Kiwi riders on form at final UCI World Series qualifier
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Kiwi gravity peddlers showed no lag after the European summer break, with 12 riders qualifying for the finals at the last European round of the UCI MTB World Series in Les Gets, in the Haute Savoie region of France.
After a three-week break, the combined cross-country and downhill stop in France leads to next week’s UCI MTB World Championships in Switzerland, before wrapping with three rounds in North America.
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The junior male riders led the way with six New Zealand riders through to tomorrow’s finals. They were led by the amazing Manawatu rider Jonty Williamson, with the Yeti-Fox professional second fastest in qualifying, just ahead of Queenstown’s Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton).
There is huge kiwi interest in the junior men’s final tomorrow, with Williamson chasing a sixth victory of the season which would cement the world series title and become the first New Zealander to win a UCI downhill world series title in any grade.
Other New Zealand junior men to qualify include the Taranaki pair Seppy Binsbergen and Dexter Lock, who were sixth and ninth fastest respectively; Rotorua’s Sterling Stevens-McNab (The Alliance) 10th and New Plymouth’s Camden Rutherfurd (Nukeproof Axess) 13th - all through in the top 20
Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab (Trek Unbroken) and Kaikoura’s Oli Clark (Mondraker) both qualified in the elite men 13th and 18th fastest respectively in the first round of qualifying, joined by Christchurch’s Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton) in the second session.
Rotorua’s Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory) qualified 10th fastest of the kiwi elite women. It was eventful for Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch, with the Santa Cruz Syndicate rider disqualified in the first session, but fastest in the second to make the final, with Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt missing by one spot.
Queenstown’s Indy Deavoll continued her strong form, with the Stoic Racing rider fourth fastest to qualify in junior women.
Downhill titles will be overnight with cross-country on Monday NZT.
