Canada sets national calendar

The Canadian Cycling Association announced its 2008 National Mountain Bike Calendar with seven sites hosting nine Olympic cross-country events, six downhill events and two four-cross events.

The season will start in Baie-St-Paul on May 11 where requisite UCI points will be on offer for athletes trying to qualify to race a World Cup event. Since 2007, riders need a minimum of 20 UCI points in order to enter a World Cup event.

Canada will host two World Cups in 2008 with the first at Mont-Sainte-Anne for the 17th time. Mont-Sainte-Anne has hosted a World Cup every year since the beginning of the series in 1991, except for 1998 when it hosted the world championships.

Bromont will host the second World Cup, which returns after almost a decade. It last hosted a World Cup in 1999. This year's new site will get a test run with the opening round of the Canada Cup on May 17-18. The Canadian National Championships are scheduled for July 12-13 (downhill) and July 19-20 (cross country) - both are in Mont-Sainte-Anne.

The Canada Cup finale in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, will wrap up the season with a downhill specific event on August 24.

2008 Canadian National Mountain Bike Calendar
May 11: Coupe du Québec, Baie-St-Paul, Quebec (XCO) (2)
May 17-18: Canada Cup Bromont, Quebec (XCO)(1) / (DHI) (2)
May 24-25: Canada Cup, Mont Tremblant, Quebec (XCO)(1) / (DHI)(2)
June 1: Canada Cup, Hardwood Hills, Ontario (XCO)(1)
June 29: Canada Cup, Kamloops, British Columbia (XCO)(2)
July 5: Canada Cup, Canmore, Alberta (XCO)(1)
July 12-13: Canadian National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (DHI)(CN)
July 19-20: Canadian National Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (XCO)(CN)
July 26-27: World Cup, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (XCO/4X/DHI)(CDM)
August 2-3: World Cup, Bromont, Quebec (XCO/4X/DHI)(CDM)
August 24: Canada Cui, Sun Peaks, British Columbia (DHI)(2)

For more information, visit www.canadian-cycling.com.