August 24, 2009 (Coquitlam, BC) – The deadline for elite, U23 and junior riders interested in joining the Canadian Privateer Project presented by Pedal Magazine at September’s two final 2009 UCI MTB World Cups in Europe is this Wednesday, August 26.

All riders who would like the chance to race World Cup #7 in Champéry, Switzerland and World Cup #8 in Schladming, Austria are asked to email their expression of interest along with a brief racing résumé by 3:00 p.m. EST on August 26 to Canadian Privateer Project organizer, veteran World Cup racer, and experienced European traveler, Sandra Walter at sandra@sandrawalter.ca.

Walter has stepped up, along with Pedal Magazine, to help more riders get the opportunity to race in Europe. She is pooling resources, her extensive experience, local knowledge, fluency in German, and management skills to organize a cost-effective, hassle-free, and fun trip – the inaugural Canadian Privateer Project presented by Pedal, September 9-21.

According to National Mountain Bike Coach Dan Proulx, our best riders need more experience racing in Europe. “The CCA supports a National Team project that attends each World Cup, but we still need to get more Canadians racing over there,” said Proulx. “Canadian racers have to be exposed to the highest level of racing to become more competitive on the world stage.” Walter’s initiative mirrors the lead of many European and Australian domestic teams who follow the World Cup circuit throughout the year in order to expose future National team riders to a higher level of competition.

“I’ve raced in both Champéry and Schladming before,” said Walter. “I speak the language, and I have lots of experience with getting around and competing in the area. I know where to go for the best deals, so we can make this trip as easy on our pocketbooks as possible, but we can also be sure we’re getting everything we need in order to have our best performances.”

Depending on the number of participants, the package will cost between $1,500 and $2,000. The package will include ground transportation, logistics, race support, and accommodations. Riders will be responsible for paying their own flights, race entries, food, and incidentals in addition to the package price.

Interested riders are free to contact Walter with questions or for more details. The program is open to Elite, U23 and Junior competitors.

Details
Package will cost between $1,500 and $2,000 (depending on # of participants).

Includes:
– 12 night’s accommodation
– Airport pick-up at ZRH on Wednesday, September 9 and drop-off on Monday, September 21
– Transportation, van rental and fuel for 12 days
– Race day feeder/tech support
– Coaching/Management
– Local knowledge and logistics by experienced European traveler and World Cup racer Sandra Walter

– Post-race team dinner in Schladming on September 19, courtesy of Pedal Magazine

– A stylish Pedal T-shirt

– Prizes from Pedal Magazine for the winners of Canadian Privateer Project contests

Riders will be responsible for:
– Flights
– Food costs
– Race entries
– Travel insurance
– Incidentals

About Sandra Walter
Sandra Walter is a veteran World Cup racer and long time journalist for Pedal Magazine who has participated in many National Team projects, including World Championships in 1998, 2002, and 2003, and more recently the European World Cups last spring. She lived and raced in Europe for three seasons and is fluent in German. Like all competitors, she continues to chase the dream and is as focused on her cycling career as ever.

For the 2009 season, she helped establish the Local Ride Elite Women’s MTB Team (www.3fastwomen.blogspot.com) and has competed in Canada Cups, U.S. Cups, and World Cups. She plays a large role on the team, simultaneously wearing the hats of racer, manager, media contact, and all-round organizer. She enjoys the challenging and time-consuming job of making travel arrangements, drawing on her vast experience to find the best deals. Her travel companions are always glad to leave the logistics to her, while they sit back and enjoy the trip! She is excited for this chance to take the lead yet again and help riders with less experience get their feet wet on the World Cup stage in Europe.