March 21, 2019 (Quebec City, QC) – With the COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals now just one day away, the Quebec City Armoury was the scene for members of the Canadian national team and event partners to roll out the red carpet for the world’s elite cross-country ski athletes for the fourth time since 2012. More than 175 athletes from 15 different countries will be competing in three men’s and women’s World Cup Finals events this March 22–24 right here on the Plains of Abraham to wrap up the 2018-2019 season in style. Event partner and official hotel Hilton Quebec is pleased to ensure the comfort of these elite athletes during their stay in Quebec City.

First up for the athletes to tackle on Friday is the Freestyle Sprint presented by Le Gruyère AOP, followed by the 10 km women’s and 15 km men’s Classic Mass Start presented by Le Gruyère AOP in collaboration with Cascades. The athletes’ final challenge on Sunday will be the 10 km women’s and 15 km men’s Freestyle Pursuit presented by Québecor in collaboration with Le Gruyère AOP. It promises to be a thrilling action-packed weekend, especially as the last time Quebec City hosted the World Cup Finals in 2017, it was voted the best event on the tour that season by the national teams in a recent International Ski Federation (FIS) survey.

The signature event of the season noone should miss
“Classic distance races in an urban setting are very rare to see, and we’re lucky in Quebec City to have all the infrastructure and resources it takes to host an elite international competition right here,” said Patrice Drouin, President of event producer Gestev. “It’s not just about the quality of the facilities, though. The athletes love the location too, and it’s safe to say Quebec City is the one event of the season noone wants to miss! Because we want to keep raising the bar, we’ve made a few minor adjustments to the course this year and added a new competition for junior athletes too.” The inaugural FIS Junior Invitational “Rising Stars” event takes place this Saturday afternoon, March 23, pitting the top North American and numerous European junior athletes against one another in a 10 km classic mass start race presented by Québecor, Cascades and Cross Country Canada.

World champion Alex Harvey to ski his last race
As announced several weeks ago, this will be local hero Alex Harvey’s last official racing season. When these COOP FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals wrap up, Canada’s cross-country icon will be hanging up his skis in front of a home crowd of adoring fans. Spectators are encouraged to turn out and cheer Alex on all weekend along the course. Major event partner and main sponsor of Alex Harvey, Québecor will be on site serving up an experience to remember for spectators who turn out to cheer the athletes on. Fans can look forward to the opportunity to meet Alex at a special autograph signing on Sunday, March 24 at 12:15 pm.

A flurry of activities for all
Place George-V, right beside the Plains, is the place to be to check out the INISKI taster sessions in collaboration with Fischer for a fun way for anyone to try cross-country skiing with family and friends. This activity is completely free of charge and gives adults and children the opportunity to ski around a 150-metre loop. Children must be 4 years of age or older. Hosts and instructors from the Quebec cross-country ski federation will be on hand to help rookie skiers rise to the challenge! Visitors can also come by the Expo Village in Place George-V or the Partners’ Village on the Plains of Abraham to check out all the movers and shakers in the sporting world and feast their eyes on all the latest goodies.

Cascades is generously providing a lounge space on the Plains of Abraham for visitors to sit back on a sofa and relax and warm up with a cozy blanket. And that’s not all—there’ll be big screens set up by the start and finish area, together with grandstands and a food zone complete with Michelob ULTRA pop-up bar and French crêpe food truck Crêpe Là to make the whole experience even more special.

See the full event details online at worldcupccquebec.com