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Sexton leads solid track cycling showing at World Championships

Experienced Southland rider Tom Sexton completed a double of top 10 performances to lead the New Zealand team at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China.Sexton, who focussed on individual events in China, earned a silver medal in the scratch race along with seventh in the elimination race on the final day to complete a strong showing.Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Ryan Hollows was impressed overall with the track squad which is undergoing a significant rebuil...

Kiwi pair edged on countback

The New Zealand pairing on Prue Fowler and Bryony Botha missed out on the podium on countback at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China.The Kiwi pair finished equal with Japan on 18 points in the 30km Madison competition. However Japan was awarded the bronze medal on countback after finishing second in the double-points final sprint on countback.Fowler and Botha rode strongly to win the opening two sprints, and the sixth sprint to take the lead mid race. Great Britain and F...

Silver lining for Sexton as pursuits earn valuable points at World Championships

The experienced Tom Sexton earned New Zealand’s first medal of the 2026 UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai, China today.Sexton took out the silver medal in the men’s 10km Scratch race, the second time he has podiumed in this event at the world championships. He joins Greg Henderson as the only two-time kiwi medallists in this challenging event at the world championships.The 27-year-old Southlander positioned himself well in the lively bunch, timing his final sprint in the mele...

Kiwi riders set for UCI Track Cycling World Championships in China

New Zealand track riders take their first pedal strokes towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China starting on Wednesday.There are record numbers of nations taking part, and with the first qualifying points available from these world championships, racing is expected to be fierce.Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Ryan Hollows said the squad forms new combinations from that of the Paris Olympic Games, with the younger te...

Global mountain bike team excited by Williamson’s prospects

Yeti Cycles global leader, Garrett Davis believes MTB Junior Downhill season champion Jonty Williamson is another in a line of world-class riders coming out of New Zealand.Davis said that Yeti Factory Racing has had a long history of working with both Kiwi and Australian riders, with considerable success.“The mentality of Kiwi and Aussie riders has always fitted well with our American based team. The language helps, but the vibe of the riders has always fit well with our programs.”The Americ...

Walker, Penny leads strong women’s showing in China BMX Racing

It was Kiwi Girl-power again to the fore in the latest double rounds of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in China.Cambridge Olympian Leila Walker, after her runner-up effort in the final on Saturday in Chongli, China, enjoyed another grand final finish in the second day. She finished fifth on day two and now moves up to seventh overall in the season-long championship with two rounds remaining in USA.Meanwhile fellow Cambridge rider Lily Greenough is third in the overall standings for under-23 w...

New Zealand downhill rider awarded UCI Downhill World Series title

Kiwi teenager Jonty Williamson is the latest New Zealander to claim the UCI Junior Downhill World Cup overall series title, securing the 2026 crown.The 17-year-old from Palmerston North was on-hand at the final round of the 2026 UCI World Series at Lake Placid near New York today to receive his official honour.The Yeti-Fox Factory team rider missed the North American rounds after fracturing his wrist, but his six wins earlier in the season was sufficient to give him an unassailable lead in the o...

Greenough bags double podium in BMX Racing World Cup in China

Girlpower led the way for New Zealand BMXers in the latest rounds of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in China today.Cambridge teenager Lily Greenough, last year’s junior world champion, enjoyed two podiums in the double round in Mentougou near Beijing.Greenough was third in the junior women’s final on Saturday and went one better to be runner-up on day two, behind British rider Freia Challis.She is now second overall behind the British rider, with four more rounds in the championship, this week...

Taranaki rider leads strong Kiwi downhill MTB showings

Taranaki teenager Camden Rutherfurd claimed his first UCI MTB World Cup victory as Kiwi riders again shone at the penultimate downhill round in Whistler, Canada, today.17-year-old Rutherfurd (Nukeproof Axess) prevailed in the junior men's downhill final on a challenging, soft and wet Whistler course on a day when two other Kiwis narrowly missed the podium. Tauranga's Eliana Hulsebosch and Christchurch's Luke Wayman, both aged 19, were edged into fourth place after stellar performances.Rutherfurd...

