Derailled for a few weeks

When your first stop is the pharmacy upon entering the host town on a World Cup weekend, you pretty much just have to go into the experience just hoping for the best. Mary and I opted for the shopping cart over the hand basket as we loaded up on French Canadian versions of all our favorite pain relieving rubs, ibuprofen, assorted back and neck cooling/heating products and braces to make certain we would be able to contest what was our ninth year of racing a World Cup at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec. Even if it was not looking as if we'd pull our best showing, Sainte-Anne was a World Cup we were NOT going to miss!

MTB "super-couple", former US National cross country champion Mary McConneloug and Mike Broderick live together, train together, travel together and race together. They also share this diary on Cyclingnews.

Follow their adventures as they race the World Cup cross country circuit and take on other adventures. Enjoy the unique, professional racing style of these two accomplished racers and world travelers.

You can also follow them via their blog at www.maryandmikeride.blogspot.com.