Talented kiwi teens Sacha Earnest and Erice van Leuven scored an historic one-two finish at the latest stop in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy today.
Earnest 17, and van Leuven 16, finished on top of the podium in the junior women’s downhill final on one of the most challenging downhill courses on the circuit, to create history for New Zealand gravity racers.
It was more impressive for Aucklander Earnest, the national junior champion, who was having her first World Cup start after suffering from concussion following a fall in preparation for the opening round last month.
Likewise van Leuven, who won the opening round of the world cup, returned from injury after crashing in the final of the previous round in Leogang, Austria where she was the fastest qualifier.
The Hutt Valley rider returned to racing at Val di Sole to set the fastest time in the final before Earnest scorched down the famed Black Snake course to be a full 12 seconds faster, with the pair celebrating the one-two finish.
“It feels pretty mean. I definitely did not expect this result in my first World Cup back after missing the first two races,” said Earnest. “This feels pretty good to come back especially with the win.
“The goal in the final was to make it to the bottom. I definitely wanted a smooth run which did not happen but I am so happy with the result. I had almost three offs as I unclipped three times and compressed pretty hard but overall it was a good run.
“This means the world to me. I could not be happier and I am so stoked with the result. I am happy with that run as it was a pretty sic track.”
Earnest’s time would have qualified her fourth fastest in the elite women’s competition.
The pair plan to move on to the world championships in Glasgow next month, with the team to be named in the coming days.
Meanwhile Ryan Hastings from Rotorua was the best of the New Zealand junior men in 20th.
Queenstown’s national champion Jess Blewitt produced a superb run to qualify third fastest for tomorrow’s semifinals in the elite women’s downhill, with an outstanding run only 2.8s behind top qualifier Camile Balance from Switzerland.
Rotorua’s Tuhoto-Ariki Pene was fastest of the New Zealand elite men in qualifying in 32nd place with MS Mondraker teammate Brook MacDonald, last week’s Enduro World Cup winner Matt Walker (Pivot Factory), James MacDermid (The Alliance) and Christchurch’s Sam Blenkinsop (Crestline) all through to the semifinals.
In cross-country racing, Alpecin Deceuninck professional Sam Gaze will start on the second row for Monday’s elite men’s race, after finishing ninth in the short track race with Anton Cooper (Trek Factory) on the fourth row after finishing 26th.
Yesterday Taupo’s Sammie Maxwell was fourth in the junior women’s short track with Canterbury’s Ethan Rose (Team Talley’s) 10th in the junior men ahead of their races on Monday.
Results:
Downhill, junior women final: Sacha Earnest (KiwiDH) 4:21.194, 1; Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) at 12.441, 2; Lisa Bouladou (FRA) at 14.799, 3.
Junior men final: Bodhi Kuhn (CAN) 3:43.788, 1; Ryan Pinkerton (USA) at 0.929s, 2; Henri Kiefer (GER) at 1.834, 3. Also NZers: Ryan Hastings (KiwiDH) at 15.999, 20.
Elite female, qualifying: Camile Balanche (SUI) 4:11.331, 1; Valentina Holl (AUT) at 2.560, 2; Jess Blewitt (NZL – GT Continental) at 2.829, 3. Also: Kalani Muirhead (KiwiDH) at 33.203, 20.
Elite men, qualifying: Jordan Williams (GBR) 3:36.164, 1; Laurie Greenland (GBR) at 1.856s, 2; Jackson Goldstone (CAN) at 2.212, 3. Also NZers for semifinal: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker) at 9.857, 32. Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker) at 11.636, 43; Matt Walker (Pivot Factory) at 11.821, 44; James MacDermid (The alliance) at12.584, 51; Sam Blenkinsop at 14.168, 57.
Cross-country short-track, elite men: Luca Schwarzbauer (GER) 19:45, 1; Alan Hatherly (ZAF) at 2s, 2; Joshua Dubau (FRA) at 3s, 3. Also NZers: Sam Gaze (Alpecin Deceuninck) at 7s, 9; Anton Cooper (Trek Factory) at 19s, 26.
Under-23 short-track: Carter Woods (CAN) 19:53, 1; Luca Martin (FRA) at 1s, 2; Adrien Boichis (FRA) at 2s, 3. Also NZers: Ethan Rose (Team Talley’s) at 20s, 10; Matthew Wilson (Team Talley’s) at 29s, 22; Caleb Bottcher (Rotorua) at 52s, 28.
Elite women short track: Laura Stigger (AUT) 19:37, 1; Puck Pieterse (NED) same time, 2; Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) at 6s, 3.
Under-23 women short track: Ronja Blochlinger (SUI) 19:31, 1; Heby Sofie Pedersen (DEN) at 6s, 2; Noemie Garnier (FRA) at 36s, 3. Also: Samara Maxwell (NZL) at 38s, 4; Mia Cameron (Team Talley’s) 34; Amelie Mackay (Team Talley’s) 38; Annabel Bligh (Team Talley’s) 39.
VISION: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gU8_i-kKKY
Note: 18.35 Sacha Earnest run; 26.30 celebrate with Erice and slow-mo, celebrate with father Dion; 29.00 replay her run and interview.