June 11, 2018 (Horseshoe Valley, Ont.) – This past weekend’s CRCS Canada Cup, the first of two stops in Oro-Medonte finishing with the Hardwood Canada Cup next weekend June 16-17, was enjoyed under sunny skies and the riding was as perfect as the weather!

More lung-busting climbs made up for a slightly shorter than normal course that was spectator-friendly and awesome for fans who watched riders zig zag all over Horseshoe Resort which keeps getting better, while working around continued construction. This year Horseshoe featured a gorgeous swimming lake opposite the Feed Zone!

As the racing got underway everyone was looking to the locals to take home some of the top results. With Peter Disera (Norco Factory XC) coming off three back-to-back wins here in previous years, the expectations on this Horseshoe resident were palpable. However, a mere six pedal strokes into the start, Disera broke his chain, having to run the 100m to the Tech Zone to get repairs. In spite of the setback, he recovered and passed most of the field to claim 5th the final spot on the podium. Third place went to his brother and teammate, Quinton. Andrew L’Esperance of Forward Racing-Norco had a great race finishing second at just over a minute behind Olympian Raphael Gagne (QC) Silverback OMX Pro Team, the 2018 Horseshoe Canada Cup Elite Men’s champ!

The Elite Women’s race featured few surprises, with Cindy Montambault of Equipe de Quebec taking third. Local phenom Jenn Jackson of AWI Racing tried her best to hold the wheel of Haley Smith (Norco), but in the end settled for second behind the recently crowned Commonwealth Games gold medallist out of Uxbridge. The Junior Expert races were won by Charles St. Onge of Equipe de Quebec, and Roxanne Vermette of cc Mont St. Anne. In fact, the top 5 in the Junior Expert female field were all racers from La Belle Province!

The Ontario Cup categories featured a different course, but certainly the most challenging on the Ontario Cup circuit. The next stop on the Ontario Cup circuit is Sir Sam’s Ski and Ride on July 8, while the Canada Cup continues this coming weekend, June 17, at Hardwood Ski and Bike.

Special thanks to Horseshoe Resort, our title sponsor CRCS, all our employees, volunteers and Odyssey Medical for stepping up to ensure a safe and fun ride for all our athletes! Thanks also to all our Ontarian/American Commissaires for ensuring a smooth running event.

Full results here.