Premont and Pendrel among world class athletes racing at Canada Cup opener

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The 2014 Canada Mountain Bike Cup is kicking off this weekend with both cross country and downhill races at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec. The event is celebrating its 20th edition, and is known as the oldest nationally-sanctioned mountain bike event in Canada. The cross country riders will hit the tracks on Saturday, followed on Sunday by the downhillers.

2011 world champion, Olympian, and multiple-time World Cup Champion Catharine Pendrel (Team Luna Pro), three-time and defending Canada Cup Champion Sandra Walter (Liv-Giant), Amanda Sin (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), Olympic medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont (Rocky Mountain Factory Racing) Haley Smith (Team Norco Bicycles) and Maghalie Rochette (Team Luna Pro) just to name a few will be battling it out on the rugged and challenging course of Mont-Tremblant.

Pendrel is returning to racing after a broken collarbone, while Premont will be back in action after having had a baby.

In the men's race a top-level competition is also excepted with three-time Olympian and seven-time Canadian cross country champion Geoff Kabush (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), reigning Canadian Champion Derek Zandstra (Team Scott-3 Rox Racing), two-time U23 Canadian Champion Raphaël Gagné, Evan Guthrie (Norco Factory Team) and Léandre Bouchard (Team Devinci).

The Canada Cup junior cross country races in Mont Tremblant are also part of the UCI Junior Cross Country Series.

In the downhill races at Mont-Tremblant, the competition will be stiff with riders such as Forrest Riesco, who was second in the overall standings of th 2013 Canada Cup series, and Rob Fraser already enlisted.

The following weekend, the Canada Cup circuit will make its way to Baie-St-Paul, Quebec. The majority of the cross country riders are expected to travel to Baie-St-Paul.