6-23-07 // Online Exclusive: Mt. St. Anne World Cup Report #1

“I’ve been on hold for ten minutes, can you please…”

It’s 7:40 am. I’m at Mt. St. Anne for the latest installment of the World Cup.

“Excuse me, if you look at my history, no one’s been able to help me…”

The words above are from Photographer and Honda-Iron Horse DH racer, Sven Martin. He lost his luggage. Or rather United and American Airlines combined lost his luggage for him. Four days ago. Not a big deal, unless it’s his camera gear or his bike. In this case it’s both.

Onto Mt. St. Anne:

She’s a big, beautiful monster.

The Downhill is a legend, just like Fort Williams in Scotland. The top is wide open with flat turns before diving into the woods. Where once was a rooty, rock strewn tight singletrack was, there is now a giant 4-cross type course with berms, rollers, and drops. Quickly followed by more open slope sweepers, heavily loaded with football sized rocks, erosion ruts, and more berms. Then back into the woods to race down a series of rock slabs—fine in the dry, deadly slick when it’s wet. She’s fun and she’s feared. She is Mt. St. Anne’s world cup track.

“So you can’t find my luggage? Which airport? You should be able to tell me which flight?”

The XC is everything an XC course on the NORBA Circuit isn’t. Lots of single track. And I mean a lot—about 70 percent. Rooty. Rocky. Fun to ride on, but a ring tailed bitch kitty to race on. The Euros fear it, the North Americans love it. The Chinese? Well, we’ll see…

“Do you have a phone number…”

The 4X course is the same as it ever was, but with a few more bumps. Lopes is keen to rip it up, as are the Athertons and Melissa Buhl.

And Mt. St. Anne is famous for not just the tracks but also the party atmosphere. I don’t know what it is, but the Quebecois can throw down like none other when it comes to cutting a rug. The post race soiree here is the thing that legends are made of.

“Can you put me on hold while someone calls the airport? What? You just told me the other bag arrived at 8 o’clock, flight 172…”

So for those of you who don’t know; a World Cup Triple (a race with XC, DH, and 4X represented) means you show up Wednesday, and walk the tracks—no training for the gravity side, but the XC racers get to start training. The next few days are training runs to sort out the tracks and lock them in.

Since I’ve been here before, I took the time to explore the local trails on a Marzocchi equipped Scott DH bike. Rooty, rocky, twisty, and rolling is the flavor, with more than a few “secret” trails strewn about the woods. My one regret was no riding clothes on Wednesday—it was pouring down rain and cotton—even at 65 degrees F –is not fun when you’re soaked to the skin. Two good runs and I was done for the day.

Since then, it’s been staking out the tracks, snapping a few pics, trying to get things dialed in for today: the XC races. I wish I had snaps of the natural half pipe I rode with local guide Francois, to share with you as well, but due to the rain, I was just riding along…

“What time’s practice?” Sven asks as he grabs the keys to the rental car. “Do you think I can get to the Quebec airport and back before it starts—They finally found my luggage…”

Sam Hill training at the 2007 Mt St Anne World Cup Colin Meagher

Mary McConneloug training at the 2007 Mt St Anne World Cup Colin Meagher