New Zealand’s Samara Maxwell had to settle for sixth place but still maintains a significant lead after the final European leg of the UCI MTB Cross-country World Series in Switzerland.
The Decathlon Ford rider finished in sixth place, 1m32s behind winner Alessandra Keller (SUI) who prevailed by 16 seconds from world champion Jenny Rissveds (SWE) with Maxwell’s teammate Savilia Blunk (USA) third.
After placing fifth in the short-track race earlier in the week at Lenzerheide, Maxwell fought hard to push to the front on the start loop in today’s race, before gradually dropping back as Rissveds, Keller, Blunk and eventually Evie Richards (GBR) edged clear of the kiwi.
Keller clung to a narrow lead from Rissveds and the emerging Richards who flatted on the final lap. That left Keller to win by 16 seconds from Rissveds with Blunk a further nine seconds back in third, while Maxwell dug deep to finish 1:32 back in sixth place.
Maxwell collected 166 points from her fifth placing in the short track race and sixth today, giving up 112 points of her advantage in the overall points to Rissveds. But the kiwi star still holds a significant 323-point lead on the world champion, and nearly 400 points on Keller with two legs remaining in North America.
World champion Alan Hatherly (ZAF) was too strong in the elite men’s race, taking control mid-race and winning by over 30 seconds from GBR’s Charlie Aldridge and Frenchman Adrien Boichis.
Kiwi rider Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) pushed hard early, passing more than 20 riders on the first full lap but that effort took its toll as he eventually drifted back to 48th, 6:12 down on the winner, with compatriot Anton Cooper (Lapierre Racing) 54th from the 92 starters.
Of the other kiwi riders, Amelie Mackay was 42nd in the under-23 females with fellow Cantabrian Ethan Rose (Trek Future) riding strongly to finish 26th in the under-23 men, 4:54 down on the winner, with Taupo’s Coen Nicol 66th.
The penultimate round of the championship for cross-country and downhill will be staged at Lake Placid in up-state New York in two weeks, ahead of the finale on 9-12 October at Mont Sainte Anne near Quebec City in Canada.
Results, elite women, cross-country: Alessandra Keller (SUI) 1:24.10, 1; Jenny Rissveds (SWE) at 16s, 2; Savilia Bunk (USA) at 25s, 3. Also: Samara Maxwell (NZL) at 1:32, 6.
Standings: Maxwell 1913, Rissveds 1590, Keller 1520.
Elite men: Aan Hatherly (ZAF) 1:20.23, 1; Charlie Aldridge (GBR) at 32s, 2; Adrien Boichis (FRA) at 39s, 3. Also Sam Gaze (NZL) at 6:12, 48; Anton Cooper (NZL) at 6:56, 54.