Kiwi gravity riders in action at famed Canadian destination

Kiwi gravity riders have travelled to the spiritual MTB home of Whistler for the penultimate round of the UCI MTB Downhill World Series in Canada this weekend.There are 21 kiwi riders entered for the famed downhill track, the home of the Crankworx series, with the track expected to provide a fast and testing challenge.There are season-long podium places at stake for several Kiwi riders, although junior star, Jonty Williamson has already wrapped up the World Cup series title. The Yeti-Fox Factory...

Strong performances for Maxwell, Gaze in USA

Kiwi riders Samara Maxwell and Sam Gaze have finished at the sharp end of the penultimate round of the UCI MTB World Series cross-country in USA today.Maxwell (Decathlon Ford) finished 11th in the elite women’s race at Soldier Hollow, Utah, 2min down on winner Martina Berta (ITA).The Kiwi rider’s chances were dealt a major blow when she was caught in a crash on the opening lap, dropping a minute to the leaders. Maxwell fought back through the field to finish 11th, with her final lap the fift...

Gaze grabs Houdini-like short track win at UCI MTB World Series in USA

New Zealand’s Sam Gaze produced a remarkable performance to win the short-track honours as the UCI MTB World Series resumed in USA on Saturday.The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider began the short-track event in Soldier Hollow in Utah, USA from 26th spot in the back half of the grid, moving up to 10th with four laps remaining. Gaze was still in 10th on the back of the lead pack going into the final lap before producing a withering sprint to edge his way to an improbable victory.It was the fifth World...

Mead impressive with fourth placing at World Championship

Cycling New Zealand hand-cyclist Rory Mead produced an impressive performance in blazing hot conditions to finish fourth in the road race at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Alabama, USA on day three.The Kiwi rider went clear in a four-strong group that includes the hand-cycling powerhouse pair of Florian Jouanny (FRAZ) and Luca Mazzone (ITA) – both multi world and Paralympic champions – and American Cody Wills.The quartet remained together through two laps before Jouanny and...

Para cyclists battle heat at World Championships

US-based Wellingtonian Rory Mead has finished fifth in the opening time trial at the UCI Para cycling Road World Championships in the USA.Blazing hot conditions made for a demanding test over the 14.6kms individual time trial to start the championships in Huntsville, Alabama.Mead, who was fourth in the world championship time trial last year in Belgium, found the conditions challenging.Frenchman Florian Jouanny, the Olympic champion, successfully defended his world title, finishing 17 seconds cl...

Paris Olympic cyclist steps away

At 24 years of age, Kim Cadzow has decided to retire from professional road cycling, moving back to Queenstown where she and husband Brad are plotting the next stages of their lives.Kim emerged from a background in swimming and triathlon at the 70.3 professional level until covid struck. During this time, she met Wanaka-based coach Patrick Harvey, father of professional Mikayla Harvey and the force behind developing young female Kiwi cycling talent. He suggested she try road cycling.Early after ...

Para cycling pair chase UCI World Championship success in USA

Two Cycling New Zealand riders, Nicole Murray and Rory Mead, will contest the UCI Para cycling Road World Championships in Huntsville, Alabama, USA this weekend.It will be the closest thing to a “home” world championship for USA-based Mead, with the hand-cyclist based a day’s drive away in Ohio.Mead, who trained and raced in New Zealand this summer, is in career-best form as he eyes the Los Angeles Paralympic Games. He won two bronze medals in the UCI Para cycling Road World Cup time trial...

New Zealand cycling teams named for UCI Track World Championships

Cycling New Zealand has named 21 riders for two key upcoming global events for the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships and the UCI Track World Championships.Fourteen riders will compete in the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai, China on 14-18 October, with seven riders to contest the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships at Apeldoorn, Netherlands on 26 October-1 November.The championships are priority events for both teams, marking the start of the qualification process for t...

