Canada Cup racing returns to Canmore

Canada Cup cross country racing returned to the Canadian Rockies over the weekend, with Peter Disera and Hannah Otto taking top honours.

The weekend included both Short Track (XCC) and Olympic distance (XCO) racing, with Otto and Quinton Disera winning the new, short format event.

Canada Cup XCO

Despite reports of a bear in the area, Canmore organizers were able to work out a safety plan with Parks Canada to allow racing to continue that would keep humans and animals happy.

Elite men and women

Utah’s Hannah Otto (Pivot-DT Swiss) led the women’s field in Canmore’s XCO event. Laurie Arseneault (Canyon MTB) and Juliette Larose-Gingras (Equipe du Quebec/Ponsse) rounded out the podium.

On the men’s side, Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team) stayed ahead of his brother, Quinton Disera (Canyon Devo) and Owen Clark (CHC Armada) to take his first Canada Cup win of the year.

Junior and Under-17 racing

The U.S.’ Jack Spranger (Bear National) continued his excellent season going, taking the junior men’s race ahead of Ian Ackert (Stimulus Orbea) and Zorak Paille (Vélo Pays d’en Haut). Another American, Bailey Cioppa (Bear National) won the women’s race. Isabella Holmgren and Marin Lowe of Stimulus Orbea rounded out the podium.

In the u17 racing, Jacob Roy (Ponsse) and Rafaelle Carrier (CVM Sigma) took XCO wins in Alberta. Eliot Courcelles (Velos Pays d’en Haut) outsprinted Alix Brunelle (Siboire) to take second beyind Roy. Calgary’s Nico Knoll (Cyclemeisters Bowcycle) and Powell River’s Eleanor Winchell (Powtown Rad) followed Carrier in the u17 women’s race.

XCC Canada Cup

Before the full-course race, the Short Track event opened the Canmore Canada Cup weekend.

Hannah Otto started what would become a perfect weekend with the XCC win ahead of Edmonton’s Sidney McGill (Pedalhead) and Wisconsin’s Lauren Lackman (Rib Mountain Cycles). Quinton Disera (Canyon Devo) started his weekend with a win, beating Raphael Auclair (Pivot Cycles-OTE) and Brayden Johnston (Bear National).

Stimulus Orbea swept the junior women’s Short Track, with Ava Holmgren outkicking Marin Lowe and Isabella Holmgren rounding out the podium. Jack Spranger led Simon Ruelland (Sigma Assurance) and Zorak Paille in the junior men’s race.

Rafaelle Carrier won both her u17 races in Canmore, with Winchell taking second ahead of Knoll. In the under-17 men’s XCC, Jacob Roy (Ponsse) beat Alix Brunelle (Siboire) and Rhett Bates (West Kelowna)

Canada Cup cross country racing keeps heading west, landing in Whistler, B.C. on June 25.

Full XCC results. Full XCO results.