UCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – TRACK, ROAD, MTB, BMX, PARA-CYCLING – GLASGOW - NZ WRAP DAY 10
National champion Sammie Maxwell crushed the field to win the gold medal in the women’s under-23 cross-country at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Scotland today.
The Wellington based rider from Taupo becomes the first kiwi female to claim the under-23 world title, winning today by a minute at Glentress Forest near Peebles in the Scottish Borders.
She came into the championships on the back of two impressive podium performances in the UCI MTB World Cup, and took the challenge to pre-race Swiss favourites, Ginia Caluori and Ronja Blochlinger.
The 21-year-old attacked from the start to hold a narrow lead over Blochlinger after the first lap and from there stamped her authority over her opposition, building her advantage each lap. She was 30 seconds clear at the midway point and doubled that on the remaining six laps to win in 1:16.28, with 1:01 back to Calluori and a further 26 seconds to Blochlinger.
“It’s incredible. I’m speechless. Honestly from the start, six laps are a long time to tell yourself I can do this, I can keep going,” said Maxwell.
“It means so much. You spend your whole life thinking about what it takes, what you sacrifice to be the best in the world. This year I have focussed on being healthy, sustainable training, enjoying what I do. That’s what it takes, not sacrificing or missing anything or suffering – just being happy and loving what you do.”
Maxwell is the first kiwi female to win an under-23 cross-country rainbow jersey and joins elite stars Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze, who both won the under-23 world crown, although the super-climber was not as confident with the more benign climbs at Glentress.
“I didn’t think the course suited me coming in here. It is not super climbing. Louis (NZ MTB Academy coach, Louis Hamilton) helped me and it meant on race day I was able to recover, link everything up together and attack when it mattered and recover when I couldn’t.
“One hour 15 is a long time to tell yourself that you can keep going and I just had to keep believing in myself, count off the laps one by one and not think too far ahead.”
Earlier Christchurch rider Ethan Rose finished an impressive sixth in the under-23 men’s cross-country, working his way through the field with consistently fast lap times. He was in a pack of four riders with two laps remaining but upped his pace to claim sixth place, two minutes behind winner Charlie Aldridge (GBR). His fellow Talley’s-NZ MTB Collective team riders Matthew Wilson was 29th.
The mountain bike programme finishes tomorrow with Gaze, Cooper, and Ben Oliver in the elite men’s race.
Results: Under-23 MTB Cross-Country, female: Samara Maxwell (NZL) 1:16.26, 1; Ginia Caluori (SUI) at 1:01, 2; Ronja Blochlinger (SUI) at 1:27, 3. Also NZers: ; Mia Cameron (NZL) at 3laps, 54.
Under-23 MTB Cross-Country, male: Charlie Aldridge (GBR) 1:13.53, 1; Adrien Boichis (FRA) at 13s, 2; Dario Lillo (SUI) at 29s, 3. Also: Ethan Rose (NZL) at 2:06, 6; Matthew Wilson (NZL) at 5:06, 29
ROAD
Track cycling medallist Tom Sexton displayed his prowess on the road, finishing 29th in the elite men’s time trial in Stirling. The Bolton Equities Black Spoke pro rider clocked 58:40.46 for the 48km time trial with am average speed of nearly 49kph.
The title went to Belgian star Remco Evenpoel who won in 55:19.22, which was 12 seconds clear of former winner, Italian rider Filippo Ganna.
South Canterbury’s Noah Hollamby was the leading kiwi in the junior men’s time trial over 23kms, finishing 36th in 30:58.42 at an average speed of 44kph, with Wellington’s Elliot Robertson a further 30 seconds back in 38th.
Results: Junior Men 23km: Oscar Chamberlain (AUS) 28:29.62, 1; Ben Wiggins (GBR) at 24.78s, 2; Louis Leidert (GER) at 34.11s, 3. Also NZers: Noah Hollamby at 2:28, 36; Elliot Robertson at 2:58, 38.
Elite Men, 48km: Remco Evenpoel (BEL) 55:19.23, 1; Filippo Ganna (ITA) at 12.28s, 2; Josh Tarling (GBR) at 48.20, 3. Also Tom Sexton (NZL) at 3:21.23, 29.
Tomorrow’s penultimate day of action in the “Super Worlds” which has combined the world championships for 13 cycling disciplines over an 11 day programme, will see young kiwi professionals, Lewis Bower (Groupama FDJ Continental) and Logan Currie (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) compete in the under-23 men’s road race.
Meanwhile BMX Racing gets underway tomorrow with qualifying action across all elite divisions, with New Zealanders comprising Brooke Penny and Leila Walker in junior women; Jack Greenough and Will Skipper in junior men; Megan Williams and Baylee Luttrell in under-23 women, Rico Bearman and Rico D’Anvers in under-23 men and Michael Bias in elite men.