After a record return last year in Scotland, a multi-talented Cycling New Zealand team head to the mountains of Andorra with poise and purpose for the UCI MTB World Championships this week.
The kiwi mountain-bike contingent came away from the 2023 Super Worlds with three rainbow jerseys, a further three podiums with kiwi riders grabbing nine top-10 performances, in the most successful world championships.
There is argument that the 2024 group has more depth of talent and experience, especially in downhill, to pose significant challenges at the sharp end of the world championships.
Pal Arinsal in Andorra, perched in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is the highest race venue on the circuit with the downhill track starting at 2,400m and the cross-country course, now lengthened to 4km loops, is at 1,900m.
It is somewhat of a home-event for the 2022 and 2023 short-track world champion, Sam Gaze, who lives in the area.
“It is quite strange basically riding out of the house to go racing,” said Gaze.
After a short break following the Paris Olympic Games, Gaze has got back into his work but is taking a more relaxed approach to racing this week.
“I am not putting too much expectation on myself,” said Gaze. “It’s no secret that I fell short of my personal target in Paris. For me I just want to enjoy this world championship for what it is – and collectively having the whole mountain bike community together for the one-off world championships.”
Gaze is happy with his preparation, starting with his attempt to win a third successive rainbow jersey in the short-track racing, but he is under no illusion of the challenge for the XCO race.
“It is a hard circuit with a lot of climbing at altitude. It is going to be a hard and attritional race. I have performed well in the past and looking forward to having a strong showing here again.”
He is also buoyed by the strong kiwi contingent racing in XCO and downhill.
“I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the kiwis go. Collectively as a whole, New Zealand mountain biking is set for a very good world championship.”
Racing begins overnight on Wednesday with qualification for junior downhill, led by the 2023 world champion Erice van Leuven and bronze medallist Sacha Earnest, with both watching for the in-form debutant in Eliana Hulsebosch, who has picked up a World Cup win this season.
Top-10 placegetters this season, Luke Wayman and Oli Clarke, along with national champion Tyler Waite, lead the hopes in the junior men.
Day two is the finals of the junior downhill and qualifying in the elite competition where a healthy Jess Blewitt with two top-10 finishes and a brilliant qualifying that defies her 22nd ranking in elite females. Rotorua professional Lachie Stevens-McNab has been the in-form gravity rider in elite men, highlighted by his breakthrough podium in Leogang, Austria.
Day three reverts to cross-country with junior women and men competing before switching to the short-track races for under-23 and elite, both male and female competing a busy day’s racing.
Day four returns to downhill with finals for elite women and men, with the championships completed on day five back on the XCO course for the under-23 races, where Ethan Rose was sixth last year, and the elites pack into a massive day of racing.
The New Zealand riders are:
Cross-country (XCO), Junior women: Millie Donald (Kapiti Coast). Junior men: Hunter Adams (Hamilton), Eddie Adams (Alexandra), Fletcher Adams (Hamilton).
Under-23, male: Ethan Rose (Christchurch, Trek Future)
Elite female; Sammie Maxwell (Taupo, Decathlon Ford). Elite male: Sam Gaze (Cambridge, Alpecin Fenix).
Downhill (DH), junior male: Luke Wayman (Christchurch, Gravity Cartel), Oli Clark (Kaikoura, Union Sinter), Seth Stylie (Wanganui, The Alliance), Tyler Waite (Hawkes Bay, Yeti-Fox Factory), Oliver Nicholls (Ashburton), Rory Meek (Queenstown, MeekBoyz Racing), Ryan Hastings (Rotorua). Reserves: Wyatt Stevens-McNab, Rennie Falconer.
Junior female: Sacha Earnest (Auckland, Trek Factory), Bellah Birchall (Rotorua), Eliana Hulsebosch (Tauranga, Union), Erice van Leuven (Wellington, Commencal les Orres).
Elite male: Wyn Masters (New Plymouth, Gravity Cartel), Toby Meek (Queenstown, MeekBoyz Racing), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Rotorua, Union), Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (Rotorua, MS Intense), Sam Blenkinsop (Christchurch, Zerode), George Brannigan (Hawkes Bay, Kenda NS Bikes UR), James Macdermid (Hamilton, The Alliance).
Elite Female: Jess Blewitt (Queenstown, Cube Factory), Jenna Hastings (Rotorua, Pivot Factory).