Downhill riders making Rotorua’s mark on the world
Rotorua downhill mountainbikers were prominent in the latest stop of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Switzerland.
Lachlan Stevens-mcnab had his best finish of the season to place runner-up to world champion Jackson Goldstone in the junior men’s downhill final at the famed Lenzerheide track.
After qualifying sixth fastest, the 18-year-old Union pro team rider produced a superb run in the final, fastest through the first section and ultimately finishing second, 1.5s behind the winner.
It moves Stevens-mcnab firmly in third place overall in the championship.
Fellow 18-year-old Jenna Hastings s finished third among the junior women, to crack the podium again in her first year on the circuit, finishing 5.6s behind winner Gracey Hemstreet from Britain.
“I am so stoked with this after a bit of a rough week,” said Hastings, who is in third place overall in the championship.
The third of the Rotorua riders to impress in Lenzerheide was Tuhotoariki Pene, who led the way for New Zealand elite gravity riders, finishing 13th.
The 21-year-old MS Mondraker Factory rider clocked 68km/h through the speed trap and finished 4.3s behind winner Amaury Pierron of France.
Five elite men qualified for the finals with Pene 13th, Brook Macdonald (MS Mondraker) 43rd, George Brannigan (NS Bikes) 45th, Sam Blenkinsop (Norco) 55th and Edward Masters (Pivot) 59th.
Queenstown’s national champion Jess Blewitt enjoyed a top-10 finish in the elite women with a strong run behind winner Camille Balanche from Switzerland.
The focus moves to cross-country today with Anton Cooper, Sam Gaze and Ben Oliver all qualifying at the sharp end of the field.
The downhill riders will refocus for the next round of the World Cup next weekend in Vallnord in Andorra.