July 6, 2008 (Canmore, AB) – The Canada Cup returned to Canmore, Alberta’s “historic” Ziggy Gnarly course yesterday for the fifth and final XC event of the series. The 8.3km loop is famous among racers, with its Coal Chutes, amazing Rocky Mountain backdrop and great trails. Tim Heemskerk (AB) United Cycle Team won the Elite Men’s race, while Raphaël Gagné (QC) Rocky Mountain took the overall title. In the Elite Women’s race, it was Mical Dyck (AB) Trek/VW-Terrascape who grabbed another victory on her home course. Bianca Adolf (BC) Team BC/Natural Earth Racing was first in the Junior Women’s race, while Evan Guthrie (BC) Total Restoration/Team BC beat out the rest of the Junior Men’s field.

At the end of the first lap of four, Heemskerk rode through solo with a one-minute lead over a chase group containing Stefan Widmer (BC) Rocky Mountain/K-Capital Source, Martin Lazarski (ON) Rocky Mountain/K-Capital Source, Matt Hadley (NB) Xprezo and Gagné. When Heemskerk came around again for the start of his third lap, he still held a minute lead, but his main group of pursuers had diminished to three: Lazarski, Widmer and Gagné. Hadley still held on to the top five at two minutes from the leader. For the last half of the race, Heemskerk kicked it up another notch, expanding his advantage to two minutes. In the end, Lazarski managed to make up some time, finishing 45s down from the winner, Heemskerk, and a minute ahead of third place, Widmer. Gagné finished fourth, followed by Hadley in fifth.

Dyck didn’t have quite as easy a time of shedding her competition in the women’s race, as a tenacious Melanie McQuaid (BC) Natures Path-BMC hovered within a minute for most of the race. After the first lap, McQuaid chased at 30s, but by the beginning of the final lap, she had dropped to 45s. In the last lap, Dyck put the hammer down, rolling in to finish two minutes ahead of McQuaid, who finished second, and 2:53 in front of Jean Ann McKirdy (BC), who took third place.

In the two-lap Junior Women’s race, Bianca Adolf (BC) Team BC/Natural Earth Racing took a decisive victory, finishing 3:23 ahead of second place, Rebecca Beaumont (QC) Équipe du Québec/Cyclone d’Alma, and 5:56 faster than third place, Stéphanie Lacoursière (QC) Cyclone/Équipe du Quebec.

Evan Guthrie (BC) Total Restoration/Team BC won an exciting 24.9km Junior Men’s race, when he outsprinted second place, Nicolas Tremblay (QC) Équipe du Québec/Charlevoix, by a mere second. American Eric Emsky (WA) Rad Racing NW took third place.

Results

Junior Women – 16.6km

1. Bianca Adolf (BC) Team BC/Natural Earth Racing 1:09:28
2. Rebecca Beaumont (QC) Équipe du Québec/Cyclone d’Alma 3:23
3. Stéphanie Lacoursière (QC) Cyclone/Équipe du Quebec 5:56
4. Lauren Lankester (AB) Bicisport 11:20
5. Andréanne Pichette (QC) Équipe du Québec-Opus/OGC 13:42
6. Kendra Middleton (AB) Juventus 23:06
DNF Samantha Grover (AB) Team Alberta
DNF Kelly Hall (AB) Team Alberta
DNF Cassandre Olivier-Lapierre (QC) Équipe du Québec/Subway Genetik

Junior Expert Men – 24.9km

1. Evan Guthrie (BC) Total Restoration/Team BC 1:26:36
2. Nicolas Tremblay (QC) Équipe du Québec/Charlevoix 0:01
3. Eric Emsky (WA) Rad Racing NW 3:09
4. Justin Middleton (AB) Alberta/Juventus/Kona/RVC 7:32
5. Patrick Chartrand (QC) CVM Val-David/Equipe QC 9:03
6. Simon Lalancette (QC) Equipe du Quebec/Devinci 10:54
7. Philip Cairns (BC) Team Squamish 14:07
8. James Winter (SK) Team Saskatchewan 17:06
9. Steve Caillé (QC) Équipe du Québec/Opus-OGC 19:37
10. Karl Harasyn (SK) Team Saskatchewan 26:26
11. David Todd (AB) Juventus 31:41
12. Connor Witzke (AB) Juventus 35:14
13. Adrian Orynik (SK) Team Saskatchewan 35:42
DNF Stephen Cooley (SK) Team Saskatchewan
DNF Mathew Dahl (AB) Cyclemeisters