Cycling New Zealand junior track team richer for international experience

The 13-strong Cycling New Zealand team returned home much richer for the experience at the UCI Junior Track World Championships in Europe.The squad, after months of preparation in their home venues and a camp at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge, took on the might of the rest of the world at the superb Heusden-Zolder Velodrome in Limburg, Belgium.The challenge was made more difficult against the strength of the Europeans, in particular, who had the benefit of regular international comp...

Maxwell digs deep for top five finish at UCI MTB World Championships

In just her second significant race of the year, Sammie Maxwell fought her way to an impressive fifth place at the UCI MTB World Championship elite women’s cross-country in Italy.Maxwell, who rides for the Decathlon Ford professional team, found herself two minutes behind leader Sina Frei (SUI) mid-race but bided her time before powering up the brutal climbs at Vai di Sole to push up to fifth overall.Maxwell started her push three laps from the finish of the seven-lap test with gruelling climb...

Stevens-McNab nabs elite downhill medal at UCI MTB World Championships

Rotorua professional Lachlan Stevens-McNab has finished runner-up in the elite men’s downhill mountain bike at the UCI MTB World Championship at Val di Sole, Italy today.The 22-year-old from the Trek Unbroken professional team, came within a blink of creating history in winning the rainbow jersey, with Canada’s Jackson Goldstone edging him by just 0.695s with the final run of the competition. Stevens-McNab is just the second New Zealand elite men’s rider to podium in downhill at the world ...

New Zealand gravity riders superb in UCI MTB World Downhill qualifying

An outstanding 16 New Zealand downhill riders have qualified for tomorrow’s finals after outstanding qualifying performances at the UCI MTB World championships in Val di Sole, Italy.They are led by Rotorua’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab and Palmerston North’s Jonty Williamson who were fastest respectively in the elite men and junior men qualifying on a superb day of downhill performances for the kiwi contingent.Stevens-McNab (Trek Unbroken) laid down the marker in elite men with a superb run of 3...

Encouraging start for Kiwi riders at UCI MTB World Championships

There were encouraging signs from Paris Olympians Sammie Maxwell and Sam Gaze with strong performances in the short track races to start the UCI MTB World Championship competition in Val di Sole in northern Italy.Maxwell, back after an eight-month break from the sport was 14th in the short track championship race, just 34 seconds behind winner Laura Stigger (Austria) in the 10km multi-lap race.The Decathlon Ford professional recorded consistently fast laps and steadily moved through the fie...

Powerful Kiwi MTB team set to tackle UCI World Championships in Italy

Popular rider and social media commentator, Wyn Masters will get the New Zealand campaign off the start line at the UCI MTB World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. Masters has confirmed his start in the E-MTB event on top of his popular role as a media commentator.After hot weather for much of the summer, rain this week has turned the tracks to mud for training and potentially for the E-MTB events this evening (NZT) at the major alpine region of Trentino in northern Italy.Further rain is fore...

Maxwell impresses in racing return to UCI MTB World Series stage

Kiwi mountain biker Sammie Maxwell made an outstanding return to the sport, finishing sixth in the UCI MTB World Series cross-country at Les Gets in the Haute Savoie region of France.After an eight-month break from the sport to focus on her health issues, the 2025 UCI MTB World Series women’s champion impressed in her performance at Les Gets.After a flat tyre thwarted her hopes in the short-track race earlier in the week, Maxwell impressed to push through from 29th on the starting grid to...

Williamson makes kiwi mountain bike history with World Cup title

Palmerston North downhill rider, Jonty Williamson has created history after claiming his sixth win of the season at the UCI MTB World Cup at Les Gets in France today.The 17-year-old, who rides for the Yeti Fox Factory team, has wrapped up the junior men’s downhill title with two rounds remaining. In doing so, Williamson becomes the first New Zealand male to win a UCI Downhill World Series title in any grade.Double downhill junior world champion Erice van Leuven won the junior women’s downhil...