Canada announces roster for the 2018 mountain bike world championships
First world championships which act as an Olympic qualifier raises the stakes for 44 strong Cycling Canada selection for Lenzerheide worlds
Canada will send a stacked roster of 44 riders to the upcoming UCI cross-country and downhill mountain bike world championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on September 5 to 9. The pressure is on for Canada to have strong performances because the 2018 worlds are the first to fall within the qualifying period for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The team includes the reigning national champions in every category.
The XCO team is lead by Emily Batty who counts four World Cup podium results in 2018 which has been one of the best seasons of her career. Batty won a bronze medal at the 2016 world championships and will be looking to go better after her strong season. Rio Olympic bronze medalist Catharine Pendrel will look to end a disappointing season derailed by injury with a strong result. Haley Smith and Sandra Walter have achieved top-15 results at World Cups and give the team depth. Olympian Léandre Bouchard and national champion Peter Disera lead the mens team.
Canada’s downhill team is deep with current elite women’s world champion Miranda Miller and former junior men’s world champion Finn Iles leading the way. Miller and elite men’s racer Mark Wallace both finished 14th overall in the 2018 World Cup while Iles in his first year as an elite finished 15th. Lucas Cruz finished seventh in the junior men’s overall standings having posted three top-10 performances.
“We’re really excited about this year’s team. It’s a nice mix of rookies and experienced riders,” said Cycling Canada’s mountain bike head coach Dan Proulx. “We have a good team dynamic in this group already, which will certainly help us create an environment that is conducive to personal best performances. We hope to build off the momentum we had at last year’s World Championships in Australia.”
The 2018 championships begin on Sept. 5 with the cross-country team relay. The junior XC races are on the 6th followed by the downhill qualifiers for elite and juniors, in addition to the U-23 XCO races on the 7th. The elite XCO races take place on Saturday, Sept. 8 with the downhill finals on the final day of competition.
Junior Women – XCO
Mireille Larose-Gingras – Lac Beauport, Que.
Eva Poidevin – Canmore, Alta.
Marianne Théberge – Levis, Que.
Roxane Vermette – St-Ferrol-les-Neiges, Que.
Junior Men – XCO
Tyler Clark – King City, Ont.
Holden Jones – Squamish, B.C.
Charles-Antoine St-Onge – Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Que.
Carter Woods – Cumberland, B.C.
Colton Woods – Barrie, Ont.
Under-23 Women – XCO
Laurie Arseneault – Terrebonne, Que.
Mackenzie Myatt – Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S.
Juliette Tétreault – Val-des-Monts, Que.
Emily Unterberger – Revelstoke, B.C.
Under-23 Men – XCO
Raphaël Auclair – Haut-Saint-Charles, Que.
Quinton Disera – Horseshoe Valley, Ont.
Sean Fincham – Squamish, B.C.
Marc-André Fortier – Victoriaville, Que.
Gunnar Holmgren – Orillia, Ont.
Elite Women – XCO
Emily Batty – Brooklin, Ont.
Catherine Fleury – Saint-Gedeon, Que.
Cindy Montambault – Val-David, Que.
Elyse Nieuwold – Newmarket, Ont.
Catharine Pendrel – Kamloops, B.C.
Haley Smith – Uxbridge, Ont.
Sandra Walter – Coquitlam, B.C.
Elite Men – XCO
Léandre Bouchard – Alma, Que.
Peter Disera – Horseshoe Valley, Ont.
Raphaël Gagné – Quebec City
Andrew L’Esperance – Halifax
Junior Men – DH
Justin Clements – Calgary
Lucas Cruz – Pemberton, B.C.
Keegan Fry – Rossland, B.C.
Elliot Jamieson – White Rock, B.C.
Kendall McLean – Victoria
Ian Milley – Squamish, B.C.
Ben Wallace – North Vancouver
Elite Men – DH
Henry Fitzgerald – Vancouver
Finn Iles – Whistler, B.C.
Magnus Manson – Sechelt, B.C.
Forrest Riesco – Sunshine Coast, B.C.
Luke Stevens – Revelstoke, B.C.
Mark Wallace – Duncan, B.C.
Elite Women – DH
Miranda Miller – Garibaldi, B.C.
Rachel Pageau – Chicoutimi, Q.C.
