One week after the Cross Country Olympic (XCO) Canadian Mountain Bike Championships were held in Canmore, Alberta, the action continues with the Downhill (DH) Championships returning to the well-known venue of Panorama, BC, which has a long history of producing top level competition.
“We are very excited to cap off a solid block of western DH racing at Panorama Mountain Resort for the 2018 edition of the DH Canadian Championships,” said Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada. “Known as one of Canada’s most iconic DH race venues, riders should expect a top-notch race course, which promises to create some tight competition for the maple leaf jersey.”
The competition will begin on Saturday, July 28th, with official seeding runs for Men and Women in the Elite and Junior categories. Sunday, July 29th, the Championship races will take place for all categories. Canadian red and white maple leaf jerseys will be awarded for both women and men in Under-17, Junior (17-18), Elite (19+) and Masters age group categories (30-39, 40-49 and 50+ for men, 30+ for women).
Among the athletes expected to be in attendance are World Cup professional riders Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory), Magnus Manson and Henry Fitzgerald (Norco Factory) in the Elite men’s category. Defending men’s champion Kirk McDowall (Dunbar Cycles) and 2016 women’s champion Vaea Verbeeck will also be on the start line.
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. Founded in 1882, Cycling Canada aims to create and sustain an effective system that develops talented Canadian cyclists to achieve Olympic, Paralympic, and World Championship medal performances. With the vision of being a leading competitive cycling nation by 2020 celebrating enhanced international success, increased national participation and world class event hosting, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country. Cycling Canada programs are made possible through the support of its valued corporate partners – Global Relay, Lexus Canada, Mattamy Homes, Louis Garneau, lululemon, 4iiii, Argon18 and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.