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 her final sixth placing, after rain earlier in the day made for more challenging conditions.
Maxwell pushed up to 15th on the second lap, then into the top 10, working her way finally to sixth place, including clocking the fastest time of the field on her penultimate lap.
Meanwhile compatriot Sam Gaze (Alpecin Premier Tech) was 32nd in the men’s race after starting 47th on the grid, pushing up to 20th at one stage, while fellow kiwi Anton Cooper (Lapierre PXR) was 83rd.
The New Zealanders will head to Val di Sole in Italy for the UCI MTB World Championships this weekend.
NZ XCO results:
Elite female: Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford) at 1:45, 6.
Elite men: Sam Gaze (Alpecin Premier Tech) at 5:09, 32; Anton Cooper (Lapierre PXR) at 3 laps, 83.
Sammie Maxwell enjoying her first race back