Mountain bikers from Vancouver Island, and across the province will be in the start gate next week to represent the country for World Championships.
Held every year, the Union Cyclist Internationale (UCI) World Championships will be held in Glasgow, Scotland starting next Thursday.
Gravity MTB owner and Cycling Canada National Downhill Team head coach Chad Hendren says there are many racers coming from the Island and will compete for the first time at that level. However, it is a different competition to the mountain bike world cup.
“The difference between World Championships and World Cups is the athletes are actually racing for their national federation, versus being a privateer [on their own] or a part of a factory team,” said Hendren.
“Each national federation is allocated a certain number of athletes. We’re lucky enough to be allocated 28 and Canada is really starting to grow in downhill and it’s starting to show in all the results.”
This year, there are multiple riders in both the downhill and cross-country sides of the sport hailing from Vancouver Island. Hendren says Emmy Lan and Eva Leikermoser from Comox have shown a lot of promise and will be ones to watch in the upcoming elite women’s races.
“It’s really amazing. Being able to watch these kids for the last five to seven years growth through the ranks and just progress and really push the limits has been so exciting to watch and see,” said Hendren.
“I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s something in the water, maybe it’s our trail networks. We’re so lucky to have such amazing trails here on the Island and we’re looking to take it to Scotland and show them what we’ve got.”
On the mainland, Hendren adds Brock Hawes from Sun Peaks is another rider to watch after winning National Championships ahead of world cup competitors. Carter Woods of Cumberland will also be competing in the U23 category in cross-country.
An experienced racer, Hendren says the riders will be feeling the pressure and it will be an experience to draw from.
“That’s always tough, you never know until you get there. All these kids are quite headstrong but at the same time they hold their emotions in,” said Hendren. “We’ll do lots of mental preparation and visualization which always helps with having success and being confident.”
The downhill races will start on Thursday with qualifications. The Junior finals will take place on Friday, while the Elites will battle it out on Saturday. Cross-country races begin the following Tuesday and finish on Aug. 12.
Hendren thanks all the parents, trails and sponsors for their support and is excited to watch the events unfold.
Get ready for two weeks filled with bike racing at the UCI Cycling World Championships, starting Aug. 3! 🇨🇦
Meet the athletes who will be representing the maple leaf ⬇️ https://t.co/nCyhE3l3Tw
— Cycling Canada (@CyclingCanada) July 26, 2023