Elite Women – 24.9km

1. Mical Dyck (AB) Trek-VW/Terrascape 1:36:57
2. Melanie Mcquaid (BC) Natures Path-BMC 2:00
3. Jean Ann McKirdy (BC) Rocky Mountain Bikes 2:53
4. Joanna Harrington (BC) Fineline Ride Shop, Whistler 6:13
5. Catherine Vipond (ON) Norco Evolution Team 7:00
6. Danelle Kabush (AB) Luna Women’s MTB Team 8:34
7. Marie-Claude Surprenant (QC) Équipe du Quebec/Sportif Bromont 16:19
8. Andrea Bunnin (SK) Spoke’n Sport/Kona 17:07
9. Pepper Harlton (AB) Juventus 17:45
10. Lisa Morgan (NZl) PNP Cycling Club 19:41
11. Mandy Dreyer (ON) Freewheel Cycle 21:35
12. Joele Guynup (BC) Island Racing Club 22:25
13. Erica Musyj (SK) BCW 24:19
14. Krystyn Ong (AB) Juventus 25:05
15. Margie Smith (AB) Wilson Mountain Sports 27:22

Elite Men – 33.2km

1. Tim Heemskerk (AB) United Cycle Team. 1:48:23
2. Martin Lazarski (BC) Rocky Mountain/K-Capital Source 0:45
3. Stefan Widmer (BC) Rocky Mountain/K-Capitol Source 1:45
4. Raphaël Gagné (QC) Rocky Mountain 2:07
5. Matthew Hadley (NB) Xprezo 4:23
6. Julien Fillion (QC) Équipe du Québec/Fillion-VM 4:37
7. Craig Richey (BC) Oak Bay Bikes 5:21
8. Colin Kerr (BC) Different Bikes 6:14
9. Francis Morin (QC) Specialized/Team Quebec 8:07
10. Steve Gaffney (AB) Independant 9:07
11. Daniel Sessford (YK) Blue Competition Cycles 9:41
12. Matt Green (BC) Rocky Mountain/K-Capital Source 10:34
13. Mark Fenner (AB) SCUM 12:15
14. Andre Sutton (AB) Hardcore Cycling Club 12:42
15. John Gray (NZL) Rotorua MTB 12:50
16. Andrew Thomas (SK) Team Saskatchewan/ERTC 13:40
17. Brian Bain (AB) Cyclemeisters/Bow Cycle 14:04
18. Cody Canning (AB) ERTC/Revolution Cycle 14:30
19. Cameron Jette (ON) Team Trek Store 16:00
20. Dallas Morris (AB) Team H&R Block 16:17
21. Manuel Fehlmann (BC) Balance Point Racing Team 17:08
22. Kyle Douglas (ON) 3 Rox Racing 17:56
23. Thomas Skinner (BC) Rocky Mountain/K-Capital Source 18:26
24. Ryan Atkins (ON) Ironwood Racing 18:35
25. Simon Tremblay (BC) Giant/Summit Cycles 19:20
26. Aroussen Laflamme (QC) Webcor-Alto-Velo-Kona Endurance 21:01
27. Cory Zetterstrom (SK) BCW 22:55
28. Cameron McKnight (AB) ERTC-Revolution Cycle 26:09
29. Shawn Bunnin (AB) Bicisport 26:19
30. Mike Bidniak (AB) Team Alberta 29:38
DNF Michael Mitchnick (ON) Team Trek Store
DNF Frederic Bussieres (QC) Xprezo/Aviawest
DNF Duncan Gavin (BC) Different Bikes
DNF Drew Mackenzie (BC) IRC p/b Cameron Law
DNF Brad Tilby (BC) Star and Garter Wheelers

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