MTB News And Notes: Cape Epic, Bromont, Gravity Pro Tour And More

Absa Cape Epic

Just one week remains until the start of the 2009 Absa Cape Epic, and the eight-day stage race once again boasts a field deep with cross-country talent.

The 2008 champs Roel Paulissen and Jakob Fuglsang (Cannondale) will not be back, however. Fuglsang is now racing on the road with Saxo Bank. But 2007 champs Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm of the Bulls squad are back — the duo finished second in 2008.

Also back is the Songo.info/Specialized team of reigning world champ Christoph Sauser and South African U23 rider Burry Stander. The two won the opening two stages of the 2008 Cape Epic before dropping out due to a knee injury to Stander.

Cape Epic veteran Bart Brentjens is also back, riding alongside Australian cross-country rider Chris Jongewaard under the Trek-Bart Brentjens team label. The German Multivan-Merida team has two squads in the race, with Spaniard Jose Hermida paired with German Moritz Milatz and Germans Jochen Kass and Hannes Genze also racing.

Former Olympic gold medalist Miguel Martinez will race alongside Kiwi Kashi Leuchs for the Felt International squad, and the newly formed Trek World Cup team will boast a team of Swiss brothers Lukas and Mathias Fluckiger.

Rounding out the list is the South African MTN-Energade team of Kevin Evans and road racer David George.

The Absa Cape Epic runs March 20-27, and boasts a brand-new route that begins in Cape Town, heads into South Africa’s desert interior and finishes at the wine estate in Louresford.

Bromont gets upgrade

The mountain bike facilities at Bromont, Quebec, will receive a boost in preparation for the July 31-August 2 round of the UCI World Cup. The Mondia do Vélo in collaboration with the Bromont National Cycling Centre will invest $200,000 over the next two years to upgrade the site, which is one of only four venues to host both gravity and cross-country events simultaneously in 2009.

The renovations revolve around building a permanent Four-Cross course at the venue.

“This will be one of the only permanent Four-Cross runs in North America,” said Richard Deslandes, president of the local organizing committee. “It will provide Canadian athletes with a place to train and practice for the World Cup and World Championships.”

Prior to the World Cup, the venue will host a round of the Canada Cup during the Canada Day weekend (July 4 – 5), providing a first look at the all-new Olympic format cross country course. The first ever Canadian National Four-Cross Championships will be held that same week-end, inaugurating the newly upgraded Four-Cross course at the du Lac site of Ski Bromont.

“This event will allow Canadian athletes to obtain valuable international ranking points,” Deslandes said, “as well as test out the circuit prior to the World Cup.”

USA Cycling unveils Gravity Pro Tour

Following the creation of its new Pro Cross-country Tour (ProXCT), USA Cycling has created a five-race Pro Gravity Tour (ProGRT) for the nation’s top downhill and mountain cross racers.

“With the development of the ProGRT we were looking to showcase the country’s strongest gravity venues,” said USA Cycling Mountain Bike Events and Program Director Kelli Lusk. “We want to bring the elite riders together to compete against the best on the country’s top courses and ultimately crown the season’s preeminent gravity riders.”

The five-race series includes three UCI-inscripted races, which will provide valuable points for American riders looking to boost their respective world rankings.

The ProGTR opens with the May 1-3 round of the Pacific Northwest’s popular Fluidride Cup, held in Port Angeles, Washington. The second round is the May 22-25 Chile Challenge in Angel Fire, New Mexico. That race is part of the Mountain States Cup, and features both downhill and mountain cross racing. The third race is the August 8 Blast the Mass race in Snowmass, Colorado, which is also part of the Mountain States Cup. The series concludes with the August 15-16 Yankee Clipper event at Windham Mountain in New York, and the August 29 Whiteface 5K downhill in Wilmongton, New York.

2009 USA Cycling Pro Gravity MTB Tour (Pro GRT):

May 1-3: Fluidride Cup – Port Angeles, Wash. (DH $5,000 purse)
May 23-25: Chile Challenge – Angel Fire, N.M. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 2)
Aug. 8-9: Blast the Mass – Snowmass, Colo. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 2)
August 15-16: Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain – Windham, N.Y. (DH and 4-Cross UCI category 1)
August 29: Whiteface 5K (DH) – Wilmington, N.Y. (DH $5,000 purse)

Prado, Brown win in SoCal

Manny Prado (Sho Air-Specialized) and Danielle Brown won the 2009 Vision Quest mountain bike race, held March 8 in Orange County, CA. The race boasts 56 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing in the Santa Ana mountains just south of Los Angeles. Prado, who finished fifth at the 2008 La Ruta de los Conquistadores, finished in 5:14:45, nearly 14 minutes up on second place Dana Weber.

Danielle Brown clocked the fastest woman’s time in 8:04:15.
Email Fred Dreier

FILED UNDER: News TAGS: Bromont / Cape Epic / Gravity Pro Tour / Song.Info / The Bulls