A course built for bike specialists, the final North American World Cup stop mixes plenty of tech with a Full Distance course designed to carry speed through every section.
Set in Empire 47, one of the largest mountain bike centres in eastern North America, the venue offers over 75 kilometres of purpose-built trails for the race directors to work with. Since the first shovels of dirt were turned in 2013, it has become the epicentre of XTERRA Québec—and now, for the second year running, a World Cup stop that will see the best of the best take on some of the fastest-flowing trails of the series. In a sport designed to pit mountain bikers against triathletes, this is a course that puts bike power and skill front and centre.
Felix Forissier comes in three for three in Full Distance racing as he looks to reclaim the golden jersey from his elder brother Arthur, who currently leads the series. He’ll face stiff competition from strong riders like Ben Forbes and Kieran McPherson, both eager to take full advantage of this biker’s course. Alizée Paties will break her perfect run as she sits this one out, leaving a tough battle to unfold between the likes of Marta Menditto, Maeve Kennedy, Emma Ducreux, and local racer Katie Button.
After the mid-season reset, this is where the World Cup picks up again—to see who still has the power and speed as the series heads into its second half.