A little rain was not about to dampen the spirits of those who assembled Sunday morning at the Naughton Trails as the scenic venue played host to the 2011 edition of the Mountain Bike Challenge, the second event in as many weeks for the Sudbury Fitness Challenge faithful.

Once again, the organization of the race was left in the capable hands of the Walden Mountain Bike Club (WMBC), benefitting heavily from their experience in running the discipline for the 2010 Ontario Summer Games in Sudbury.

"I think we're three off from what we had last year," noted WMBC President Rob St Marseille between races. "We've had no issues with the conditions, but we're going to keep an eye on it."

"If the conditions get dangerous, if there's any place we think that there might be an issue, we'll take that section of trail off the course and we'll ride a rain course."

This particular event offers a slightly different challenge to St Marseille and company than the Summer Games. It's one thing to put together a course for nothing but experienced riders, but a whole other matter altogether when trying to prepare for an event that, by its very nature, is meant to encourage a wide range of individuals to come out and participate.

"Last year, it was one race course with different distances," explained St Marseille. "Now, we have a race first thing in the morning for the little people (children's race). We have a ten o'clock race that allows for a little more of the mountain bike trails and then we have the afternoon race, which is a full-fledged mountain bike course like you would see at an Ontario Cup event."

As for the mountain bike club itself, St Marseille is pleased with the growth that has seen the racing team increase from six members to 17 this summer. "We're at a stage now where we're hoping to establish a children's program," he said.

"That's your feeder for your future members." A mainstay of the club for the past few years, Dominic Girard moved up one classification this year, now competing with the junior expert riders.

"The biggest adjustment really is the fitness," said the young man who went on to capture first place overall in the afternoon race. "You're jumping from a 20 km race to a 35 km race, and you have to bump up your speed as well, so the training is a lot more intense."

All of which means that Girard is continuing to grow as a cyclist. "My perspective on the sport has changed a lot," he said. "It keeps getting more interesting. I'm perfecting my technique, just learning more along the way."

Girard and his teammates will leave in two weeks to compete at the Mountain Bike DH Provincial Championships in Collingwood, before throwing himself into another off-season of training.

"I have a way better idea of what to expect next year now that I've been racing this category," Girard said. "I know what I've got to work on for next year, what my weak points are."

Somewhat the opposite situation for Marlee Clement, who uses the cross-training that mountain biking provides to ready herself for the varsity nordic ski season at Laurentian University.

"I like to stay active and I'm a member with the Walden Cross Country Fitness Club, so we come out to all the events," she said. With snow conditions dictating a relatively short season of training for the nordic ski crew, Clement knows that other sports have to fit into the mix.

"Biking is good, because it keeps up our cardio. Plus it's something to switch things up instead of running all the time." Of course, one very common sight on the streets of Sudbury in the summer time, particularly along the pathways of Ramsey Lake Road, is that of young athletes on roller skis, a near exact replica of the winter sport they practice.

"There is an adjustment, because when you're on roller skis, you have perfect wax all the time," Clement noted. "But for technique and everything, it's perfect to train."

Following is a list of complete race results from the Mountain Bike Challenge on Sunday: