Home > News

The Canada Cup series kicks off the cross country, downhill calendars this weekend at Bear Mountain

This weekend, the eyes of the Canadian mountain biking world will be on Bear Mountain, just outside Victoria, B.C., when the first round of the 26th Canada Cup mountain bike series kicks off.

Giant Slalom competition Crankworx Whistler
 Crankworx, whose 2015 edition is seen here, caps off the season in Whistler on August 19 and 20, 2016.
Crankworx, whose 2015 edition is seen here, caps off the season in Whistler on August 19 and 20, 2016.

This weekend, the eyes of the Canadian mountain biking world will be on Bear Mountain, just outside Victoria, B.C., when the first round of the 26th Canada Cup mountain bike series kicks off. The apex of the national cross country scene, the series has traditionally served as a launchpad of sorts for Canadian athletes in their quest for global glory.

Perhaps nobody is more iconic of that importance than Catherine Pendrel, two-time women’s cross country world champion.

“The Canada Cup is a fantastic series on which to develop,” remarked Pendrel, who got her start on the Canada Cup circuit. “The courses requires a high degree of technical skill and the depth of competition is perfect for pushing you to find more ini your riding and racing. For Canadians, learning how to travel and race is key to high level performance, and the East-West circuit offers us the opportunity to also figure this out before we get to World Cups.”

When it comes to that fundamental, significant role in cultivating Canadian mountain bike talent, national coach Dan Proulx, of course, also has a few thoughts on the subject. The key, he says, is the competitive stage it allows riders of the country’s regions and provinces to test their mettle together, and refine their world-class talent in the process.

“The Canada Cup,” Proulx said, “continues to be a pillar in our MTB development system. It’s the only series where the best riders from each province are racing together and raising the bar for each other. That type of racing allows everyone to improve more rapidly. If we continue to grow and evolve, we’re going to continue seeing top-level international riders emerging from these races.”

More than anything, though, it’s the fun, supportive atmosphere at the events, Proulx said, that means the most. “It has a real sense of community and camaraderie,” the national coach added, “that welcomes all. There is a really good energy and atmosphere at these events.

“Everyone is so supportive of each other.”

Catharine Pendrel
Canada’s Catharine Pendrel, seen here in Glasgow in 2014, is one of the Canadian riders who has refined her talent at the Canada Cup series.

The 26th edition of the Canada Cup series, which opens the season for many Canadian athletes on March 5, launches the start of ten mountain biking events that will serve as a competitive gateway to the world stage for Canadian riders. Six cross country and four downhill events, all registered on the international calendar, will provide athletes with the opportunity to build up their UCI points standings, essential to World Cup-level qualification. Racing at Bear Mountain is followed two weeks later by XCO (cross country) #2 and DHI (downhill) #1 at Mont Tremblant, Que., before competition moves to Ontario on June 5 for the Horseshoe Valley Canada Cup and, one week later, the Trek Store Canada Cup.

On June 24, downhill riders then move on to DHI #2 at the East Coast Open, happening at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ont. Next, gravity athletes head west to Panorama, B.C. for round three of that competition on July 16.

A week later, on July 23, the second-to-last cross country competition rolls out at Saint-Felicien Que., before Crankworx ends both the cross country and downhill series on August 19 and 20, held—as always—in Whistler, B.C.

“The Canada Cups continue to improve,” Proulx said. “This year, in particular, we’ve seen some significant improvements to the start categories, designed to encourage more competitive racing while at the same time delivering a better experience for Junior development riders just starting out.”

Three Canadian mountain bike championship events will also roll out this summer: the Canadian Cross-Country and Eliminator Championships on July 14-17 in Baie St. Paul, Que., the Canadian Downhill Championships in Sun Peaks, B.C. on July 23, and on July 31st, the Canadian Marathon Championships in East Hereford, Quebec.