Anton Cooper has shown a liking for next year’s Paris Olympic cross-country course after finishing runner-up in the test event today.
The Trek Factory rider was pipped in the sprint finish by French star Victor Koretzky with 10-time world champion and Rio Olympic winner, Nino Schurter third.
The cross country circuit for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is located on the Elancourt hill, the highest hill in the Yuelines region, 44 km west of Paris.
Each 4.4km loop has an elevation gain of 110m with a variety of technical challenges with a rock gardens and jumps.
Rotorua’s Sam Thompson, the Cycling New Zealand MTB high performance campaign manager, said the course had impressed riders more than at first glance.
“It is a power course with short punchy climbs which required riders to be on and off the power quickly to maintain momentum,” said Thompson. “I think it is a course that suits Anton.
“Organisers are expected to make some changes as a result of feedback from riders and coaches at this event but overall it was better than some thought it would be.”
Cooper said the course is mostly man-made but on the back of his performance today, it was one that suits his style.
He got away in a group of seven mid race before he and Koretzky edged ahead of Shurter on the final lap, with the Frenchman too strong in the sprint.
Teammate Sam Gaze, returning from illness that forced his withdrawal form the La Vuelta Grand Tour recently, finished 27th at 3:27 from the winner.
It proved a doubly satisfying day for locals with French star Loana Lecomte winning the women’s race, clear of Austria’s Laura Stigger by 39s, with world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) finishing a minute behind in third.
New Zealand’s under-23 world champion, Sammie Maxwell was 3:53 behind the winner in 17th.
Riders now head over the Atlantic for the final two rounds of the UCI World Series at Snowshoe in USA and Mt Sainte Anne in Canada.