New Zealand’s dynamic young talent bagged three podiums between them in downhill finals on the opening day of the Whoop UCI MTB World Series in Poland today.
Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch, in her first World Series final with for the highly rated Santa Cruz professional team, finished superbly to grab third place in the junior women’s final at the Szczyrk Mountain Resort in Bielska-Biala.
She was joined with podium success by fellow kiwis in the junior men where Hawkes Bay rider Tyler Waite was only 0.8 seconds from victory, finishing second. The Yeti-Fox Factory professional was joined by Kaikoura’s Oli Clark who finished third for his new MS Racing team.
Riders had to cope with unseasonably cold and wet weather, with snow falling throughout the week to make for a hugely demanding course and slippery conditions down the 2km track with 400m of descent over tight tracks and big jumps.
Hulsebosch, the first junior women’s rider signed to the crack Santa Cruz professional team run by former world champion Steve Peat, was a standout. The Tauranga rider was fifth midway through her run but produced a withering final section where she was fastest, to nab the third place, five seconds behind winner Rosa-Marie Jensen from Denmark.
It was her fifth World Cup medal after earning four last year including a victory at Val di Sole.
Rotorua’s Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) finished an impressive eighth place, 11 seconds behind the winner.
Hawkes Bay rider Tyler Waite set the scene with a remarkable run to grab the hot seat in the junior men’s final. Riding for the Yeti-Fox Factory team, Waite was fifth fastest through the first section but defied the conditions to be fastest on the rest of the run.
Waite, who scored two World Cup podiums last year, went to the top of the field with the then-fastest time ahead of fellow kiwi Oli Clark from Kaikoura for MS Racing.
Top qualifier Max Alran (FRA) pipped Waite’s time by just 0.8s to secure the honours with Waite second and Clark third. Fellow kiwis Jonty Williamson (Palmerston North) from the Yeti-Fox Factory team and Queenstown’s Malik Boatwright (Team High Country) were fourth and 12th respectively. Williamson finished just half a second behind’s Clark’s time.
Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab was the only kiwi to qualify for the elite men’s final. The Trek Factory professional had been ill in the lead-up to the opening round, but qualified sixth fastest. Chasing his third World Cup podium, he made a mistake on the first section which cost him any chance.
Queenstown’s multi-national champion Jess Blewitt finished 13th in the elite women’s final after a strong qualifying performance. After a fast start, she made a mistake in the second section, recovering to ultimately finish 13th fastest in the final.
There will be little time to dwell with the second round for downhill and third for enduro to be staged at the French base of Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees in two weeks.
Results, Downhill Finals:
Junior women: Rosa-Marie Jensen (DEN) 3:41.724, 1; Lina Frener (AUT) at 4.646s, 2; Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Team, Tauranga) at 5.029, 3. Also NZers: Belah Birchall (Team High Country, Rotorua) at 11.435s, 8.
Elite women: Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) 3:34.340, 1; Anna Newkirk (USA) at 1.711, 2; Nina Hoffmann (GER) at 4.735, 3. Also NZers: Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory) at 28.641, 13.
Junior men: Max Alran (FRA) 3:07.964, 1; Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox Factory, Hawkes Bay) 0.887, 2; Oli Clark (MS Racing, Kaikoura) at 3.429, 3; Also NZers: Jonty Williamson (Yeti-Fox Factory, Palmerston North) at 4.035, 4; Malik Boatwright (Team High Country, Queenstown) at 9.731, 12.
Elite men: Loic Bruni (FRA) 3:04.867, 1; Olsin O’Callaghan (IRL) at 0.156, 2; Amaury Pierron (FRA) at 0.808, 3. Also NZers: Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory) at 41.409, 30.