The Canadian MTB crew was on site at Mont-Sainte-Anne today for Q1 and Q2, soaking in the sights, sounds and serious speed of World Cup weekend.
The pits were buzzing, the gondola was packed and the hillside echoed with cheers as Canada’s fastest put down their first runs of the weekend. And the crowd isn’t even really here yet.
All eyes on finals
With qualifiers wrapped, attention now shifts to Saturday’s main event. The track is rough, fast and unforgiving: just how Mont-Sainte-Anne should be. Riders who survived today’s timed runs will have to dig deep on Saturday as conditions look to remain the same; sunny and dry.
We’ll be trackside again for finals, cameras ready and eyes on every section. Expect big air, heartbreak and a few surprises before the dust settles. Let’s go Gracey and Goldstone!
Scenes from the day
Between runs, we captured plenty of moments that show why Mont-Sainte-Anne remains one of mountain biking’s most iconic venues. From mechanics wrenching in the pits to fans chasing autographs and juniors ripping their first laps on the same legendary course. And then there’s the poutine-eating photographers.
Scroll through our gallery below for the best shots and clips from qualifying day. And stay tuned tomorrow for full race results, Canadian highlights and all the chaos that comes with World Cup finals in Quebec.
Gracey Hemstreet’s mechanic Brett Ward’s tool kit. Now with wings. Colin Field photo.
Finn Iles making it through to the finals. He got fifth place in Q2. Colin FIeld photo.
Cole Punchard on his way to 11th on Friday’s XCC. Colin Field photo.
Jenn Jackson chasing Jenny Risveds during Friday’s XCC. Colin Field photo.
The pack wondering what the heck Jenny Risveds had for breakfast. Colin Field photo.
Jenny Risveds had an incredible XCC race. Winning by 18 seconds. Colin Field photo.
Beautiful fall weather in MSA. For once. Colin Field photo.
Jess Melamed didn’t make it through the qualifiers, but he still looked great on track. 34th in Q2. Colin Field photo.
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