New Zealand women’s downhill is in promising hands with two junior riders finishing in the top four at the conclusion of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup competition in Canada today.
Junior world champion Erice van Leuven has finished third overall despite the Commencal Les Orres having a fall during the finals run, recovering to finish 10th.
Fellow kiwi Sacha Earnest finished on the podium in the final MTB World Cup stop at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec, runner-up to winner Valentina Roa Sanchez (COL). Earnest, in her first year on the World Cup circuit, was fastest through the first time check and eventually finished 3.2s behind the Colombian to push up to fourth in the overall standings.
Meanwhile last year’s junior world champion Jenna Hastings, the Pivot Factory rider from Rotorua, finished 11th in qualifying in the elite downhill headed by Austria’s Valentina Holl, while popular Frenchman Loic Bruni was top qualifier in the elite men.
Leading kiwi was Tuhoto-Ariki Pene with seven kiwi men qualified for tomorrow’s semifinal.
In cross-country action, Anton Cooper was 21st in the short track race won by Frenchman Victor Koretzky with the kiwi star to start on the fourth row for Monday’s race.
Results, Downhill, Junior women: Valentina Roa Sanchez (COL) 4:51.896, 1; Sacha Earnest (NZL) at 3.2s, 2; Lisa Bouladou (FRA) at 4.4s, 3. Also: Erice van Leuven at 34.5, 10. Final standings: Roa Sanchez 390, Bouladou 360, Van Leuven 285, Earnest 220.
Junior men: Nathan Pontvianne (FRA) 4:02.610, 1; Mylann Falquet (FRA) at 3.7s, 2; Kimi Verdot (FRA) at 4.9, 3. Also NZers: Luke Wayman at 9.9s, 9.
Elite women qualifying: Valentina Holl (AUT) 4:35.37, 1; Marine Cabirou (FRA) at 1.0, 2; Nina Hoffman (GER) at 2.3, 3. Also NZers: Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory) at 20.6, 11.
Elite men: Loic Bruni (FRA) 3:57.739, 1; Troy Brosnan (AUS) at 0.4s, 2; Andreas Kolb (AUT) at 2.7, 3. Also NZers: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker) at 11.0s, 31; Toby Meek at 13.5, 42; George Brannigan at 13.5, 43; Sam Blenkinsop at 13.6, 45; Matthew Walker 14.4, 47; Wyn Masters at 14.9, 50; Brook MacDonald at 17.1, 55; Nico Arnold at 22.3, 68; Lachlan Stevens-McNab at 28.4, 73; Cameron Clemett at 39.5, 77; William MacDermid at 45.7, 81; James MacDermid at 1:39, 85.