April 8, 2005 – The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has chosen Crabtree BMX Club to host a leg of the World Cup in July 2005. The staging of the World Cup, the third in the history of Canada and the first in Eastern Canada, makes Crabtree one stop of the 2007 pre-Olympic qualifications that is not to be missed.

The decision of the UCI can be attributed to the quality of the site and the involvement of the citizens and businesses of Crabtree and region of Lanaudière, who are concerned about promoting the talent of young athletes and ensuring visibility for them at the international level.

This stage of the World Cup in Lanaudière will take place July 9th and 10th, and the Deputies Jonathan Valois and Pierre Paquette, as well as the municipalities of Crabtree and St-Charles-Borromée, have already confirmed their support for the project.

The Crabtree BMX Club, which has been growing steadily for the past 12 years, has made a place for itself among the most important sites in the country, and since 1999 has contributed to races of national calibre, such as the Canadian Championship and the Eastern Canadian Finals.

The club’s professionalism and the success of its events have permitted hundreds of young people to develop their athletic abilities while entertaining thousands of spectators, and have convinced several of our important partners to support our project.

In light of the announcement of the CIO to include BMX racing as an official event of the 2008 Olympic Games in Peking, the staging of a World Cup in Lanaudière and the support of the UCI are of cardinal importance. In effect, it can be said that an event of this calibre generates not only a significant economic impact, but above all, offers visibility without precedent for the whole of the area.

The competition is indicative of the quality of the existing athletes, rather than the number. This type of international competition is reserved exclusively for Junior and Elite category athletes, male and female. The leg taking place at Crabtree is sure to spark interest among these riders since it also serves as the qualifications for the Canadian and American national teams.

The program will also include competitions for amateurs. Although they will be held within the framework of the World Cup, they will not be included in the World Cup rankings.

Furthermore, in order to promote these activities, Mélanie Desrochers, quadruple Canadian Champion and Olympic hopeful will be the spokesperson for Crabtree.

The Crabtree BMX Club is searching for partners to ensure the development of the national track and the realization of this BMX World Cup weekend. With the support we are hoping for, the necessary improvements may be made to the site in order to maintain its international standing, which is essential to its success.

Our sale of promotional publicity panels surrounding the competition track begins today. Panels measuring 3’ x 4’ and 4’ x 8’ are available to our sponsors at the cost of 250$ and 500$.

The organizing committee will be holding a Casino Night fundraiser on May 6th, sponsored in part by Deputy Pierre Paquette. Tickets will go on sale within the next few days at a cost of 35$ per person, or 50$ for access to the VIP tables. Game tables may also be reserved for businesses desiring to do so. It is also possible to sponsor a table at a cost of 100$.

We invite you to join our team of hard-working volunteers in getting the 2005 World Cup project up and running.

For more information on the Club’s activities or for details concerning your possible involvement, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the committee in Montréal at (514) 933-6377 / or in Joliette at (450) 759-9260 or visit our website at www.jaggerco.com, Crabtree BMX Section.