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 3:34.010, which was half a second clear of Australian Oliver Davis and defending champion Jackson Goldstone (CAN).
He is joined by four other kiwi riders to qualify for the elite men’s final in Christchurch’s Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton), Kaikoura’s Oli Clark (Mondraker Factory), Rotorua’s Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (Mondraker) and Hamilton’s James Macdermid (The Alliance).
Manawatu’s Jonty Williamson, who has already wrapped up the UCI junior men’s downhill world series, was fastest in junior men’s qualifying. The Yeti Fox Factory rider clocked 3:30.51 to lead way with four other kiwis also through in qualifying.
They are led by Queenstown’s Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton), second fastest behind Williamson, New Plymouth’s Seppy Binsbergen, Rotorua’s Sterling Stevens-McNab (The Alliance) and New Plymouth’s Dexter Lock who are all through to the finals.
Auckland’s Sacha Earnest, a two-time junior world championship medallist, was quickest of the kiwi gravity qualifiers in elite women in fourth fastest for the Trek Unbroken rider, just ahead of Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Synd) and joined in tomorrow’s final by Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill) and Rotorua teenager Kate Hastings.
In-form Queenstown rider Indy Deavoll (Stoic Racing) was best of the kiwis and third fastest in junior women’s qualifying, and will be joined in the finals by Martinborough’s Capella Martin.
This week’s rain helped pack down the soil on the downhill course which proved a fast and twisting test.
Downhill finals are set for tomorrow with action moving to cross-country finals on Sunday (local time)
Sacha Earnest in downhill qualifying at the UCI MTB World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. (Credit: SWPix)