Canada Cup Mountain Bike series opens this weekend with a brand new Mont-Tremblant course

For the 25th year, the 2015 Canada Cup Mountain Bike series kicks off this weekend in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, and there’s a completely new course to welcome this year’s riders.

“[Cross-country] riders will benefit from a completely redesigned race course,” said Pierre Patrick Roy of Enterprises Cykel, the Canada’ Cup’s main organizer, “incorporating more of the Mont Tremblant village and added technical features, improving the overall experience for athletes and spectators alike.”

Among those cyclists coming to Mont-Tremblant this year are Evan Guthrie and Sandra Walter, defending their respective 2014 Canada Cup XCO Series titles. In addition to UCI Junior Series XCO qualifying races set for the weekend, there’s also slated to be a host of new events introduced at this year’s event. The Duathlon urbain Tremblant — or “D.ur.T”, to use the shorthand — are two such features of the Canada Cup calendar, benefiting with other riders from the mountain’s improved amenities for technical teams. And as part of the same space, new amenities for expo exhibitors add to the overall redesigned, improved space for visitors, spectators and participants.

The new courses for racing, though, are the real draw at this year’s Canada Cup, ready to be given the ultimate test by this year’s pull of cross-country specialists and downhill riders. “The new cross-country course will take advantage of the renowned pedestrian village,” added Mathieu Boucher, Cycling Canada’s director of performance development, “offering additional visibility to riders and their team.”

“We are very excited to begin the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Mountain Bike Canada Cup in Mont-Tremblant,” he said. The cross-country specialists will be the first to test the new course on May 17, with the downhill riders next on May 18.