May 30, 2013 (Panorama, B.C.) – Panorama Mountain Village welcomes back the Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Championships on July 13-14. This will be the third time in the last four summers the resort has held this exciting downhill mountain bike race. The organizing body for the race is Cycling Canada and is governed by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Racers compete for the famous and sought-after ‘Red and White Jersey’, awarded to the Canadian Champion.

The resort has hosted both downhill and cross country races from the local level to national. Panorama’s Bike Park opened originally in the summer of 2002.

“This year’s event will be bigger and better than last year’s Canada Cup. We want to make Panorama’s Downhill Mountain Bike Championships a must do for the best downhill mountain bikers in Canada. We have an outstanding venue here and are improving our trails every year”, said Patrick Gillespie, Panorama’s Race and Mountain Events Manager.

“Panorama Mountain is becoming the go-to spot for downhill mountain biking in Canada. The famous course and bike park are well-suited to the challenge of crowning a Canadian champion” said Nicholas Vipond, Manager of Domestic Events for Cycling Canada.

This race will also award the top rider with UCI points. In order to compete for the chance to become the Canadian champion, additional eligibility rules are instituted for this race. All riders must already hold a UCI/Cycling Canada license and either be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, landed immigrant or have refugee status.

As the snow is melting quickly at Panorama, the trail crew is making preparations for the race and the start to the summer mountain bike season. The Panorama Bike Park opens Friday June 28, 2013 with the Mile 1 Quad operating between 10am and 5pm.

More information about mountain biking at Panorama and specifics on the races this summer, including sign up information, can be found here .

The downhill mountain bike race is only one of many activities available at Panorama this summer. The resort offers a variety of activities from sightseeing chairlift rides, to a Fun Zone for kids, to the award winning Greywolf Golf Course.