July 25, 2008 (Mont Ste-Anne, Que.) – The first of two of Canada’s triple World Cup events launches tomorrow at Mont Ste-Anne, Que., starting with the DH and 4X competitions, while the elite XC races take place on Sunday. The summer in Beaupre, 30km from Quebec City, has been unseasonably cool and wet, with rain showers hitting the area everyday for the past 10 days. Last weekend, the Canadian National MTB Championships were held here in rather slick conditions, but things have gotten sketchier still on all three courses, and the weather forecast still includes a chance of showers for the whole weekend. Stay tuned for some action-packed, world-class racing, as the world’s top riders descend upon Mont Ste-Anne and push the limits of bikes, bodies and trails.

DH/4X
Downhill World Cup racing has once again returned to the only venue to host a world cup DH every year since the World Cup was conceived. This year’s course has a few changes from years past, as it makes its way around massive mud bogs and holes that have formed from almost six weeks of constant rain. The usually flat out, rocky, course has been transformed into a huge, brown Slip’n Slide.

World Champion Gee Atherton (Gbr) Animal-Commencal has this to say about the track: “The course is not like Mont Ste-Anne, it’s not like anything we have ridden in the past few years. I expected the fast Mont Ste-Anne, but it’s nothing but thick mud all the way down.”

Favourites on this course are the usual suspects. Last year’s winner Sam Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Iron Horse, Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate and Steve Peat (Gbr) Santa Cruz Syndicate for the men, among others. For the women Rachel Atherton (Gbr) Animal-Commencal has to be the odds on favourite, with Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Maxxis-Iron Horse close behind. Florian Pugin (Fra) Playbiker-Iron Horse and Emmeline Ragot (Fra) are likely podium possibilities as well.

Holding down the fort for the Canadians, Steve Smith (BC) Cove Bikes-Redbull is coming off of a knee injury sustained in Fort William, but he is having his best ever results-wise, and he is looking fantastic in the slop. Jamie Biluk (BC) Mojo-Orange and Andrew Mitchell (BC) Cove Bikes are also expected to do well. DH Racer rider Charles Alexandre Dube (QC) DH Racer is a local to Mont Ste-Anne, and loves to ride the mud.

For the women, expect to see Claire Buchar (BC) Intense and Micayla Gatto (BC) Commencal-Oakley in the top-15 come race day.

Qualifying starts at 11:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, with finals beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST.

The 4X qualifiers, which were scheduled for tonight, have been cancelled, because of the havoc that the torrential showers of late have wreaked on the track. The qualifiers are now rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon, preceding the evening’s finals. – FB

XC
Although most of the XC course remains the same as last weekend’s MTB Nationals course, it has been extended from 5.1km to over 6km in length. The main additions come at the start and end of the lap, with an added technical loop at the top of the first climb and an extra steep chute and switchback climb near the end. Though it is still rideable, the roots have become slipperier and mud has built up in sections.

Many of the top pros will be on hand to ensure an exciting show for spectators. The women’s field of 46 riders, naturally includes World Cup leader and Quebec’s sweetheart Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Multivan-Merida, Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women’s MTB Team, Tereza Hurikova (Cze), and Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda-Seven will be hunting for the podium as well, along with Canada’s latest superstar, Catharine Pendrel (BC) Luna Women’s MTB Team, who came a close second to Prémont at last weekend’s MTB Nationals. Nineteen Canadian women will be competing.

Defending Olympic Champion Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea, top espoir Burry Stander (RSA) G.T., Jose Antonio Hermida (Spa) Multivan-Merida, and Adam Craig (USA) Giant are among the most threatening international competitors, while Geoff Kabush (BC) Maxxis, Seamus McGrath (BC) Fuji, and Derek Zandstra (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing will lead the large Canadian contingent – of the 74 riders on the start list, 22 are Canadians.

The elite women will start at 11:00 am EST on Sunday, and likely do five laps, while the elite men start at 2:00 pm EST, and will complete six laps. – SW