CYCLING

Plenty at stake for Kiwi mountain bikers at World Cup finale

By Sports Media NZ

New Zealand’s leading mountain bikers will tackle the stern test at Val di Sole in Italy for the final round for both downhill and crosscountry in the UCI World Cup this weekend.

The Italian stop is also the final shakedown before next month’s world championship for both disciplines in Andorra.

Hawkes Bay charger Brook MacDonald showed typical toughness on the challenging downhill course today. The Trek Factory Racing professional dislocated his kneecap when he crashed in practice, but with the kneecap back in place and heavily strapped, he managed to qualify 11^th fastest and is confident of a bold showing tonight.

Best of the Kiwis was world number 11 ranked Sam Blenkinsop (Norco Factory Racing) who was seventh fastest in qualifying while MacDonald’s teammate George Brannigan was ninth fastest.

Taranaki’s Ed Masters was 23^rd fastest ahead of his brother Wyn who was 34^th with Troy Brosnan (AUS) managing to gain the best grip from the soft surface to be fastest.

The Val de Sole gravity course is brutally technical with slippery tree roots, plenty of rocks, steep descents and some huge jumps.

Oamaru’s Connor Sandri was the best of the junior gravity riders to be ninth in qualifying while Queenstown’s Alanna Columb was 11^th fastest in the elite women.

The crosscountry action takes place on Monday (NZ time) with Val di Sole providing arguably the toughest test on the circuit with some steep climbs, technical sections and fast descents.

There is plenty at stake for the leading Kiwi crosscountry riders with under-23 stars Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze battling for a potential one spot for the Rio Olympics next year, with World Cup and World Championship results pivotal in that selection.

Cooper (Cannondale Factory Team) started slowly but has achieved three top-five finishes in the last three rounds to move to seventh overall in the under-23 world rankings.

Gaze (Specialized Racing) is 10^th in the world rankings with three top-seven finishes to start his World Cup season but he failed to finish in Canada and was 14^th two weeks ago in USA.


Brook MacDonald on the charge. The image is free for editorial use only. Photo © Trek Factory Racing

Queenstown’s Kate Fluker is also chasing a potential spot for the Rio Olympics and will want to reassert herself in the elite women’s ranks. She had two top-20 finishes earlier in the season but failed to finish the opening round and was 40^th in USA to see her ranking drop to 31^st.

With the world championships around the corner, there are close to 30 New Zealand mountain bikers competing in Italy this weekend.

Details: www.cyclingnewzealand.nz