The UCI Mountain Bike World Series is back in action following the summer break in Europe with no time for Kiwi riders to ease their way back into the competition scene.
There are just three rounds of the UCI MTB World Series remaining, with this weekend’s eighth round set for the famed stop of Les Gets in the Haute Savoie region.
This round for downhill and cross-country leads on to the UCI MTB World Championships in Switzerland starting next week, comprising cross-country, downhill, enduro, marathon and pump track competition.
It makes this weekend a key stop with one further round in Europe at Lenzerheide in Switzerland, followed by the final two rounds across the Atlantic in Canada and USA.
There are 11 kiwis in the top-10 in their respective competitions with five in the top five, pushing for podium and title placings in the remaining four rounds.
Leading the way is Paris Olympian Samara Maxwell, with the Decathlon Ford rookie currently leading the elite competition.
Maxwell, 23, has enjoyed an outstanding season at elite level with a win and five runner-up performances, showing a maturity beyond her years in her racing tactics.
Talented young kiwis are also pushing for honours in junior downhill with Hawkes Bay’s Tyler Waite (Yeti-Fox Factory) second overall in junior men and Kaikoura’s Oli Clark (MS Racing) fifth on the rankings.
Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Rotorua’s Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) are ranked third and fourth respectively in junior women’s downhill.
Waite has enjoyed three podiums while Clark has earned a win and a third placing in the junior men while Hulsebosch has claimed two podium finishes.
There’s keen interest in leading elites, Lachie Stevens-McNab (Rotorua, Trek Factory) and Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory) who are 10th and eighth respectively in the standings.
Top-10 Paris Olympic placegetter, Sam Gaze makes his return after illness and a stint with his Alpecin-Deceuninck road team. Gaze, who has not been competitive in a handful of starts this year, does have good memories at Les Gets, having won the short track world title at the venue in 2022.
That was countered with a significant accident in the elite XCO race on the following day. He joins Anton Cooper (Lapierre Racing) in the elite men’s field.
After staging the Enduro final round at the weekend, the Haute Savoie region stages cross-country short track and downhill qualifying on Friday local time.
Day two on Saturday local time is finals day for all downhill competition, and Sunday features for cross-country races for under-23 and elites.