadian mountain bike event. The event annually attracts some of the country’s best mountain bikers challenging for the Red and White Jersey awarded to the Canadian Champions. Organized by the Pulse Racing Club at the Hardwood Ski and Bike Resort near Barrie, ON, the event is governed by the Cycling Canada, a member of the International Cycling Union (UCI).
The 2013 Canadian Cross-Country Mountain Bike Championships is made possible thanks to the close collaboration between the Cycling Canada, the Ontario Cycling Association, and the Pulse Racing club. The event will be held from July 17th to 21th and showcases racing in junior and elite categories.
Full results here.