If you were wondering why MTB trails around the province were vacant this weekend, we’ll forgive you for not following the National MTB Circuit. For the second year running, riders from all over Nova Scotia (along with folks from New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia and Maine) descended on the Gorge in Kentville to attend the final leg of the Canada Cup MTB points-series.
The 2019 Kentville Canada Cup is a high-level XCO mountain biking competition that attracts riders from across Canada (as well as international competitors). Although the Gorge in Kentville offers many trails of varying skill, Canada Cup athletes can really hang-tough along the more difficult twisting tracks laced with tree-roots, stones, mud and –perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the race– rabid fans! Unlike road racing, the short circuit layouts in MTB competition means you’ll see your favourite rider pass by multiple times as they grind, climb, slide and soar over narrow single-track and leg-burning, near-vertical ascents.
With over 160 riders flocking to Kentville, along with coaching staff and their families, the event not only puts the Gorge on the map as an international MTB venue, it acts as a boon for the rural economy in the Annapolis Valley. With the 2019 Kentville Canada Cup at its end, organizers with the Town of Kentville and TrailFlow Outdoor Adventures are already planning the event in 2020. Bicycle Nova Scotia invites you to mark the event in your calendar next August; come out and see this thrilling cycling discipline in action!