A record 50 New Zealand mountain bikers will be on their respective start lines for the second round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Switzerland this weekend.
The riders, across both cross-country and downhill, will compete at one of the most popular Swiss resorts of Lenzerheide, a major base for hiking, skiing, and mountain bike.
Lenzerheide has attracted world-championship quality fields across all disciplines, starting with junior downhill qualification overnight (NZ time) and cross country World Cup Short Course under-23 racing early Friday morning (NZ time).
Downhill racing for juniors and qualifying for elites is early Saturday morning (NZ time), followed by the elite short-course races.
The new format for gravity racing will see semifinals and finals from late Saturday night to early Sunday morning (NZ time), with cross-country races on Sunday night late evening and overnight for under-23 followed by elites.
Cambridge rider Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was a superb second in the short course race three weeks ago in the Czech Republic, but faded in the wet on race day, with Anton Cooper (Trek Factory) the leading kiwi in 18th.
Both riders are looking for improved performances at Lenzerheide.
There are strong New Zealand fields in under-23 cross country, led by Auckland’s Matthew Wilson and Taupo’s Sammie Maxwell, who were fifth and eighth respectively in the Czech Republic, with Christchurch’s Ethan Rose fourth in the Czech Cup race two weeks ago.
The gravity riders have their first World Cup action under the new format which should add to the spectacle on the famed Straightline course, with the 2.5km track renowned as a super-fast test with technical sections and big jumps.
There are a massive 20 kiwi males in the elite competition, with national champion Toby Meek (MS Mondraker) making his first start after focussing on his university studies in the first half of the year.
Returning after a long-term injury is Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab, who was fourth overall in the Junior downhill and moves up to the elite league.
There is excitement in the women’s downhill with national champion Jess Blewitt (GT Factory), just 20 years old, already a top-10 world ranked elite looking at her first full season on the world cup circuit for the Queenstown rider.
Joining her is last year’s junior world champion Jenna Hastings from Rotorua, with the Pivot Factory prospect pushing up to the elite ranks.
The New Zealand riders are:
Cross-country:
Male Elite: Anton Cooper (Trek Factory), Sam Gaze (Alpecin Deceuninck), Ben Oliver (NZ Mtb Academy), Sam Shaw (Rotorua).
Female Elite: Mary-Ann Moller (Port Nicholson Poneke).
Male U23: Caleb Bottcher (Palmerston North), Adam Francis (Palmerston North), Bailey Fredericksen (Whakatane), James Officer (Team Talleys NZ MTB Collective), Ethan Rose (Team Talleys), Jacob Turner (Team Talleys), Matthew Walker (Paraparaumu), Matthew Wilson (Team Talleys).
Female U23: Annabel Bligh (Team Talleys), Amelie Mackay (Team Talleys), Mia Cameron (Team Talleys), Sammie Maxwell (NZ Mtb Academy), Ruby Ryan (Rotorua).
Downhill:
Male Elite: Nico Arnold (Wanaka), Josh Barry (Kiwi DH), Cameron Beck (Kiwi DH), Sam Blenkinsop (Crestline Bikes), George Brannigan (NS Bikes UR), Gareth Burgess (Queenstown), Cameron Clemett (Kiwi DH), Sam Gale (Nelson), Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker), James Macdermid (The Alliance), William Macdermid (The Alliance), Ed Masters (Pivot Factory), Wyn Masters (GT Continental), Tuhuto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker), Carson Rayner (Pohutukawa Coast), Toby Meek (MS Mondraker), Hayden Stead (Australia), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union), Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory), Alex Wayman (Te alliance).
Female Elite: Jess Blewitt (GT Continental), Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory), Kalani Muirhead (Kiwi DH).
Male Junior: Josh Bonnar (Kiwi DH), Angus Ferguson (Christchurch), William Harvey (Kiwi DH), Ryan Hastings (Kiwi DH), Joe Millington (Rotorua), Ty Muirhead (Kiwi DH).
Female Junior: Sasha Earnest (Kiwi DH), Caitlin Flavell (The Alliance), Erice van Leuven (Commencal).
The under-23 cross country, junior downhill and elite downhill semifinals are all free to air live on the UCI YouTube channel, with finals action on subscription on GCN+.