Top-10 World Cup rankings for top young Kiwi mountain bikers
By Sports Media NZKiwi Commonwealth Games medallists Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze have finished in the top-10 at the conclusion of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series.
Cooper (Cannondale Factory Racing) finished sixth while Gaze (Specialized) was down in 55th place at the final round of the under-23 cross country in Val di Sole in Italy.
The muddy and slippery conditions caught out the Kiwis with a mishap on the start loop pushing Gaze back near the rear of the field. After being held up in the early laps, the Cambridge rider showed good speed mid-race but had to be content finishing more than 10 minutes down on the winner.
Cooper started off the front row, and while he enjoyed a strong race and another typically powerful finish, the North Canterbury rider paid the price for an incorrect tyre choice in the slippery conditions.
He was the second fastest rider over the final two laps which Cooper says gives him confidence heading into the world championships in Andorra starting next week.
Cooper finished the under-23 elite world cup in seventh placing overall with Gaze in 10th.
Anton Cooper manoeuvres his way through the slippery surface at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross country in Val di Sole, Italy today. Photo © Cannondale Factory Team
Meanwhile Queenstown’s Kate Fluker has finished 34th in the elite women’s race, 9m50s down on winner Annika Langvad (DEN) with Wellington’s Samara Sheppard 48th as she returns to world cup action.
Fluker found herself back in 43rd place after the start loop and she produced consistent pacing throughout to work her way to 34th to finish 30th overall in the World Cup standings.
World Championship action begins next Tuesday 1 September at the Vallnord complex in Andorra with the cross country eliminator; the cross country teams relay on Wednesday; junior men and women cross country world championship on Thursday; under-23 men and women on Friday; elite men and women on Saturday and downhill on Sunday (all local time).
TRIATHLON
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