NZ Mountainbikers on Final Run-in to World Champs
Only a week out from the first event of the 2010 UCI World Mountainbike Championships in Canada, New Zealand's top mountainbikers have been fine tuning preparations on two continents. Performance summaries follow:
Racer Bikes Cup, Muttenz, Switzerland Aug 22nd
Cross Country athletes Richard Anderson (Blenheim), Dirk Peters and Samara Sheppard (both Rotorua) competed at the final round of the prestigious Racer Bikes Cup in their last European event before leaving for Canada. The Muttenz race circuit had been set to provide fast, quick laps and the three Kiwis all met the challenges both the course and the high level of competition presented. The calibre of athletes competing at Muttenz reminiscent of a World Cup field.
Junior Richard Anderson continued his strong run of form in Muttenz, while at the same time getting a good guage on his likely competition for World Championships. Anderson raced a very consistent five lap race to finish 8th on the single climb and flattish race course - and will gain confidence in knowing that the Mont Sainte Anne World Championships course will suit his riding style better.
Under 23 Samara Sheppard followed up her impressive first up World Cup result at the beginning of August with an even better display in the Elite Woman's seven lap race. Sheppard thought the Muttenz course didn't play to her strengths, but still turned on a performance that saw her finish 11th against quality competition. Importantly, Sheppard was the 3rd Under 23 through the line - giving her an real boost for her World Champs prospects.
Dirk Peters as a first year Under 23 was amongst an Elite Mens field that contained the fastest cross country racers in the world today, including current and former World Champions. Peters knew the value of this test under a racing format over nine laps, and performed to his own high expectations to a 27th place finish. Like Sheppard, Peters will be racing in the separate Under 23 event at the World Championships, and as 10th Under 23 across the line in Muttenz knows he is well on track to surpass that in Canada.
Full Results Junior Men Racer Bikes Cup Muttenz
Full Results Elite Women Racer Bikes Cup Muttenz
Full Results Elite Men Racer Bikes Cup Muttenz
Coupe du Quebec, Mont Sainte Anne, Canada August 22nd
Preparing in Canada at the Quebec Cup, and on the World Championships race course was the preferred option for another group of New Zealand cross country athletes. The Elite Mens race gave Mike Northcott (Tokoroa), Carl Jones (Rotorua) and Stu Houltham (Wellington) a great opportunity to dial in the Mont Sainte Anne terrain under race conditions, and against strong Canadian opposition. Northcott and Jones remained right in touch with the race lead during their reasonably short multi-lap event finishing 2nd and 4th respectively. Multi-time National Champion Houltham was part of the next group of riders in 7th. Other Kiwi Elite Men racing this event were Scott Green (Rotorua) and Adrian Retief (Auckland) in 13th and 24th.
Junior Locky McArthur (Auckland) raced to an 11th in the Mens U19 event, while Katie O'Neill (Rotorua) had the best result of her overseas campaign to finish 4th, with Australia's Elite Women World Champs squad also competing at Mont Sainte Anne.
Full Results Coupe du Quebec
iXS European Cup, Pila, Italy August 22nd
National Downhill Champion Wyn Masters (New Plymouth) remained close to his Kenda/Playbiker Italian Team base for the final round of the iXS European Cup. Masters knows the Pila race course well, and has been seeking a good run of results to carry him to the World Championships in the form he knows he is capable of. Masters maintained consistent and solid race craft during the Pila event, seeding strongly in 5th and completing the race run in 6th place - the Pila downhill course becoming dry, dusty and cutting up as the weekend wore on, conditions Masters excels in.
Full Results iXS Euro Cup, Pila
The New Zealand Mountainbike Team will now converge at the sixth and final round of the UCI World Cup this weekend at Windham in New York, before travelling north on Monday August 30th to Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec for the start of the World Championships programme.