Catherine Pendrel (Luna Womens MTB) broke away and appeared to be gone. (Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Eleven cross country racers, including eight elites and three Under 23s, will represent Canada at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia, on September 1-6.
Mount Sainte Anne World Cup winner and National Champion Catharine Pendrel will lead the elite team along with Bromont World Cup winner and National Champion Geoff Kabush. Both riders are from British Columbia.
Two other national champions, Emily Batty of Ontario and Raphaël Gagne of Quebec, will lead the Under 23 squad.
The team is undergoing final preparations for the championships and will begin traveling to Australia on August 25, with plenty of time to ready for the opening event, the team relay, on September 1. Kabush, Pendrel, Gagne and Evan Guthrie will make up Canada's relay team.
Funding from the Canadian Cycling Association, which determined the selections, will allow the elite team's travel to be partially funded. Donations to support the team are being accepted. To contribute, fill out a donation form at http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/donations/cash_donations.shtml and e-mail it to Nicholas Vipond at nicholas.vipond@canadian-cycling.com. All contributions will go directly towards covering the athletes' expenses.
Canadian cross country team for the 2009 World Mountain Bike Championships
Elite Men Geoff Kabush Derek Zandstra Max Plaxton Seamus McGrath
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Elite Women Catharine Pendrel Marie-Helene Premont Amanda Sin Mical Dyck
Under 23 Men Raphaël Gagne
Under 23 Women Emily Batty Mikaela Kofman
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
