World Cup Four Cross and Cross Country at Bromont

7pm Saturday evening was the Four Cross event...another mountain bike discipline that is just plain insanity. Not only do you have the speed, drops, berms and jumps of downhill, you have 3 other riders to duke it out with. With the potential for carnage, this is probably the most popular of all the events.

In the middle of the action.

The last few pumps before the finish line.

This is one of my favourite shots from the whole weekend. The jump is waaaaaaay below the rider.

I like this one, too. Gives you an idea of just how friggin' fast these guys rip through the course.

Sunday was the mens and womens cross country races. Conditions were cloudy, and the forecast called for rain....lots of rain. It was dry for the women's race, and then it started to rain about three-quarters of the way through, making for a slick finish.

Catherine Pendral, 3rd place.

Emily Batty, 1st place, under 23

As the afternoon progressed, the rain came down harder, and so the mens race was dropped to 6 laps instead of 7. This was gonna be interesting, as the conditions were just plain crap.

About 5 minutes before the start, the racers trying to stay dry.

Just before the start gun....

...and then like bats outta hell!!

And up the first climb.

Julien Absalon...he was in first at this point in the race (this was lap 2 or 3), halfway up a killer climb.

Christoph Sauser

I think, this is Andrew Watson.


Geoff Kabush, rolling through for the win!

Race results here.

Overall, it was a fun time watching the pros race, and cheering them on as they rode by (especially in the case of the cross country race). I thought it was funny how I know who most of the pros are, and read about them online and in magazines, the same way most people follow hockey. Yet, most people have absolutely no idea who any of these bike racers are, and what kind of fitness they possess and the punishment they put themselves through. Oh well, I'll just stick to my little world of bike geek-ness.

I'm out.