Three-time national champion Jess Blewitt and former World Championship junior medallist, Tuhoto-Ariki Pene bagged season-best performances in the elite downhill finals at the latest round of the UCI MTB World Cup Downhill at Pal Arinsal in Andorra.
The earlier start and cancellation of the junior finals enabled organisers to avoid predicted electrical storms.
Blewitt, the Cube Factory professional from Queenstown who turned 23 this week, moved into the top-10 on the elite women’s season-rankings with a fourth placing in the final. Her excellent run in the finals earned her the Hot Seat, holding on until she was edged out by the last three riders.
She is now in eighth place on the elite standings with her fourth in Andorra following two fifth placings at Val di Sole and Leogang and seventh in La Thuile.
Fellow kiwi Sacha Earnest, in her first year in the elite ranks after world championship junior bronze medals in 2023 and 2024, was seventh for her best season finish after placing 10th in Loudenvielle. The 19-year-old Trek Factory rider had a brilliant start, fourth fastest in the midway mark, and she finished just 0.7secs off a spot in the top-five.
Pene bagged his best performance of the season, qualifying for the final in the 20th and final spot, before producing a stunning ride in the final, where he was eighth. The MS Racing professional clocked the fastest speed in the final at 56.47kph and was seventh fastest at the first time check.
It was his best World Cup performances as an elite after storming on the scene as a world championship junior medallist, with his efforts at Andorra moving him inside the top-30 on season standings.
After a brilliant qualifying performance, Rotorua’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory Racing) made a major mistake on the top part of the course in the finals, dropping over 20 seconds getting back on to the course. The Trek Factory rider recovered with competitive times over the bottom half of the course to finish 26th but he retains his place in the top-10 on the season rankings after six of the 10 rounds.
The high altitude of Andorra will test the cross-country riders who are in action on the final day of competition, before a three week break leading to a busy round at Haute-Savoie in France comprising round seven of 10 for both downhill and cross-country and the season finale for Enduro.
Pal Arinsal Results, Downhill:
Elite Male: Qualifying 1 (top 20): Juan Munoz (COL) 2:40.275, 1; Loic Bruni (FRA) at 0.290, 2; Jordan Williams (GBR) at 0.492, 3; NZers to qualify: Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory, Rotorua) at 0.651, 4; Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) at 2.184, 20. Qualifying 2 (top 10 to progress, NZ riders): Toby Meek 2:45.891, 32; James Macdermid 2:47.261, 38; Sam Gale 2:50.092, 43; Luke Wayman 2:51.253, 47; Ed Masters 2:52.374, 53; Agnus Ferguson 2:53.049, 54.
Final: Loic Bruni (FRA) 2:34.367, 1; Jackson Goldstone (CAN) at 1.279s, 2; Loris Vergier (FRA) at 2.167, 3. Also NZers: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) at 3.288, 8; Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory, Rotorua) at 27.643, 26.
Standings: Goldstone 1406, 1; Bruni 1269, 2; Vergier 926, 3. Also NZers: Stevens-McNab 439, 10; Pene 193, 28.
Elite female, Final: Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) 2:56.835, 1;Valentina Holl (AUT) at 1.816s, 2; Millie Johnset (NOR) at 1.990, 3. Also NZers: Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory, Queenstown) at 4.271, 4; Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory, Auckland) at 5.958, 7.
Standings: Holl 1344, Hemstreet 1225, Seagrave 1152. Also NZers: Blewitt 555, 8; Earnest 180, 16.
Junior Male Standings: Max Alran (FRA) 279, Tyler Waite 265, Till Alran 263. Also NZers: Oli Clark 198, 5; Jonty Williamson 168, 6; Malik Boatwright 120, 9.
Junior women, standings: Rosa Zierl (AUT) 300, 1; Aleta Ostgaard (USA) 245, 2; Eliana Hulsebosch (NZL) 205, 3. Also other NZers: Bellah Birchall 180, 4; Kate Hastings 160, 7’ Indy Deavoll 100, 9.