Canada's Pendrel wins World Cup race to take overall series lead

Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., won the fifth round of the Mountain Bike World Cup on Saturday in Mont Sainte-Anne, Que., to take the overall series lead.

Pendrel finished with a time of one hour 41 minutes 40 seconds, 23 seconds ahead of American Georgia Gould. Local favourite Marie-Helene Premont of Chateau Richer, Que., was third, 1:51 back.

Emily Batty of Brooklin, Ont., was sixth, 3:35 behind Pendrel. Both riders were named to Canada's Olympic mountain bike team Wednesday.

"I had a slow start and it took me a while to work my way up to the leaders," Pendrel said. "[Gould] was riding really strongly for the first part of the race, but I could see I was bringing her back in the last two laps. I can tell my form is building every week, so this is just another step towards the Olympics."

In the men's race, Victoria's Max Plaxton was the top Canadian finisher in fifth, 2:39 behind race winner Nino Schurter of Switzerland. Geoff Kabush of Courtenay, B.C., was the only other Canadian man to finish in the top-20, finishing 16th, 6:44 behind Schurter. Plaxton and Kabush were named to Canada's Olympic team on Wednesday.

"This is probably the best result of my career," Plaxton said. "I've won the national title two times, but this is a race against all the top pros, so it is very special to me. I think I can now look forward to the possibility of a top-three next week at the next round of the World Cup."