There’s few things more exciting than racing an international race in font of a home crowd. The crowds aren’t just louder, they know your name, and they cheer no matter what position you’re in.
On Thursday, the next – or current – generation of Canadian cross country racers got the chance to experience this, many for the first time. Canada’s junior racers put on an excellent show for the Mont-Sainte-Anne crowd. Whether it was Carter Woods in fourth, Emilly Johnston in ninth, or the many Canadians that were riding technical lines most others were avoiding. The crowds responded in kind, showing up mid-week to cheer loudly through the length of both races.
RELATED: Emilly Johnston adds second top-10 finish, with strong Canadian jr. showing at UCI mountain bike world championships
Junior Women’s XCO – 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.
Magdeline Vallieres-Mill deals with traffic on L'Enfer de Sainte-Anne.
Juliette Larose-Gingras pushing the pace off the start of the junior women's race
Emilly Johnston finds a wide line up L'Enfer
Samuelle Baillargeon navigates La Beatrice
Kaityn Shikaze with Kelly Lawson in the background
The women's leaders wind their way up Sainte-Anne's switchbacks
Johnston taking the high line on La Beatrice
Kaitlyn Shikaze climbs her way to 38th in Mont-Sainte-Anne
Julianne Sarrazin had a huge crowd out supporting her
Samuelle Baillargeon rode to 34th at Sainte-Anne
Johnston waits to congratulate Vallieres-Mill on her ride
Junior Men’s XCO – 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.
Carter Woods descends with South Africa's Luke Moir chasing.
Vincent Thiboutot chases Hamish Graham down La Beatrice
Xavier Roy working his way through the group off the start
Hamish Graham leads a group up the climb, on hisway to 21st at Sainte-Anne
Dylan Kerr gets airbourne on the stone steps
Charles Antoine St-Onge takes the high line on his way to 35th
Carter Woods in trafic mid-way through the junior men's race
Vincent Thiboutot would ride up to 22nd by the race's end
Dylan Kerr climbing on his way to 37th
Jeremie La Grenade nearly got caught when the rider in front of him stalled
Dylan Kerr rides an outside line on La Beatrice
Xavier Roy cleaning a switchback on L'Enfer