6 Canadian pro mountain bikers to keep an eye on in 2017

1. Catharine Pendrel

Catharine Pendrel looked like she was in trouble when she crashed early at the Rio Olympics. In a performance that illustrated the phenomenal strength of the three-time World Cup champion, and two-time world champion, she fought through nearly the entire field to win a bronze medal. Now, the reigning World Cup champion is firmly focused on the 2017 season.

“I love a lot of the repeat World Cup venues like Nové Město in the Czech Republic, Lenzerheide, Switzerland and Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que., but am probably most excited about worlds in Australia,” said Pendrel.

Pendrel has focused much of her winter training on a combination of Nordic skiing, indoor trainer rides and time in the gym. She put in the hours and kilometres over the winter, including a few trips to the West Coast to keep her technical skills razor sharp.

Once her season is in full swing in two weeks at the first round of the World Cup in the Czech Republic, Pendrel will ride each race with an eye on what she can improve. “I don’t feel like I have a lot of unfinished business, but there are always races where I can do better,” said Pendrel.

Closing the season out, Pendrel hopes to drop in for select events outside of the cross country discipline. “Stage racing, if done properly, can lead to a great fitness boost later in the season. Cyclocross can keep you sharp and fast when you need to switch things up in the fall and enduro racing is just fun.” Pendrel said. “I can’t make many of these work into the 2017 schedule except maybe some B.C. enduros in September.”

2. Haley Smith

The Norco team has undergone changes for 2017. Haley Smith will continue to race for the Canadian brand and is planning to compete throughout the entire World Cup schedule. It’s an ambitious plan for the Canadian company that has traditionally focused on a mix of World Cup and North American races.

“In 2017, I’m most excited to keep climbing the ladder. I can see myself making it to the top of the sport someday, and I’m really addicted to the process of improvement. I’ve only just turned 23, and I know I still have so far I can go in the sport,” said Smith. “Depending on how the season and selection goes, I would be ecstatic to make the worlds team for world championships in September, which are in Cairns, Australia.”

The change in schedule goes hand in hand with a change in the team’s roster. Smith will be joined by Peter and Quinton Disera. While Andrew L’Esperance, Evan McNeely, Sean Fincham will compete under the Forward Racing-Norco banner which is an independent project from the factory team.

3. Mikaela Kofman

Mikaela Kofman has been balancing her riding career with academic studies. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, she’s been studying dentistry and shredding trails. The challenges of balancing the year of clinical placement ahead with the demands of racing leave little room for competition, but she’s determined to find a way.

Early season events are Kofman’s focus right now, specifically US Cup and Canada Cup races. Beyond that, her plans are uncertain. Sponsorship across the industry has been harder to come by in 2017, and some teams have folded as a result. Kofman, however, sees opportunity in the current sponsor climate. “Because there’s not a lot of money in a single discipline, it gives me a chance to explore some more opportunities in different disciplines,” Kofman said. She’ll be pursuing road racing in the western United States and potentially farther afield if it can come together.

4. Peter Disera

Peter Disera will continue to blend disciplines as he has in past seasons. For the 2017 calendar, Disera will take part in more XC World Cup races. “The coming season will be my last as an under-23 and I’ve set the bar high for myself,” said Disera, who is also a student at the University of Guelph. “Big picture plans and goals include going to the world championships, defending my national champ jersey, and if I could squeak out a podium spot at a World Cup, I would be stoked.”

“I am super excited to continue my involvement with Norco Bicycles for 2017. The team’s going to the next step is something we have all had dreams about the past few years. I look forward to travelling with my brother, Haley Smith and Kevin Haviland as we take to the World Cup stage.”

5. Raphaël Gagné

Raphaël Gagné has gone from a solo rider to joining one of Canada’s longest standing pro teams, the 3 Rox squad from Ontario. 3 Rox will be partnering with Cannondale for the next two years as Cannondale-3 Rox Racing. “I like the opportunity to race with Keegan and Derek,” said Gagné. “And I look forward to building a culture of teammates and team travel.”

Gagné has, in the past two years, become one of the strongest racers in the country, having a breakout season in 2015. For the coming year, Gagné will be taking on a mix of World Cup races and North American events including the US Cup series, which he won overall in 2015. He’s also likely to be a highlight at the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup in Quebec. As the local rider, he’s perhaps the heir to the support that Marie-Hélène Prémont received from fans during her competitive years.

“I love racing at Mont-Sainte-Anne,” Gagné said. “I grew up watching the World Cup races and now to race in them as a Canadian and a Québécois is an amazing experience.”

6. Geoff Kabush

Geoff Kabush has been a staple of cross country racing internationally for years. In 2017, that will change as Kabush parts ways with the 3Rox team to continue his role as a Scott Sports rider. He’ll take on fewer XC events and shift his focus in the coming season.

“I’m moving away from the international World Cups and putting together my own program,” said Kabush. “I’m going to focus more on the endurance and stage races, like the Epic Rides events, BC Bike Race, Breck Epic and Downieville, and more stories and videos with sponsors.”

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It’s a refreshing change that also suits Kabush’s strength – longer distance races that have disappeared from the World Cup XC circuit. “The endurance and trail riding are definitely where my strengths are. They fit well with what my sponsors are working on in adventure and trail riding,” said Kabush, who has also relocated to Squamish, B.C., from the North Shore of Vancouver.

This story originally appeared in the February & March 2017 issue of Canadian Cycling Magazine.