2024 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, PAL ARINSAL, ANDORRA – DAY 4 WRAP
Kiwi gravity riders, led by Lachie Stevens-McNab and Jess Blewitt, were competitive on a dusty and challenging track for the elite downhill races at the UCI MTB World Championships in Andorra.
Most of the New Zealand riders who qualified for the final finished in the top-50 in an ultra-fast and highly competitive downhill competition where Austria’s Valentina Holl and France’s Loris Vergier took out the elite world championship titles on the super-fast 2.1km where speeds reached 55kph over the narrow and rocky slopes.
Elite national champion, Lachie Stevens-McNab was the best of the kiwis in 2:41.320 in 16th place in the elite men’s competition, with a top speed of a tick under 54kph.
The 20-year-old from the Union professional team, who was the top New Zealand qualifier, finished 2.6 seconds off the winner and just a second off the podium.
Rotorua riders were to the fore in the men, with Stevens-McNab followed by former junior world champion, Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Intense Racing) and James Macdermid, who rides for the Alliance pro team, placed 31st and 38th placings respectively.
Fourth kiwi home was the remarkable 35-year-old Sam Blenkinsop who placed overall in his 15th world championship, dating back to a top-10 debut in 2007 and podium at Champery (Switzerland) in 2011.
The men’s race was highlighted with top qualifiers Dakotah Norton (USA) and multi-world champion Loic Bruni (FRA) both crashing insight of the finish and inside Vergier’s time.
Three-time elite national champion Jess Blewitt produced an outstanding run to secure a top-15 placing in the elite women’s downhill.
The Cube Factory professional from Queenstown started in the middle of the 40 qualifiers for the final on a dry and dusty 2.1km downhill course at Pal Arinsal.
She was consistently strong throughout, to initially finish second fastest and enjoy some time in the podium hot-seat until later riders edged her back to a highly respectable 13th place, 6.1 seconds from winner, Holl.
It started as a promising year in the UCI World Cup for Blewitt, returning from injury to finish fourth in Poland, 10th in Leogang and then topped the semifinals at Val di Sole before a fall in the warm-up meant she was unable to start in the final. This also kept her sidelined at Les Gets, but the world championship has been a rewarding return.
Former junior world champion Jenna Hastings also had a strong performance. The Rotorua rider, who competes for Pivot Factory, clocked 3:07.547 to finish 17th in her first full season on the World Cup circuit.
Hastings was third fastest of all riders through the speed-trap with a top speed of 52.391kph, faster than the winner.
Holl, the top qualifier, came from a fraction behind French star Myriam Nicole at the last time check, to grab her third straight world title in a breath-taking finish.
The final day of the championship reverts to cross-country with Ethan Rose in the under-23 men, Sammie Maxwell in her first elite women’s world championship, after winning the under-23 title last year, with Sam Gaze in the elite men.
Results:
Downhill, elite female: Valentina Holl (AUT) 3:00.232, 1; Myriam Nicole (FRA) at 0.520s, 2; Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) at 1.212, 3. Also New Zealanders: Jess Blewitt at 6.148s, 13; Jenna Hastings at 7.335s, 17.
Elite male: Loris Vergier (FRA) 2:38.661, 1; Benoit Coulanges (FRA) at 0.148s, 2; Finn Iles (CAN) at 0.169s, 3. Also New Zealanders: Lachlan Stevens-McNab 2:41.320, 16; Tuhoto-Ariki Pene 2:44.057, 31; James Macdermid 2:45.142, 38; Sam Blenkinsop 2:46.961, 47; Toby Meek 2:47.011, 48; George Brannigan 2:48.498, 57; Wyn Masters 2:51.357, 63.
Cross-country, junior female: Mille Donald, 1 lap, 53.
Junior male: Fletcher Adams 1 lap, 64; Hunter Adams, 1 lap, 73; Eddie Adams dnf.