Talented teenage mountain bike downhill tyro, Jonty Williamson has bagged his fourth straight junior men’s victory in the UCI MTB World Series in Switzerland.
The Palmerston North rider now holds the new record for the most consecutive world cup wins in the UCI Junior Men’s Downhill after the latest round in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
The 18-year-old Yeti Fox Factory rider produced an extraordinary display down the 1.84km dry and dusty track in the junior men’s final to win in 2:50.688. In a sport often decided by 10ths of a second, Williamson prevailed by nearly four seconds to his nearest competition.
“I am pretty stoked with how I sent today. It feels pretty unreal to go four in a row. I didn’t really expect that coming into the season,” said Williamson.
“I rode pretty well. It wasn’t as smooth as I wanted to do in some bits
“But I am just so happy with the result today and how the season is progressing.”
Taranaki’s Camden Rutherfurd (Nukeproof Axess) enjoyed his best result in the junior men’s downhill finishing fourth, just over a second off his first podium.
Meanwhile Queenstown’s Indy Deavoll continued her improvement in the junior women’s downhill, with the Stoic Racing teenager placing fourth in the final, taking eight seconds off her qualifying time. The kiwi rider was seventh in South Korea, fifth in Loudenvielle and only three seconds off the podium in Lenzerheide.
Trek Unbroken pro Sacha Earnest led the kiwi elite females in the final, bouncing back from injury with an impressive and tidy performance to finish sixth.
She led a strong showing from the kiwi elite females, with four finishing in the top 11. Earnest led the way followed by Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill) seventh, Tauranga’s rookie Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Synd) ninth and former junior world champion Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua) 11th.
After a superb qualifying run in the top three, there were high hopes for a strong performance from Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab in elite men. The Trek Unbroken professional, returning from injury, was second fastest in qualifying and building a potential podium run until two costly mistakes on the bottom part of the run ended his chances.
National champion Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) was the best of the kiwis in 23rd.
Tomorrow’s action moves to elite men’s cross-country with New Zealand represented by Anton Cooper, Sam Gaze and Jesse Cseh competing in elite men.
NZ Results, Downhill Finals:
Junior women: Indy Deavoll (Queenstown, Stoic Racing) 3:22.679, 4.
Junior men: Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North, Yeti-Fox Factory) 2:50.688, 1; Camden Rutherfurd (Nukeproof Axess, New Plymouth) 2:56.399, 4; Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth) 3:01.541, 14; Jed Kuegler (Rotorua) 3:07.582, 15; Sterling Stevens-McNab (The Alliance, Rotorua) dnf; Malik Boatwright (Queenstown, Continental Atherton) dns.
Elite Female: Sacha Earnest (Trek Unbroken, Auckland) 3:16.875, 6; Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill, Queenstown) 3:17.013, 7; Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Synd, Tauranga) 3:17.345, 9; Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua) 3:19.198, 11.
Elite Male: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) 2:52.178, 23; Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton, Christchurch) 2:55.218, 26; Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox Factory, Hawkes Bay) 2:55.515, 27; Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Unbroken, Rotorua) 3:31.382, 30.
Jonty Williamson on the podium in Lenzerheide (Credit: UCI).