The University of Toronto is the only university in the city that has a mountain biking team as part of its varsity sports repertoire — and a great one at that. Led by head coach David Wright, the Varsity Blues’ mountain biking team was ranked second in Ontario last year behind the Queen’s Gaels. The current 2013 season is underway, and the Blues seek to uphold their reputation and advance past Queen’s in the University Cup.
The rivalry between the Gaels and the Blues has heated up as of late. In previous years, the Gaels have had an edge on the Blues, beating them by a remarkably small margin — as few as five points in some races. It is safe to say that U of T is looking forward to the rematch.
This season, the team has started strong and is continuing to improve. In individual races, captain Theo Theodossiou finished 10th, and David Biancolin finished fifth. Most notably, Roz Lougheed finished in second place. With one meet left in the University Cup coming up on October 6, U of T is off to the races for the top spot.
Mountain biking offers an adrenaline rush that thrill seekers love, and many more are finding this out. It became an Olympic sport in 1996, and is gaining recognition and new documentary on campuses with varsity teams. Jason Zhu, the director of the film, draws attention to the mountain biking season by putting the camera in front of the track. In a web series titled: “How to Win Paris-Ancaster,” Zhu documents the experience he and two other cyclists had at three distinct levels of biking.
On Sunday, Roz Lougheed won a bronze medal in the women’s sport division. The Blues mountain biking team will compete in the final race on October 6 in Port Hope, Ontario.
