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FIS Tour du Canada 2016!
By:  CCC   (2014/06/06)

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Tour du Canada 2016 - FIS Cross-Country World Cup takes final shape

Host venues finalized: Gatineau, Montréal, Québec, Canmore and Lake Louise

 

 

Friday June 6, 2014 - Last year at the Spring Calendar conference in Dubrovnik, the Sub-committee for World and Continental Cups Cross-Country supported the proposal from Cross Country Ski de fond Canada ("CCC") to organize a multi-stage tour event in Canada in 2016. One year later at the 49th FIS Congress in Barcelona (SPA), the Tour du Canada 2016 - FIS Cross-Country World Cup presented by Viessman has now taken its final shape with Gatineau, Montréal, Québec, Canmore and Lake Louise confirmed as host venues for the culminating events of the 2015-2016 FIS World Cup Cross Country season.

 

Provisional agreement

« It's a provisional agreement. Indeed, CCC and its Local Organizing Committee partners have until September 15 to finalize the event technical and financial details », explains Patrice Drouin, president of Gestev, executive producer for the Québec and Montréal races, as well as the marketing and communication agency for the entire Tour. « A FIS homologation expert will visit in August to approve the various race courses proposed by the organizers », says Dave Dyer, event director at Cross Country Canada. More information on the event details is expected to be provided this fall.

 

A total of 8 races

The Tour du Canada 2016 - FIS Cross-Country World Cup will feature five iconic Canadian ski destinations as host venues. The first week of racing will feature 4 stages in Gatineau, Montreal and Quebec City while the second week will take place in Alberta (Canmore and Lake Louise).

 

Ottawa's historic Parliament Hill will serve as a spectacular backdrop for the opening. Gatineau's downtown sprint event will be staged in Jacques Cartier Park beside the beautiful Canadian Museum of History.

 

The second stage is slated for Montréal, with Mont Royal to provide a challenging playground for the world's top nordic athletes. The famous site in the heart of Quebec's largest city was host to Canada's first National Cross Country Ski Championships in 1921. Next, the tour will move to Québec City, which will leverage the successful Sprint Quebec 2012 World Cup in a spectacular city setting adjacent to the Plaines of Abraham and the fortifications of the famous World Heritage site.

 

The final stages will be set against the backdrop of the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains. One of the world's most renowned and picturesque cross-country venues, the Canmore Nordic Centre will once again serve as the hub for an exciting mix of traditional and innovative competition formats. The penultimate leg of the event will feature a classic distance race starting and finishing on iconic Lake Louise in Banff National Park.

 

Event Overview

Gatineau - March 1

Montréal - March 2

Québec - March 4 and 5

Canmore - March 8, 9

Lake Louise - March 11

Canmore - March 12

 

It is worth noting that with no major championship event (Olympics or FIS World Ski Championships) on the calendar in 2015-16, the Tour du Canada 2016 - FIS Cross-Country World Cup will be the pinnacle event of the season, and will also determine the winners of the prestigious FIS crystal globes. In order to maximize the number of participants the World Cup Sub-committee agreed to move the tour to the last World Cup period in March, a time typically filled by traditional marquee Scandinavian events and the season-ending World Cup Finals.

 

With the host venues of the event now finalized, a detailed work plan in regards to the competition program and race formats will be concluded at the FIS Autumn Meeting in Zurich in October.

 

About Cross-Country Canada

Cross-Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation's optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 58,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada's National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners - Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas and Statoil - along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Own the Podium, Cross-Country Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions.

 

About Gestev

Created in 1992, Gestev is a dynamic event management company specialized in sports and cultural event. Throughout the years, Gestev was able to raise event management standards by adding a party twist to high caliber competitions, including music shows and entertainment, while making competitions accessible to all. The Snowboard Jamboree, the Red Bull Crashed Ice, the Transat Québec Saint-Malo, the Sprint Québec and the Vélirium are just a few of Gestev events. Gestev also manages Baie de Beauport and is a certified responsible event manager (BNQ 9700-253).

 

About FIS

FIS, founded in 1924, is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding. Recognised by the International Olympic Committee, FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding and sets the international competition rules. Through its 119 nations, more than 7'000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote snow activities, notably for the young.

 

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INFORMATION :

 

FIS  - Michal Lamplot / +41 (79) 260 75 73 / lamplot@fisski.com

Cross Country Ski de fond Canada - Matthew Jeffries / (1) 403 678-6791 x45 / mjeffries@cccski.com

Québec and Montréal - Marie-Michelle Gagné / GESTEV / (1) 418 561-6762 / mmgagne@gestev.com

Gatineau - Claude Laramée / (1) 819 230-7041 / laramee.claude@bell.net

Alberta - Norbert Meier / (1) 403 760-0633 / nmeier@albertaworldcup.com

 
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