Canada sets national calendar

The Canadian Cycling Association announced its 2008 National Mountain Bike Calendar with seven sites hosting nine Olympic cross-country events, six downhill events and two four-cross events.

The season will start in Baie-St-Paul on May 11 where requisite UCI points will be on offer for athletes trying to qualify to race a World Cup event. Since 2007, riders need a minimum of 20 UCI points in order to enter a World Cup event.

Canada will host two World Cups in 2008 with the first at Mont-Sainte-Anne for the 17th time. Mont-Sainte-Anne has hosted a World Cup every year since the beginning of the series in 1991, except for 1998 when it hosted the world championships.

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Bromont will host the second World Cup, which returns after almost a decade. It last hosted a World Cup in 1999. This year's new site will get a test run with the opening round of the Canada Cup on May 17-18. The Canadian National Championships are scheduled for July 12-13 (downhill) and July 19-20 (cross country) - both are in Mont-Sainte-Anne.

The Canada Cup finale in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, will wrap up the season with a downhill specific event on August 24.

2008 Canadian National Mountain Bike Calendar
May 11: Coupe du Québec, Baie-St-Paul, Quebec (XCO) (2)
May 17-18: Canada Cup Bromont, Quebec (XCO)(1) / (DHI) (2)
May 24-25: Canada Cup, Mont Tremblant, Quebec (XCO)(1) / (DHI)(2)
June 1: Canada Cup, Hardwood Hills, Ontario (XCO)(1)
June 29: Canada Cup, Kamloops, British Columbia (XCO)(2)
July 5: Canada Cup, Canmore, Alberta (XCO)(1)
July 12-13: Canadian National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (DHI)(CN)
July 19-20: Canadian National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (XCO)(CN)
July 26-27: World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (XCO/4X/DHI)(CDM)
August 2-3: World Cup, Bromont, Quebec (XCO/4X/DHI)(CDM)
August 24: Canada Cui, Sun Peaks, British Columbia (DHI)(2)

For more information, visit www.canadian-cycling.com.