August 1, 2008 (Bromont, Que.) - The Bromont World Cup MTB weekend has kicked off this evening with the 4X qualifications. The finals take place tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. EST, after the DH finals, which begin at 2:00 p.m. EST. The two gravity courses are brand new and have been receiving good reviews from riders. The XC course is also new, but has been modified several times due to the huge amount of rain the region has received so far this summer - and there's more in the forecast. The women will start at 11:00 a.m. EST on Sunday, while the men are scheduled to blast off at 2:00 p.m. EST.
DH
The last time Bromont, Quebec saw a World Cup was in 1999. This year, the best downhillers in the world have returned to the small mountain less than an hour from Montreal and are prepared to slide their way down a very muddy, very new track that has some riders licking their lips, and some hoping they can just hang on.
The course here has been developed on the opposite side of the mountain from the traditional base area. Temporary washrooms, a temporary building and gravel parking areas let you know just how new things are. The track winds its way from the summit through tight twisty single track at the top, featuring Bromont's traditional slick roots and sharp, wheel shattering rocks. The track designer has also thrown in a massive drop mid-mountain that will truly separate the men from the boys.
Riders then move into another tight woods that opens into a clearing under the chair lift. Steep switchbacks and lots of mud bring riders to the lower section of the course which is a loamy speedway with some quick back and forth corners and a huge jump out of the woods to the finish line.
Look for Steve Smith to do extremely well here for Canada, he has raced the track before, is full of confidence this week and is having tons of fun. Look for veteran riders and great mud riders to podium.
Steve Peat, Gee Atherton and the master of Mud, Sam Hill, will all play a part in tomorrow's story. for the women, expect Rachel Atherton to once again take the women to school, as in the mud - she is untouchable.
The 4x is a massive affair, possibly the biggest the WC has ever seen. It is incredibly long, features massive jumps and includes a 270 degree corkscrew, never before seen on the World Cup. The course has help up well under the torrential rainstorms that have been passing through, and hopefully it will stay hard for Saturday evening's racing.
XC
Canadians are again expected to do well this weekend in what will likely be another muddy race. Organizers had built a fun new first half of the course, but the trails are not usable due to the goopy conditions. Plan 'B' starts with a wide climb up the ski run, followed by a short open descent, which turns sharply up the hill again, resulting in the main climb, where racers will ascend a bermed DH trail, complete with jumps, which they will have to ride up and over. After another wide open descent, the course enters the woods for the second half, which many riders will recognize from the Canada Cup held here in May. This section of course is quite tricky, with lots of rocks, roots, mud and off-cambre riding, but it is much more interesting than the first section. The new, modified course now clocks in at just under 5km.
Marie-Hélène Prémont (QC) Rocky Mountain will be the favourite again this weekend, after she won in Mont Ste-Anne last Sunday. Catharine Pendrel (BC) Luna Women's MTB Team will likely give her trouble – following her career-best second place at MSA, she’s itching for that top spot. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized, Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Multivan-Merida, and Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team are also podium threats, while Canada's Wendy Simms (BC) Kona and Amanda Sin (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing are among several Canadian women expected to deliver strong performances. The women are expected to do four or five laps, depending on conditions.
Geoff Kabush (BC) Maxxis may also be feeling a bit of pressure, after he rose to the top of the men's field last weekend to place second behind defending Olympic Champion Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea. Absalon now has two second-place finishes on his résumé, but not a win. Absalon is quite the foe, however, not to mention some of the other top international pros, like Burry Stander (RSA) G.T., Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International, Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea, José Antonio Hermida (Spa) Multivan-Merida, and Adam Craig (USA) Giant. Other Canadians expected to do well include Seamus McGrath (BC) Fuji (6th at MSA), Derek Zandstra (ON) Scott-3 Rox Racing (14th at MSA), and Mathieu Toulouse (QC) Maxxis. Depending on conditions the men will likely do five or six laps.
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Photo: Martin Moreau
Steve Smith (Can) Cove Bikes-Redbull
Photo: Martin Moreau
Photo: Martin Moreau
Claire Buchar (Can) Intense
Photo: Martin Moreau
Photo: Martin Moreau
Justin Brown (Can) InterSport/DHRacer.com
Photo: Martin Moreau
Photo: Martin Moreau
2008 Canadian champ Sheila Morris (ON) Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnnys Racing
Photo: Martin Moreau
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