Ottawa, ON (Aug. 13, 2024) – Mountain bike athletes had their moment of glory at the Canadian Downhill Championships, held in Sun Peaks, British Columbia on Aug. 10 and 11, 2024.
After heavy precipitation on the course in a day that was both rainy and sometimes even snowy at the summit, the athletes paraded through the iconic landscape of the Sun Peaks resort to get their hands on the coveted title of Canadian champion.
In a strong women’s field, Geza Rodgers (Independant) and Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis), who have proven themselves on the international enduro circuit having competed in several rounds of the UCI World Cup, both took top honours, securing their first-ever Canadian downhill title in the process.
“This is my first downhill race,” said Rodgers. “I’ve been racing all my life; I’ve been doing cross-country mountain biking for ten years and I’ve always wanted to try downhill, because throughout my cross-country racing, I’ve known that downhill is my strong point.”
In the U17 women’s race, Cameron Bragg (Instinct Development) took the title after finishing second in qualifying. Ryder Wilson (Corsa Cycles) won the U17 men’s race.
Jon Mozell (We Are One Momentum Project) and Jake Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing), who also compete at international level in the UCI Downhill World Cups, both donned the uni-colored jersey following their respective victories in the junior and elite categories.
“The race was exciting, with changing conditions,” said Jewett. “I’ve been Canadian champion twice as a U15, but never as an elite. It feels good to finally win it as an elite.”
In the Masters, Julie Colk (Women 35-44), Rob David (Men 35-44), Jason Lorenz (Men 45-54) and Donald Van Eesteren (Men 55+) were victorious.
The complete list of results is available here. The next national championships on the calendar are the Canadian Marathon Mountain Bike Championships (XCM) on September 7 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The complete calendar of national events is available on the Cycling Canada website.
Media Inquiries: