06.07.08 - Canada’s Marie-Hélène Prémont wins gold at mountain bike World Cup

FORT WILLIAM, Scotland – Marie-Hélène Prémont of Chateau-Richer, Que., won the gold medal Saturday in the women’s cross country race at the fifth stop on the mountain bike World Cup circuit.

Prémont, the Olympic silver medallist in 2004, has earned a medal at all five World Cup stops this season but this was her first victory this season. With the win she obviously maintains her lead atop the overall cross country standings.

Prémont clocked the 39 kilometre race in two hours and 00.42 seconds with Margarita Fullana of Spain second at 13 seconds back and Sabine Spitz of Germany third more than three minutes behind the Canadian.

‘’It was my goal to win a World Cup here,’’ Prémont told canadiancyclist.com. ‘’And now I know that I am (in top condition) for the world championships. I knew that Margarita was riding very well, and that the climbing on this course suited her, so I could not let her go away,"

CathArine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., was 12th, Kiara Bisaro of Courtenay, B.C., 27th, Wendy Simms of Nanaimo, B.C., 29th and Sandra Walters of Victoria 40th.

It was a 1-2-3 Swiss finish in the men’s 46.8 kilometre race with Florian Vogel first, Nino Schurter second and Christoph Sauser third.

Seamus McGrath of Carling, Ont., was the top Canadian in 21st and Geoff Kabush of Victoria was 24th.