February 2, 2004 – Hardwood Hills is pleased to announce that Gears Racing Institute (GRI) is continuing its support for the Gears Racing Canada Cup.

Gears Racing have been the Title Sponsor since 2001 and are credited for keeping the race's UCI International E Status alive. “International points are crucial to keep Canada competitive on the world scene of mountain-bike racing and qualifying athletes for the Olympics,” explains race director Glenn Meeuwisse. “E Status races also require a significant cash prize purse and we can thank Gears Racing for allowing us to meet those requirements.”

Hardwood Hills has hosted a Canada Cup mountain-bike race annually since 1996, including the National Championships in 1997. Each year, these events have seen the largest number of  cross-country riders.

As Canada's largest development team in the sport of mountain biking, Gears Racing Institute takes the objective of matching seasoned and experienced athletes with promising up-and-coming future stars on the racing scene through a mentoring program.  GRI is committed to nurturing Canada's junior athletes in the formative stages of their careers as they develop into professional athletes.

As part of the recognition of the success of this development concept, GRI is very pleased to note that thirteen of its athletes have been selected by the Canadian Cycling Association to represent Canada on the Canadian National Team for 2004. Gears Racing has the largest representation of athletes on the Canadian National Team.

The Gears Racing Institute is a specialist, non-profit foundation created to identify and develop world-class competitive mountain bikers for Canada. For more information on the team, visit www.gearsracing.com

For more information on the Gears Racing Canada Cup see www.hardwoodhills.ca or www.gearsracing.com