1998 World Cup Mountain Biking Finals
Bromont, QB, Canada
Sept. 5-6, 1998

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Cadel pushed

Sydor and Evans Give Volvo-Cannondale a Triple Championship

The Grundig/UCI Mountain Bike World Cup wrapped up its season this weekend in the rolling hills of Bromont, Quebec. While green grass and trees surrounded the hundreds of riders in the final race of the season, it was all blue on the victory podium as the royal blue Grundig leaders jersey was presented to the blue-clad Cannondale team.

Alison's on top

Alison Sydor and Cadel Evans (Volvo-Cannondale) capped their stellar seasons with a suitcase full of swag; championship trophies, blue jerseys and a trade team cup as reward for a great season of riding. While neither won their race here in Canada, they played the consistency game to a tee and redeemed their ‘97 seasons in style.

Sydor was out for part of last season with injuries while Evans was bested in the French finals in Annecy (by Martinez). It was therefore with pure satisfaction that these two drank from a champagne-filled trophy to the cheers of over 12,000 fans.

Women's Finals

Alison Sydor (CAN, Volvo-Cannondale) was the name on everyone’s lips Saturday as the Canadian from Vancouver, BC, aimed squarely at the season’s overall title. After a disappointing ‘97, where injuries and Paola Pezzo (ITA, Gary Fisher) kept her from the coveted crystal orb, Sydor has been a woman possessed this summer as she battled a new crop of elites at each race.

2 of 5

Bromont, a small town just east of Montreal, is where she locked it all up, placing second behind another standout in Gunn-Rita Dahle (NOR, American Eagle). While Dahle played the four lap race perfectly for her season’s second win, Sydor did what she needed to secure the overall, finishing in front of points-chaser Leboucher.

The consummate professional, Sydor left nothing to chance after a season of bike problems. She rode a brand-new frame with a Canadian paint job, lightened up by the removal of the small chainring and weighed down a bit with a special new thumb-actuated suspension fork lockout. Inner tubes were a bit thicker also, as one flat tire would have ended her season’s title.

Dahle ridin' wheel

Dahle, meanwhile, simply sat on Sydor’s wheel for three laps, never letting the leader out of her sights. After biting at the bit for three laps, the superior descender Dahle finally passed for the lead and never looked back. She dropped Sydor like a bad habit and put a minute and a half on her by the end of the next and final lap. It was brilliant tactics by the woman most able to win the pending World Championships.

Leboucher rode her best on this technical course but, as she admitted, was unable to match the leaders’ technical abilities. Physically off-peak, the diminutive Frenchwoman was happy to take third as she works on her skills in the trees.

Last year’s champ, Pezzo, finished fifth behind Margarita Fullana (ESP, Mt. Dew/Specialized) after the two battled hard the entire race. With no mechanicals or flats among the top women, the podium seems to be already set for Mont Sainte-Anne, only the order of which remains to be seen.

Men's Finals

Today's winners

Sunday was a perfect day for racing with blue skies and gentle breezes wafting through the venue. All the top riders were here, finishing out their seasons and warming up for World’s. Evans was the points leader, followed by Rune Hoydahl (NOR, Giant) and Miguel Martinez (FRA, Sunn-Un). If either of these two could win - with Evans flatting or crashing - an upset would be at hand.

Evans made sure no strange scenarios played out however, as he chased race leader Christophe Dupouey (FRA, Sunn-Un) for five and a half laps of undulating terrain. Dupouey would not be denied this weekend, crushing the field by nearly two minutes at one point. He finished first, followed by a surging Martinez and an ecstatic Evans.

Dupouey crushed

Simply by maintaining contact with Martinez and Hoydahl, Evans played it safe and protected his season. He didn’t flat — though it was on his mind. He didn’t win — though he would have loved to. He did, however, win the world cup, and that’s all that mattered to the boy in blue.

The overall men

Evans, Martinez and Hoydahl were part of a five-man chase group which could not reel in Dupouey over the rolling singletrack and steep climbs of Bromont. They traded leads, jockeyed for position and generally psyched each other out until Martinez finally took off in the last lap, finishing only 1.47 seconds behind Dupouey, who was stopped before the finish, waiting for his small teammate.

Evans lead the rest of the group to the finish, Hubert Pallhuber (ITA, Diamondback) and Rune Hoydahl (NOR, Giant) rounding out the podium. Evans won his title, and Hoydahl dropped on place to third overall. Pallhuber finished fourth overall and Meirhaeghe fifth.

— Rich Neare, learning French in Quebec for The Mountain Zone.