Oceania champion Anton Cooper showed signs he is returning to strong form, placing eighth in the short track elite men’s cross-country race in the latest round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Leogang, Austria.
Cooper, the Trek Factory professional, has earned a front-row start for the weekend cross-country race and pleasingly, felt strong as he pushed up on the final two laps from mid-pack to eighth, just 13 seconds off runaway winner Jordan Sarrou (FRA).
It was not such good news for teenage talent Erice van Leuven who crashed in her junior women’s downhill final, where she was top seed and last rider to run.
Chasing her second straight junior women’s World Cup title, the Commencal Les Orres professional slipped offline at the start of her run and fell heavily. She walked away and the team reported she “will return stronger.”
The Hutt Valley teenager had qualified fastest for the final and was last rider to run as the weather on the mountain began to change with stronger winds with rain falling midway through the junior men’s run.
Queenstown’s national champion, Jess Blewitt (GT Continental) is the sole New Zealand elite to qualify through to the semifinals in downhill after finishing ninth fastest in qualifying.
There are four New Zealand men to make the semifinal including national champion Toby Meek, fellow MS Mondraker professional Tuhoto-Ariki Pene, two-time national champion George Brannigan (NZ Bikes UR) with Christchurch veteran Sam Blenkinsop leading the way as ninth fastest.
The focus is on downhill late tonight (NZ time) through to early Sunday morning, with the cross-country starting on Sunday night (NZ time from 6.30pm) through to the elite men at 1.30am Monday.
Today’s results:
UCI Mountain Bike Worle Series, Leogang, Austria:
Downhill, Junior women final: Erice van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) dnf.
Elite women qualifying: Valentina Holl (AUT) 3:32.941, 1; Camille Balanche (SUI) at 2.01, 2; Nina Hoffmann (GER) at 4.32, 3. Also NZers: Jess Blewitt (GT Continental) at 12.86, 9; Kalani Muirhead (KiwiDH) at 31.90, 26. Qualifiers for semifinal: Jess Blewitt
Elite men qualifying: Davide Palazzari (ITA) 3:11.755, 1; Mat Walker (GBR) at 0.243s, 2; Ian Guionnet (FRA) at 1.71s, 3. NZers: Sam Blenkinsop at 5.569, 9; Toby Meek (MS Mondraker) at 11.93, 23; Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker) at 15.22, 51; George Brannigan (NS Bikes UR) at 15.42, 53; Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union) at 16.40, 63; Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory) at 17.59, 67; Sam Gale at 19.95, 79; Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker) at 26.78, 110; Gareth Burgess at 18.06, 117; James MacDermid (The Alliance) at 28.40, 118; Cameron Clemett (KiwiDH) at33.78; 125; William MacDermid (The Alliance) at 41.92, 146; Josh Barry (Kiwi DH) at 3:19, 158; Nico Arnold dnf; Hayden Stead dns. NZ qualifiers for semifinal: Blenkinsop, Meek; Pene, Brannigan.
Cross-country Short Track, elite men: Jordan Sarrou (FRA) 21.08, 1; Luica Schwarzbauer (GER) at 2s, 2; Martins Blum (LAT) at 3s, 3. Also: Anton Cooper (NZL – Trek Factory) at 13s, 8.