05.31.08 - Canadians Prémont and Kabush win bronze medals at mountain bike World Cup

VALLNORD, Andorra – Olympic silver medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont of Chateau-Richer, Que., won the bronze medal in comeback style Saturday in the women’s cross country race at the fourth stop on the mountain bike World Cup circuit.

Geoff Kabush of Victoria also took bronze in the men’s race.

It was Prémont’s fourth medal in four World Cup races this season and she maintained her season lead in the cross country standings.

Margarita Fullana of Spain won the gold medal under rainy and cold conditions clocking one hour and 44 minutes and 34 seconds over 25.5 kilometres. Eva Lechner of Italy took second spot 1:42 behind the winner and Prémont was third 1:54 back of Fullana.

CathArine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., posted her best ever World Cup result finishing fourth at 2:18 from top spot.

Prémont was eighth at the halfway point. ‘’I was very, very cold,’’ Prémont told canadiancyclist.com. ‘’I could not feel my fingers for the first three laps and I could not shift or brake. Without the cold I think I could have done much better.’’

Pendrel also overcame a slow start to challenge for a medal.

‘’When I caught up to Marie-Hélène’s wheel with two laps to go…I could see that a podium was possible’’ said Pendrel, who posted the fastest lap of the day in the second lap.

Kiara Bisaro of Courtenay, B.C., was 13th, Sandra Walter of Victoria 29th and Wendy Simms of Nanaimo, B.C., 33rd.

The four women’s races this season have been won by four different riders but Prémont is the only one to post a top-three finish each time. She also won bronze at the season opener in Belgium and followed with silver medals at the next two stops.

In the overall standings, Prémont has 720 points with Fullana second at 710.

In the men’s race, Christoph Sauser of Switzerland was the victor in 2:02:15 over 35.7 kilometres. Burry Stander of South Africa was second 0.09 seconds back and Kabush was third 0:18 seconds behind the winner.

The fifth stop on the circuit next weekend in Fort Williams, Scotland.