May 3, 2008 (Madrid, Spain) — It’s currently overcast, but pleasant (temps in the mid-20s) here in Madrid as the world’s top MTB XC racers gear up for the third World Cup race weekend in a row. Numbers are down significantly from the previous two weekends for tomorrow’s elite men’s and women’s races, with only 163 men and 89 women on the start lists. Perhaps it’s the greater distance between the venues (the first two were located within only a few hours’ drive of one another in Belgium and Germany, respectively) that has caused the drop in attendance. The top riders are here, however, as they battle for important points and rankings for the overall World Cup title to be awarded in September, but more immediately, the elusive Olympic qualification spots that are up for grabs.

The 7.8km course in Casa de Campo, Madrid’s largest city park, is almost identical to the one from 2006, the last time Madrid hosted a World Cup. It is only located a stone’s throw from the downtown of this metropolis of 4.5 million inhabitants, so large crowds are anticipated, especially with the weather expected to remain warm and dry. The only course changes include a few extra corners, which will force riders to slow down. As well, the start/finish area has been slightly modified to contain a double feed/tech zone, and acts as roughly as the halfway point on the course, to allow spectators to see the riders twice per lap. The terrain is very fast, dry and mostly hard-packed, with a few loose sandy corners and climbs.

The course is not technical, but the difficulty will be how fast riders can take the many corners. Many riders took spills during training as they tested their limits. One very steep climb is tricky, as it is loose and difficult to maintain traction. The loop also contains several flat sections, and the whole circuit will likely favour power riders.

The women will start at 10:00 a.m. local time/4:00 a.m. EDT and will do five (5) full laps. Lap times are expected to be around 20 minutes, resulting in a shorter race than the first two World Cups, which both took over two hours for the winners. The men start at 12:30 p.m. local time/6:30 a.m. EDT and will complete seven (7) full laps.

2007 World Champion and World Cup leader Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak-Ergon is ill, and she has not registered to race on Sunday. That will clear the way somewhat for another podium for Canada’s Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain, who placed third in round one and second in round two. She just might be able to keep the countdown rolling for a first place tomorrow. Marga Fullana (Spa) Massi has done well here in her home country in the past, and will likely pose a challenge, as will China’s Ren Chengyuan (Chn), winner of World Cup #1. Canada’s National Team Coach, Houshang Amiri, is on site, and is keeping his eye on the Canadian riders, as the Madrid course is the most similar of all the qualification races to the Beijing Olympic course.

Canadian women will make up 8% of the field with nine women at the start again this weekend: Prémont, Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Women’s MTB Team, Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus, Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain, Sandra Walter (Can) X.O-Felt Women’s MTB Team, Wendy Simms (Can) Kona, Amanda Sin (Can) Scott-3 Rox Racing, Mical Dyck (Can) Trek-VW and Emily Batty (Can) Team R.A.C.E.

On the men’s side, everyone is waiting to see whether reigning XC king Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea can maintain his winning streak on this very different course. If he can, it will confirm yet again that he is in a league of his own. Spain’s Jose Antonio Hermida (Spa) Multivan-Merida will do his best to please the Spanish crowd, which is expected to number in the 30,000+ range. Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized, who placed second last week, will be on the hunt for gold again this time around. There are lots of other speedy Swiss riders waiting in the wings, however, including Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team and Florian Vogel (Sui) Multivan-Merida.

The Canadian men’s contingent is also large, with Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis, Seamus McGrath (Can) Fuji, Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain, Derek Zandstra (Can) Scott-3 Rox Racing, Mat Toulouse (Can) Maxxis, Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona, and Ricky Federau (Can) Team Ricky. Federau has reported that this will be his last mountain bike race in history.

Stay tuned to pedalmag.com for race updates, reports and photos.