Olympians are biking through our mountains.

With the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympic Games less than a year away, many of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 top mountain bikers are traversing the Canadian National Mountain Bike TeamB次元官网网址檚 high performance training centre at Bear Mountain.

B次元官网网址淗aving a training centre is something that the Canadian mountain bike team has never had before, so I think itB次元官网网址檚 going to be a really important step for us,B次元官网网址� world champion and two-time Olympian Catherine Pendrel said after a recent training session.

B次元官网网址淢ountain biking really hasnB次元官网网址檛 been a centralized sport B次元官网网址� To be able to come here and get that one-on-one feedback with the coaches we are working with consistently will be really fantastic for the development of Canadian mountain biking, which is already really strong.B次元官网网址�

Pendrel, who lives in Kamloops, where winter training includes cross-country skiing among other activities B次元官网网址� mountain biking gets rather treacherous in the snow B次元官网网址� said the specificity of training on her bike all-year round has been a positive experience. Even the IslandB次元官网网址檚 wetter months offer an opportunity to train in conditions that can mimic the damp and muddy conditions she deals with when she competes on the world stage.

B次元官网网址淭his is phenomenal to come here and have that welcoming banner with the national mountain bike centre (on the foot bridge over Bear Mountain Parkway). ItB次元官网网址檚 really cool you know,B次元官网网址� said Pendrel, the 2011 and 2014 world champion.

B次元官网网址淲e have so many phenomenal athletes B次元官网网址� (and) the great guidance of Dan Proulx our national team coach, I think, is going to be really strong for our program.B次元官网网址�

Proulx, who has lived on the Island for 10 years, plans to bring all of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 best riders together for a training camp in February, in preparation not only for the Olympics, but for the Canada Cup race to be run at the resort. He had high praise for Bear Mountain, as well as course designer and Highlands resident Jordie Lunn, whose layout will offer similar challenges to what some the riders will compete on for Olympic gold.

B次元官网网址淢y first thought was this is like Rio; the same type of wide track with smooth flowing corners and berms,B次元官网网址� Proulx said. B次元官网网址淪o itB次元官网网址檚 a really good addition to the park and itB次元官网网址檚 incredible the amount of trails that have been built just since April. I would say the park has already doubled in size and it just keeps getting better as more and more riders come here and try the trails.B次元官网网址�

alim@goldstreamgazette.com