06.27.07 - Mountain bike World Cup - Canada’s Geoff Kabush finishes third

Montreal, June 23, 2007 - Geoff Kabush and Marie-Hélène Prémont starred for Canada Saturday in World Cup mountain bike action at Mont-Ste-Anne, Que., with third and fourth place finishes in their respective cross country races.

In men’s competition, B.C.’s Kabush led a five-rider pack in a final lap attempt to catch leaders Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain and Julien Absalon of France. Absalon won the race in 1:54:49, Hermida was 23 seconds back and Kabush 1:26 behind the winner.

Kabush, 25th in the starting grid, was very pleased with his result. ‘’Third place is a great confidence boost and I hope I can have a better starting position next week,’’ said Kabush who also meets his Olympic qualifying standard with a top-16 finish. ‘’It’s my best result this season. I’ve trained well, stayed healthy and it’s very gratifying to see it all come together today against a strong field.’’

After struggling with an illness last season, Kabush withdrew from some World Cup events this year to focus on training. That decision paid off on Saturday.

Other Canadian results: Seamus McGrath was 14th, Max Plaxton 20th, Ricky Federeau 26th and Mathieu Toulouse 37th.

Marie-Hélène Prémont survives fall

In the women’s race, Prémont withstood a fall to take fourth place.

Irina Kalentyeva of Russia won the gold in 1:39:042 with Ren Chengyuan of China 10.33 seconds behind while Sabine Spitz of Germany clocked the five-lap course 21.31 seconds faster than Prémont.

‘’My front tire turned on me, I flipped and fell on my head and shoulder,’’ said Prémont. ‘’I was stopped for 30 to 45 seconds. I must have had a concussion because I blacked out. When it cleared up I took off immediately. I just told myself to find my rhythm and take my time. It just got better and better. It was a good race. I had energy until the finish.’’

Catherine Pendrel of Penticton, B.C., earned a World Cup best 11th place. She was 13th at Champéry.

‘’I wanted to have a strong start because I was starting at the back of the pack and needed to gain some ground,’’ she said. ‘’I was penalized for late registration as were four other girls ranked in the top-30.

‘’I capitalized on all my passing opportunities and maintained my speed. It was harder to pass here than at other races. There were few fast sections.’’

Other Canadians: Mical Dyck was 25th, Sandra Walter 26th, Amanda Sin 28th, Wendy Simms 31st, Emily Batty 38th and Kiara Bisaro 39th.

The next World Cup stop for the cross country riders is July 1 at St-Félicien, Que.