May 12/14 18:50 pm - MTB Canada Cup Begins 2014 Season This Weekend

Posted by Editoress on 05/12/14
 

The 2014 Canada Cup Mountain Bike is kicking off this weekend (May 17-18) with both cross-country and downhill races at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, and the event will be filled with superstars.

Mont-Tremblant is celebrating its 20th edition, and is known as the oldest nationally-sanctioned mountain bike event in Canada. The cross-country riders will hit the tracks on Saturday, followed on Sunday by the downhillers.

2011 World Champion, Olympian, and multiple time World Cup Champion Catharine Pendrel (Team Luna Pro), three-time and defending Canada Cup Champion Sandra Walter (Liv-Giant), Amanda Sin (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), Olympic medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont (Rocky Mountain Factory Racing) Haley Smith (Team Norco Bicycles), and Maghalie Rochette (Team Luna Pro) are just a few of the names who will be battling it out on the rugged and challenging course of Mont-Tremblant for the women's cross-country.

In the men's cross-country race a top-level competition is also expected, with three-time Olympian and seven-time Canadian cross-country champion Geoff Kabush (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), reigning Canadian Champion Derek Zandstra (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), two-time U23 Canadian Champion Raphaël Gagné (Rocky Mountain Factory), Evan Guthrie (Norco Factory Team), Léandre Bouchard (Team Devinci) some of the top riders in attendance.

The Canada Cup Junior cross-country races in Mont-Tremblant are also part of the UCI Junior Series XCO.

In the downhill races at Mont-Tremblant, the competition will also be stiff with riders such as Forrest Riesco, who was second in the overall standings of the 2013 Canada Cup series, and Rob Fraser.

The following weekend, the Canada Cup circuit will make its way to Baie-St-Paul, Quebec.

Courtesy Cycling Canada