Gallery: 2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup in photos
Victoria, B.C. has become the traditional host of the Canada Cup cross country racing series, bringing riders from across the country together on Bear Mountain for training camps and early season racing in the mostly snow-free west coast city.
This year, race organizers updated the course to bring back the high speed flow trail, as well as some new sections of singletrack built specifically for the race. The changes made the course much more spectator friendly, with vocal crowds lining the climb and flow descent, which paralleled each other, and throughout the start/finish expo area.
RELATED: Smith and Disera win Bear Mountain Canada Cup
The course changes also made racing faster and, with more opportunities for passing on course, kept racers closer together for much of the race. While lone leaders showed their strength in several events, they were often chased by packs of three to four riders working together to try close the gap.
Elite / Junior Women – 2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup XCO
Sandra Walter leads Catharine Pendrel and Jenn Jackson. The trio rode together early on in pursuit of Haley Smith
Catharine Pendrel would separtate herself from the chasing group to finish second in elite women
Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, third in the junior women's race, with Emily Williams and Ruby Ryan on her wheel.
Kelsey Urban, 8th in elite women, leads Mackenzie Myatt down the flow trail. Myatt would finish 7th.
Mireille Larose Gingras rode to 14th in her first Cadada Cup race as an under-23, one of several strong results from the younger Quebec riders
Elyse Nieuwold climbing to 10th in elite women
Juliette Larose Gringras on her way to 8th in junior women
Juliette Tetreault (12th) leads Emily Unterberger (11th) up the kart track in the elite women's race
The elite women celebrate the first Canada Cup of the season
Elite / Junior Men – 2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup
Dylan Kerr leads a train of juniors on the opening lap
Peter Disera found himself alone on the front of the elite men's raace
Gunnar Holmgren leads Raphaël Gagné early in the men's race
Holden Jones getting airbourne in his first year as an under-23 racer
It wasn't all berms and boosting. Paul Mysko pushing hard up the golf kart track
Raphel Auclar would finish 10th at Bear mountain
Kieran Nilsen, 4th in junior men, leads Team USA's Devin Debruhl (5th) down the flow trail
Jack Menzies racing for Team Alberta in the junior men's race
Raphaël Gagné would eventually break free of Holmgren to ride home in second
Peter Disera celebrates with champagne
Raphael Auclair had energy left for a no-handed wheelie up the golf kart track on his way back to the hotel
U17 Men / Women – 2019 Bear Mountain Canada Cup
Nicole Bradbury descends the flow trail on her way to winning the under-17 women's race
Under-17 men's winner Erik Ashton adds some style to his speedy race
Catryana Marcotte was one of several fast Dalbix Siboire riders in the under-17 men's and women's race
Jordan Gagne, another Dalbix Siboire rider, airs into the berm on his way to sixth in under-17 men
Mederic Carrier launching out of the same berm
