July 4, 2004 -The world’s number one racers in women’s and men’s cross-country mountain biking, Gunn-Rita Dahle (Multivan/Merida), of Norway, and Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized), of Belarus, continued their dominance in the sport after winning gold on a slippery and feisty track at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park on Saturday, July 3, 2004.

The 32-year-old Dahl led wire-to-wire in the women’s event for her ninth
consecutive UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country title (over the past
two years), and fifth of the 2004 season in as many events, after completing
five laps on the 5.5-kilometre track in a total time of one hour 46 minutes
28 seconds.

“This is such a fast and challenging course,” said Dahle, who added
overnight rain caused the course to be sloppy at the start, but dried out as
the race went on. “It looks so easy to everyone watching, but it is
extremely difficult. I felt like I was sprinting for the entire race.”

Marie-Hélène Premont (Rocky Mountain/Business Objects), of Chateau Richer,
Que., locked up a birth on the Canadian Mountain Bike Team that will head
to the Olympics this summer with a fourth-place finish on Saturday. The
reigning Canadian champion was the top Canuck for the second straight week
after ripping through the track on the western edge of Calgary in a time of
1:49:30.

“This was a difficult course because there were so many hills out there,”
said Premont, who won a silver medal last week in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. “I
went as fast as I could and was able to guarantee my ticket to the Olympics
so I am very happy.”

Mary McConneloug, of the United States, finished second at 1:47:14, while
Italy’s Annabella Stropparo overcame a rib injury to lock up third after
crossing the line at 1:48:48. Victoria’s Alison Sydor, a three-time World
Champion, was the next best Canadian in eighth spot (1:51:06), while Kiara
Bisaro, of Courtenay, B.C., all but solidified an spot on the Olympic roster
with a 14th-place finish (1:54:57).

While the 43 female riders in the field crossed the line in brilliant blue
skies and afternoon sun, the world’s top male mountain bike athletes were
forced to deal with the wrath of Mother Nature. Following completion of the
first of seven laps, heavy rains, hail, lighting and thunder powered its way
through the Calgary area causing numerous crashes, and drove many of the
racers to the sidelines in their final World Cup event before the Summer
Olympics.

Chilled to the bone, Filip Meirhaeghe, of Belarus, crossed the line
blanketed head-to-toe in mud. The reigning world champion pedaled his way
through the treacherous conditions in a total time of 2:10:35.
“When the rain and hail hit, it was so cold that my body froze very
quickly,” said Meirhaeghe when the skies finally cleared minutes after the
completion of the race. “My body was sore and my head started to ache so I
was ready to quit and head back to the trailer. I turned a corner and it got
better because the wind was on my back, so I just kept pushing on and was
happy to win.”

Switzerland’s Christoph Sauser (Siemens/Cannondale) grabbed the silver 3:28
off the pace
(2:14:03), while Spain’s Jose Antonio Hermida (Mutlivan/Merida) was third
at 2:15:19. Seamus McGrath (Haro), of Carlisle, Ont., was the top Canuck in
the men’s division. The 28-year-old had the race of his life, finishing
seventh with a time of
2:16:54.

“Those were the craziest race conditions I have ever witnessed,” said
McGrath. “The rain and hail was hitting so hard and it was extremely cold,
but this is mountain biking and you have to be tough. It was epic out
there.”

The Calgary stop on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup wraps up on Sunday with
the men’s and women’s downhill event at 10 a.m. Daily tickets for the
inaugural Bike Calgary Festival, July 1-4, 2004, can be purchased for $12 at
Canada Olympic Park or Mac’s convenience stores in Calgary. Children under
10 years old are admitted free for the entire weekend.

The Bike Calgary UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is produced by TransRockies
Inc., organizers of the toughest mountain bike race in the world. More than
100 two-rider teams have registered for the 2004 TransRockies Challenge,
Aug. 8-14, a 600 km adventure race from Fernie, B.C. to Canmore, Alta.
Travel Alberta is a major partner in the event, as well as the Bike Calgary
UCI World Cup, to increase world wide awareness of Alberta as a primary
Canadian mountain bike destination.