Written by Cleve Dheensaw, Victoria Times Colonist, published Thursday, Nov 8, 2007

VICTORIA, B.C. - In case anyone loses track of the ultimate goal, there is a huge city street map of Beijing surrounded by pictures of all the 2008 Summer Olympics venues, hanging from the main wall of the national training centre offices. The national team mountain bikers, gathered in Victoria for an Olympic selection pool training camp this week, know the destination. But just who will get there is the question.

Canada has qualified for two men’s Olympic slots, one below the per-nation maximum of three, and the maximum two women’s spots. Now comes the process of deciding who will fill those spots next August in Beijing.

“We are giving equal opportunity and support for all these athletes,” said Houshang Amiri, head coach of the Canadian Olympic mountain biking and track-velodrome teams.

“Those riders who have the most UCI (cycling world governing body) points by the cut-off date June 30 will get the Olympic team spots.”

The math is brutally simple. May the best, and fastest, take the four Olympic berths.

Marie-Helene Premont of Quebec City, silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics and gold medallist at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, is practically a lock for one of the Canadian women’s berths. That likely leaves Athens Olympian and 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Kiara Bisaro of Courtenay, B.C., 2007 Rio de Janeiro Pan Am Games champion Catherine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., and the legendary three-time world champion and 41-year-old Alison Sydor of Victoria, B.C., the 1996 Atlanta Olympics silver medallist, fighting it out for the final Canadian women’s spot.

The stakes are high but the battle is sportsmanlike, say the riders.

“It’s a part of sport - there are only so many spots on any team,” said Bisaro.

“It’s not a personal thing. Every rider will try their hardest and then wish well the riders who make the Olympic team.

“Marie-Helene is in a strong position for one of the two (Canadian women’s) spots. That’s just the way it is. You do everything you can, and if someone is faster than you, then that’s the person you want on the Olympic team. You want the fastest two riders representing your country at the Games. It’s not always a personal thing about you. It’s about your country and wanting the best athletes there at the Games representing Canada - the ones who have proven they are the fastest.”

Commonwealth Games-medallist Seamus McGrath of Duncan, B.C., and Olympian Geoff Kabush of Courtenay are the leading Canadian men’s mountain bikers in UCI points and would appear to have the inside track to Beijing. But 22-year-old Max Plaxton of Victoria, originally targeted for London 2012, is one the emerging young stars of the world and hot on their heels.

“I don’t do a lot of talking - I’m usually all ears at national team camps such as these,” said Plaxton, referring to his relative youth and still-steep learning curve.

“I know I need strong World Cup performances (next spring and early summer), but hopefully I make this Olympic team for 2008 and have a good experience in Beijing,” added the 2006 world championships Under-23 bronze medallist.

The Olympic pool mountain-biking camp began Monday and concludes Friday.

CDheensaw@tc.canwest.com