World champ Rachel Atherton confirms title at UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

(BEIJING, July 28) -- The Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup concluded this weekend in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada. For cross country racers it was round six and for gravity racers, round four of the World Championship competition.

Coming just one month after the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sol, Italy and weeks before the Beijing Olympics, the world championship event in Mont-Sainte-Anne is a stepping stone for some of the world’s top racers on road to the Summer Games.

Mont-Sainte-Anne has become a significant location in the world of mountain biking as the only venue to host World Cup events or World Championships since their initiation in 1991. The venue has grown over the years to become an international benchmark in cycling, gaining a high reputation among riders, teams and fans for its strong organization and cycling culture.

Since 2003 the events have been held in conjunction with a three-week festival known as Velirium also features the Canadian National Championships and other cycling events that attract up to 2,500 racers and over 50,000 spectators.

In downhill competition, Rachel Atherton of Great Britain repeated her Val di Sol World Champion-winning performance to beat out former champ Sabrina Jonnier of France with a time of 5:12.36. Atherton is currently No. 1 in women’s world rankings.

Atherton’s brother and fellow Val di Sol downhill champion, Gee Atherton, managed to take third place behind Greg Minnaar from South Africa and world No. 2 Australian Samuel Hill. Minnaar completed the 3.1km downhill course first with a time 4:30.57 for his first medal at the only World Cup venue that has evaded him during his nine-year pro career.

In men’s and women’s four cross, world champions Melissa Buhl of the United States and Alvarez de Lara Luca of Spain again beat out the competition to confirm their titles. Men’s second and third place went to France’s young Romain Saladini and Germany’s Guido Tschugg. In the women’s race Mio Suemasa (JPN) and Fionn Griffths took second and third with current world No. 1 Anneke Beerten riding in fourth.

With the most Beijing-bound contenders participating in the cross country event, some of the sport’s fastest racers were not focused on top results but to stay limber ahead of the August Games. Taking first in the men’s cross country was 2008 French Olympian Julien Absalon, clocking 2:07.44 for an average speed of 16.44 kilometers per hour over the 35km course. Riding in second place, Canadian Geoff Kabush picked up his second world medal this season followed by South African Burry Stander in third.

In the women’s race, Canadian Olympic team member and Quebec native Marie-Helen Premont won the gold medal with a time of 2:06.30 on the 29.3 course, averaging 13.90 kilometers per hour. A fellow Canadian, Catherine Pendrel came in second ahead of Norwegian Lene Byberg in third.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic mountain bike competition will be held on August 22 and 23 (Day 14 and 15 of the Games) at the Laoshan Mountain Bike Course 23km outside of the capital. The Laoshan circuit spans 4.592 kilometers of varied terrain.

A total of 80 cyclist will take part in the Olympics mountain biking competition, including 50 men and 30 women.

Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Results -- July 25-27, 2008

Cross-Country Elite Men, July 271Julien AbsalonFRA2:07.44average speed 16.44 km/h2Geoff KabushCAN2:10.17 3Burry StanderRSA2:12.37 Cross-Country Elite Women, July 271Marie-Helene PremontCAN2:06.30average speed 13.90 km/h2Catherine PendrelCAN2:09.24 3Lene BybergNOR2:10.59 Men’s Downhill Final, July 261Greg Minnaar    RSA4:30.57average speed 50.56 km/h2Samuel HillAUS4:32.30 3Gee AthertonGBR4:32.83 Women’s Downhill Final, July 261Rachel AthertonGBR5:12.36average speed 43.80 km/h2Sabrina JonnierFRA5:13.79 3Tracey MoseleyGBR5:21.86 Men’s Four Cross Final, July 261Rafael Alvarez de Lara LuESP42.78 2Romain SaladiniFRA43.05 3Guido Tschugg  GER42.98 Women’s Four Cross Final, July 261Melissa BuhlUSA50.28 2Mio SuemasaJPN49.86 3Fionn GriffithsGBR50.06