September 18, 2009 (Schladming, Austria) – The Nissan UCI MTB XC/DH/4X World Cup #8 Finale wraps up this weekend with a big send-off at the fabled Schladming resort in the Styria region of Austria. The ski resort town is well known for alpine skiing as well and Schladming will host the FIS Ski World Championships in 2013.

Downhill
The downhill course here in Schladming, Austria is legendary. Every year they change it just enough to keep things interesting, but for the most part it is beat down. There are ruts, roots and rocks showing everywhere and massive pedal eating ruts.

At just over 2.2km long, with a drop of 601 meters, the track clocks in at about 4.5 minutes long. It is rough, perpetually slimey and wet weather shows riders who is the boss over and over and over. The new wood section is a long, root infested mud pit. Practice has looked like Friday afternoon 5pm traffic jam, as rider after rider is crashing and taking out each other.

With a gap of only 16 points between Sam Hill (AUS) Monster Energy-Specialized and Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate for the overall, it is bound to be a hard fought battle. Hill has always done well in Schladming, while Minnaar has struggled here in the past. Qualifying just ended for the men, and Minnaar crashed in the last woods section, while Hill decimated the field, with a lead of 3+ seconds on Fabien Barel (FRA) in second, and teammate Brendan Fairlcough (Gbr) in third. The rest of the field stretches back; 10 seconds to Steve Peat, 14 to Minnaar.

For the Canadians, it’s Claire Buchar (Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense) and Steve Smith (MS Evil Racing) holding down the fort. Smith crashed in qualifying in the lower grass turns but still managed a respectable 15th place. Buchar sits in 11th going into finals on Sunday.

Weather has managed to hold off so far, with only brief sprinkles at night, and is clearing up by the hour. The predicted thundershowers have failed to materialize every day and it’s looking good for race day on Sunday.

Cross-country
The junior men and women race early on Saturday morning (9:00 am local time/3:00 am EST), the elite women start at 11:15 am local time/5:15 am EST and the elite men take off at 2:30 pm local time/8:30 am EST. The 4.5km course is very similar to last year’s with only slight changes. The cloverleaf course design features several relentlessly steep uphill pitches, mixed with lots of wet off-camber grassy sections and fast descents. There is very little in the way of technically difficult terrain, but the challenge will be to ride everything at high speed. With showers on and off all week and more in the forecast, things are likely to stay wet and slick, with thick mud forming on the grassy slopes.

The same Canadian contingent of 19 riders that competed last weekend in Champery are on the start lists for Saturday’s races, although junior women’s National Champ Laura Bietola (Can) Team Canada/3 Rox Racing injured herself on a slick rooty descent on Wednesday and will be unable to race due to a broken ankle.

Saturday will be the day of reckoning for the world’s best riders. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea leads the overall, but was unseated last weekend by young upstart Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized. Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan-Merida is always in the running, and the Flueckiger brothers (Lukas and Matthias) showed in Champery that they have the stuff to be on the podium. They were also spotted doubling through the village on a Trek bicycle yesterday afternoon. Canada’s Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis-Rocky Mountain will be stalking the podium, but he’ll have his work cut out for him on this very stereotypically European course. Derek Zandstra (Can) Team Canada/3 Rox, Racing who placed in the 30’s last Sunday, will be hoping for good climbing legs in order to break into the top ranks.

Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Women’s MTB Team is determined to pull it all together for a big final showing in Schladming, after missing the podium in Champery, while Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Maxxis-Rocky Mountain aims to send off the season on a high note after a difficult season. Pendrel is currently third overall in the women’s World Cup standings. Emily Batty (Can) Team Canada/Trek Store Toronto is ranked second overall in the U23 women’s competition behind Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) CCC Polkowice.

There are 20 junior women registered to race, but with the injury of Canada’s National Champions, only two Canadians will be competing. Michelle Hediger (Sui) Fischer-BMC, who won last weekend, is again among the favourites.

The junior men’s field is also stacked with 44 riders, including Canada’s Evan Guthrie (Can) Team Canada and Mitch Bailey (Can) Team Canada. Guthrie, who placed fourth in Champery, will be gunning for a podium tomorrow.

Junior Women
– Samantha Grover (Can) Hardcore Bikes
– Laura Bietola (Can) Team Canada/3 Rox Racing
– Cayley Brooks (Can) Team Canada/Hardwood

Junior Men
– Evan Guthrie (Can) Team Canada/Rocky Mountain
– Mitch Bailey (Can) Team Canada/Jitpower

U23 Men
– Leni Trudel (Can) Team Canada
– Cameron Jette (Can) Team Canada/Trek Store Toronto

U23 Women
– Emily Batty (Can) Team Canada/Trek Store Toronto
– Rebecca Beaumont (Can) Team Canada/Cyclone d’Alma

Elite Men
– Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis-Rocky Mountain
– Derek Zandstra (Can) Team Canada/3 Rox Racing
– Eric Batty (Can) Trek Store Toronto
– Peter Glassford (Can) Trek Store Toronto
– Andrew Watson (Can) Team Canada/Norco Factory

Elite Women
– Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Women’s MTB Team
– Amanda Sin (Can) Team Canada/3 Rox Racing
– Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Maxxis-Rocky Mountain
– Jean Ann McKirdy (Can) Team Canada/Local Ride Women’s MTB
– Sandra Walter (Can) Local Ride Women’s MTB