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Rochette and Burke take wins at home town Tremblant Canada Cup

Home field advantage works to deliver back-to-back victories in Quebec

Mont Tremblant
Mont Tremblant
Photo: Matt Stetson

Canada Cup racing landed in Mont Tremblant for the second week of back to back national level cross country racing in Quebec and it was, again, Maghalie Rochette (Clif Pro Team) and Félix Burke (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) taking home the win in the Elite categories just as they had a week ago in Baie-Saint-Paul. The Tremblant victories were extra special, though, as both riders grew up riding on the trails around the town. Opportunities to win a Canada Cup at home are rare, and both Burke and Rochette took full advantage.

Mont Tremblant
Felix Burke raced Mont Tremblant in the Canada Cup leaders jersey Photo: Matt Stetson

Winning at home in Tremblant comes just one week after Burke claimed his first ever Canada Cup Elite win, and the Rocky Mountain racer carried that momentum with him as he raced on the trails he grew up riding in the Canada Cup leaders jersey. The win, which came over American cyclocross Pro Stephen Hyde (Cannondale-CX World) and Daniel Johnson (Bear Pro Team) of Colorado, moves Burke further into the lead in the series. With 500 points, Burke is now 135 points ahead of Evan Guthrie (RaceFace/Fox/OTE/Kal Tire), with Alexandre Vialle (Equipe du Quebec/Toyota St-Eustache) close behind in third.

Mont Tremblant
Maghalie climbs towards victory in Mont Tremblant Photo: Matt Stetson

Maghalie Rochette repeated her strong win from Baie-Saint-Paul, winning at Mont Tremblant by 1:35 over second place Jenn Jackson (AWI Racing) with Elyse Nieuwold of the newly formed Pendrel Racing team placing third. Rochette, like Burke, grew up racing the trails around Mont Tremblant, and was happy to return to win the UCI C2 race on home turf. The win moves Rochette closer to the series lead, where she now sits third behind Jackson and Nieuwold.

Mont Tremblant
Forward Racing co-founder Evan McNeely returned to race Mont Tremblant Photo: Matt Stetson

In what is quickly turning into the most closely contested category in the series, Holden Jones (Pendrel Racing) moved back ahead of Carter Woods (Dodge City Cycles/RMB/CyclingBC) to win at Mont Tremblant. Jones won the opening round in Victoria, B.C., but Woods claimed the W last weekend at Baie-Saint-Paul. This weekends race came down to a sprint between the two evenly matched riders, with Jones crossing just ahead of Woods. With a third place at Tremblant, Tyler Clark (Team Ontario/Homestead Racing) also moves into third place in the series.

Mont Tremblant
Not a bad place to watch racing from Photo: Matt Stetson

After racing at the front all spring, current Canada Cup leader Marianne Theberge (Equipe du Quebec / Mathieu Performance) found herself chasing Czech national team racer Tereza Saskova (Czech National/Specialized). Saskova proved untouchable in Tremblant, but Theberge’s second keeps her in the leaders jersey. Madaline Robbins (USA National) placed third.

Mont Tremblant
Kelly Lawson finished 4th in the U17 Women’s race Photo: Matt Stetson

The new U-17 category sees new leaders take over the jersey after this weekends racing, as Nicole Bradbury (NCCH p/b Franklin Templeton) won her first Jr. Canada Cup race ahead of Juliette Larose-Gingras (Velo Cartel X BL Coaching), with Larose-Gingras’s points putting her jest ahead of Bradbury, 255-240. Owen Clark (Homestead Racing) won the U17 men’s race to take over at the front of that series, moving ahead of Jakob Yells (River City CC).

 

Mont Tremblant
Soren Meeuwisse (Trek Canada) on her way to 7th in the Elite Women’s Race Photo: Matt Stetson
Mont Tremblant
Derenik Beauregard leads Jeremie Belanger Rannou Photo: Matt Stetson

Crossroads Coupe Canada XCO Results by Matthew Pioro on Scribd