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Mont-Tremblant hosts first Canada Cup of 2014

Cycling Canada Cyclisme
May 15, 2014
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Cross country and downhill mountain bikers will start the 2014 Canada Cup race season at Mont-Tremblant, Que., this weekend. Riders will be travelling from across the country, and a number of World Cup racers will be among those at the start line.

Catharine Pendrel will be one of the biggest names at the event, returning to competition after breaking her collarbone earlier this season. Pendrel will use the race primarily as a tune up ahead of her return to the World Cup.

“I’ve been able to train fully for the last couple of weeks without any issues and feeling physically sharp,” said Pendrel. “I don’t think I have raced Tremblant since 2007, and excited about the depth of competition.

“I really don’t think you can discount Sandra Walter and Maghalie Rochette.”

Emily Batty is perhaps the strongest rider racing in Tremblant. Batty recorded a second-place finish at the Cairns World Cup in Australia last month, and is ranked third in the World Cup points. The 2013 Canadian champion is excited to return to Tremblant after missing the race for the last few seasons.

“That’s a race we’d done since my first year of racing, maybe 12 or 13 years ago. We’d done that one every summer for a while,” said Batty. “It’s nice to be in that village and see the feeling the atmosphere.”

Batty pointed out the race won’t be easy. Pendrel is the obvious main rival, but Marie-Hélène Prémont has returned to racing and is a strong and experienced rider. Batty also suggested that Quebec has a number of strong female riders who are likely to race.

On the men’s side, Scott-3Rox teammates Geoff Kabush and Derek Zandstra will both race the event. Zandstra will don the 2013 Canadian champion jersey. Kabush is coming off a stretch of illness, and looking to compete at full strength.

“I certainly hit a low point at Whiskey Off-Road, and have had a good couple of weeks at home. My body feels strong, and I feel good,” said Kabush. “It’s probably been 15 years since I’ve raced at Tremblant, but it’s great that schedules work out. It’s a C1 race, so the points are really valuable, but in past years, it’s always conflicted with a World Cup.”

This year marks the 20th edition of the Mont-Tremblant race, and the XC course is familiar to most riders. Each lap kicks off with a long climb from the bottom to the top of the mountain, before a typically wet and technical section along the top. A long downhill—more than six minutes in duration—brings riders to the end of the lap before heading back up the climb.

“A lot of people highlight the climb, but I think if you attack the top section and the downhill, there’s way more time to be made up there than on the climb,” said Adam Morka, coach to Batty, and a strong racer in his own right.

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