Mont Sainte Anne Eliminator debuts at Vélirium festival

The Mont Sainte Anne World Cup hosted its first ever Eliminator races Friday, during the Vélirium festival weekend. Eliminator course was just 850m long, with four riders starting at the same time. The two fastest to the finish advanced to the next heat.

The course snaked along next to a portion of the cross country course. After gaining elevation, riders funneled down through a series of bermed corners before climbing back to the start of a pump track section. Rider sprinted on pavement to the finish line.

Swiss racer Kathrin Stirnemann won the women’s competition, ahead of Jenny Rissveds of Sweden and Austrian Lisa Mitterbauer.

Canadian Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau finished fourth in the women’s competition, beating the decorated German, Sabine Spitz.

Andréanne Pichette and Elodie Bernier advanced to the small final heat finishing third and fourth in the heat to place seventh and eighth overall.

German Simon Gegenheimer won the men’s final ahead of Argentinian Catriel Andres Soto, and Belgian Fabrice Mels.

Leandre Bouchard was the top Canadian, finishing 11th after being eliminated in the quarter finals. Antoine Caron finished 14th.

Despite being held on a Friday afternoon, much of the course was lined by fans interested to see what the Eliminator format has to offer.

Just days before the competition, the UCI revealed that the Eliminator would not be part of the 2015 World Cup calendar, making the Mont Sainte Anne event both the first and last such event at the Québec world cup stop.

The World Cup weekend continues Saturday with the downhill competition. Favoured Canadian Steve Smith has been sidelined with an ankle injury, and won’t be able to defend his 2013 Mont Sainte Anne victory.