09.01.11 - HAROLD WOOLNOUGH QUALIFIES FOR FINALS WITH TENTH FASTEST TIME IN FOUR-CROSS

Lone Canadian four-cross rider at Worlds impresses in third international competition

(Champéry, SUI – September 1, 2011) Harold Woolnough of Toronto, ON, currently studying Economics and Business at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC has qualified with the tenth fastest time in the four-cross race at the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships in Champéry, Switzerland.

Woolnough, 23 years old, crossed the finish line of the 600-meter track in 34.873 seconds, just 1.853 seconds off the leaders’ time.

“It was the plan to go really hard on the qualifying, because I know the course suited me, and threw it all on the line. There will be a few bottle necks tomorrow in the top sections, and it’ll be important to have line choices. Going hard ahead right from the start will be crucial,” said Woolnough, who has a career two World Cup starts in four-cross – an 12th place in Windham in 2010 and an 18th place in Mont-Sainte-Anne this year.

The four-cross course in Champéry is described by many as technical and steep. The first straight is really steep and fast, and then the track merges into a tight left corner. “It’s going to be a bottleneck up there. Either you can be in front and safe, or be caught in the traffic and try to avoid the crashes that will happen. There will definitely be some carnage tomorrow!” added Woolnough, who started racing downhill when he was 18.

There has been two Canadian Championships in four-cross, 2009 and 2010. This year’s edition of the event was cancelled. “It’s too bad that there is no racing in Canada right now. There were two Canadian Championships in 2009 and 2010. I got third at the 2010 championships. It’s too bad because four-cross is a lot of fun. I really enjoy just riding it. There are a couple of guys who really took advantage of this opportunity.

The four-cross finals at the World Championships are scheduled to begin tomorrow, Friday, at 21h CET, and can be watched on www.freecaster.tv