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Whistler mountain bikers named to Team Canada

World Championship team announced The Canadian Cycling Association announced the 2003 Team Canada for the Mountain Bike World Championships, taking place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7 in Lugano Switzerland.

World Championship team announced

The Canadian Cycling Association announced the 2003 Team Canada for the Mountain Bike World Championships, taking place from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7 in Lugano Switzerland.

As in past years, Whistler will be well-represented at the World’s with three competitors taking part in both the downhill and cross-country disciplines. B.C. also leads the rest of Canada with 24 out of 50 athletes on the team – actually 49 athletes, with Whistler’s own Brook Baker competing in both cross country and downhill disciplines as a Junior athlete. Also from Whistler, Will Routley will be competing again as an Espoir (Under 23) in the cross country, and Clare Buchar will be competing in the women’s downhill and four-cross.

For Routley, 20, this is his third World Championship appearance. Moving up into the Espoir category, however, he knew he would have his work cut out for him to make the team.

"It was very good news," he said. "We have a really strong team I think, and Canada is one of the top countries in the world. It was really tight, and there are definitely a few guys that are disappointed right now."

Routley has definitely cranked his training up a notch this year, competing almost every weekend since the early spring on both his road bike and mountain bike. Although it’s been a gruelling schedule, he has been improving with every race.

In the recent World Cup at Grouse Mountain, Routley was the eighth Canadian, and fourth overall among the Espoirs. He was also fourth among the other Espoirs at the national championships in Whistler last month. He also posted strong results in Canada Cup races early in the season, but decided to sit the last two out to recover.

"Skipping the last couple of Canada Cup races made it a little tense, but now I think it was a good decision because I’m right on track with my fitness and my training. I’m right on track," said Routley.

With only weeks to go before the World Championships, Routley will only enter the provincial time trials in Squamish next weekend, and devote the rest of his time to training.

"I’m on a really specific program until the championships, with a power meter and power workouts, and I’m following that pretty closely," said Routley.

While he doesn’t know what to expect at the World Championship in terms of the course and his competition, Routley said his goal from the very beginning of this season was to do well.

"The first two times I was at the World Championships I was just happy to make it, but now I have a little more experience I’m looking more towards doing well. I still have less experience than other riders, but it’s hard to say," he said. "The World Championship courses are always the hardest courses, and I don’t know what to expect. We get there a few days early and train as a team, which will be good, so I’ll have to wait and see. I’m looking forward to it."

Routley is currently riding for the Rocky Mountain/Crystal Decisions team, Whistler Lodging Co., Flash-5, and Ryders Eyewear.

He has not contacted the other Whistler riders who have qualified just yet, but hopes they will be able to hold a fundraiser to help them defray the cost of travelling to Europe with Team Canada.

"We have three people going to the World Championships, and Whistler’s a pretty small town, so it’s pretty amazing when you think about it," he said.

Brook Baker is returning to the World Championships for a second year in a row as a member of the women’s downhill team. Last year she was sixth out of nine riders – in her first year racing downhill, and on a borrowed bike – and this year she’s gunning for the top-five.

"I’ve definitely improved since last year," she said. "I’m much faster, and more technical, and have a lot more experience. I’m more confident."

Although she often raced alone this season, with only a handful of girls competing in the Junior category, her times were strong compared to the elite women.

Her experience racing cross-country is definitely an asset for downhill, she says, because she can pedal hard out of the gate and in the flat sections, "and I don’t tire out after five minutes," she said.

This was the first year that Baker has qualified for the World’s in cross-country as well as the downhill. The competition is a lot stiffer for the cross-country spots, but Baker has been quick in competitions this year, earning podiums in B.C. Cup races and finishing a strong sixth in the nationals.

"I wasn’t sure if I would qualify after the nationals, but it’s kind of exciting that I did. I found out last week, and it was a good feeling," she said.

Baker doesn’t plan to do too much added training for the world championships, as she is getting ready to attend the University of Victoria in the fall. She plans to go for a few long road rides and few easy mountain bike rides to keep up her fitness, and show up at the World Championships well rested and ready to race.

Baker currently races with the Norco factory team, so she won’t have to borrow a bike to compete in the championships this year.

For Clare Buchar, making the World Championships this year has been a goal since she came down sick before the race last year, and finished in 31 st position. She trained hard all winter in the gym, and has been racing on the NORBA, Canada Cup, World Cup, and B.C. Cup circuits with top results.

Although she is happy to return to the championships, she suffered a major setback last week when she crashed at the Canada Cup event in Calgary. She broke a bone in her hand and is currently in a cast.

"Whether I can get it 100 per cent or not I’m not quite sure," she said. "The cast will come off, and they’re going to give me something else for my hand to ride with, so I’ll be back on my bike before the race. Whether it’s going to hurt then, I don’t know yet.

"It was a pretty serious crash. I’m actually lucky I didn’t hurt myself worse, and that I’m able to race at all."

Buchar is already looking at the injury in a positive light, as a chance to recover from her hectic racing schedule and prepare for the championships.

"I’m going to be fresh, rather than burned out, which is why I think the crash happened in the first place. I’m glad to have this little break. My whole body needed rest, I think, not just my hand," she said.

Buchar is only in her third season racing, but has been one of the top riders in the country for the past two years.

She is currently racing for the Brodie factory team. Locally, both Buchar and Baker are sponsored by Evolution.

Team Canada, 2003

Elite Men’s Cross Country

Roland Green – BC

Ryder Hesjedal – BC

Andreas Hestler – BC

Geoff Kabush – BC

Seamus McGrath – ON

Chris Sheppard – BC

Mathieu Toulouse – QC

Peter Wedge – NB

Elite Women’s Cross Country

Kiara Bisaro – BC

Karen Dewolfe – NS

Marie-Helene Premont – QC

Chrissy Redden – ON

Alison Sydor – BC

Sandra Walter – BC

Espoir Men Cross Country

Ricky Federau – BC

Mike Garrigan – ON

Matt Hadley – NB

Will Routley – BC

Kris Sneddon – BC

James Van Toever – PE

Andrew Watson – ON

Junior Men Cross Country

Andrew Erb – ON

Bradley Fairall – BC

Jamie Lamb – NS

Jean Sebastien Perron – QC

Max Plaxton – BC

Chris Thorpe – ON

Junior Women Cross Country

Brook Baker – BC

Kylie Case – MB

Olivia Gagne – QC

Meghan Kindree – BC

Catherine Vipond – ON

Elite Men Downhill

Dustin Adams – BC

Hugo Donais – QC

Mike Jones – BC

Mathieu Laurin – QC

Jordie Lunn – BC

Trevor Porter – BC

Elite Women Downhill

Claire Buchar – BC

Michelle Dumaresq – BC

Deb Mackillop – BC

Caroline Milot – QC

Sheila Morris – ON

Danika Schroeter – BC

Junior Men Downhill

Jamie Biluk – MB

Justin Brown – ON

Sean Brown – QC

Dominic Provost – QC

Junior Women Downhill

Brook Baker – BC

National Coach – Yury Kashirin

Cross Country Coach – Michel Leblanc

Downhill Coach – Chris Colbeck