OTTAWA 鈥 Cycling Canada is pleased to announce the team of 28 athletes who will represent Canada at the Cross-country Mountain Bike World Championships, to take place June 29th to July 3rd, in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic.

Normally held at the end of August, the cross-country (Olympic discipline) world championships take place earlier in Olympic years. The Downhill world championships will take place in late August, in Italy.

The team includes both experienced and newer athletes; men and women across the age-based categories Junior (17-18), Under-23 (19-22) and Elite (23+).

鈥淲ith downhill being held at a separate location, it gave us the flexibility to add more XC [Cross-country] riders to the roster,鈥 explained Dan Proulx, National Mountain Bike Coach. 鈥淭he team is comprised of athletes who鈥檝e represented Canada on many occasions over the years. Everyone is familiar with each other and will gel very easily.鈥

Leading the team will be Elite professional women Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, BC, and Emily Batty of Brooklin, ON. The duo finished second and third at the third round of the World Cup at the end of May, and Pendrel is a two-time former world champion.

On the Elite men鈥檚 side, Canadian champion Rapha毛l Gagn茅 (Qu茅bec, QC), L茅andre Bouchard (Alma, QC) and Derek Zandstra (Trenton, ON) have all finished in the top-20 at World Cup races this season.

While the team will be looking for podium results, Proulx does admit that the focus is later in the season. 鈥淚n an Olympic year, the season is compressed and our goals revolve around the Games. At Worlds it would be great to earn a medal but ultimately it鈥檚 all about preparation for Rio for our best athletes.鈥

鈥淲e have a very strong National Team program 鈥 one of the best in the World. For the vast majority of the riders, Worlds is another opportunity to climb the ladder toward international success. The data we have collected through Own the Podium clearly shows that riders climb each and every rung of the ladder. It鈥檚 about adapting to the international level of the sport and learning faster than the competition. You simply cannot learn this at home. You have to be here if you hope to compete in the future. As always, Canada brings a strong team full of potential.鈥

JUNIOR WOMEN

  • Emily Handford (West Vancouver, BC)
  • Erica Leonard (Barrie, ON)
  • Sidney McGill (Edmonton, AB)
  • Sophieanne Samson (Quebec City, QC)

JUNIOR MEN

  • Quinton Disera (Barrie, ON)
  • Sean Fincham (Squamish, BC)
  • Gunnar Holmgren (Orillia, ON)
  • Victor Verreault (St-F茅licien, QC)

U23 WOMEN

  • Catherine Fleury (Alma, QC)
  • Soren Meeuwisse (Orillia, ON)
  • Fr茅d茅rique Trudel (Breakeyville, QC)

U23 MEN

  • Peter Disera (Barrie, ON)
  • Marc-Andr茅 Fortier (Victoriaville, QC)
  • Marc-Antoine Nadon (Timmins, ON)
  • Alexandre Vialle (Pr茅vost, QC)

ELITE WOMEN

  • Emily Batty (Brooklin, ON)
  • Rebecca Beaumont (Alma, QC)
  • Cindy Montambault (Val-David, QC)
  • Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC)
  • Haley Smith (Uxbridge, ON)
  • Sandra Walter (Coquitlam, BC)

ELITE MEN

  • L茅andre Bouchard (Alma, QC)
  • Rapha毛l Gagn茅 (Qu茅bec, QC)
  • Evan Guthrie (Peachland, BC)
  • Geoff Kabush (Courtenay, BC)
  • Andrew L鈥橢sperance (Halifax, NS)
  • Evan McNeely (Kingston, ON)
  • Derek Zandstra (Trenton, ON)