The French ski resort of Les Gets will provide a popular destination for both downhill and cross-country riders for this week’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
Nestled in the Haute-Savoie region of the Alps in south-east France, Les Get came back into the World Cup Mountain Bike scene in 2019 and major changes to both courses received universal support.
There are 31 kiwi riders in the Torpedo7 New Zealand team at Les Gets, with downhill riders under way tomorrow in qualifying, e-mountain bike overnight on Friday, downhill overnight Saturday and Sunday early morning with cross-country from Sunday evening through to Monday early morning.
The Torpedo7 New Zealand team may be looking to youth to lead the way, in a follow-up to last year’s strong showing.
Rotorua’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab, 18, was third in the junior men’s downhill at Val di Sol and is ranked third in the World Cup for juniors. The Union Pro team rider is also an impressive 32nd overall in the male world rankings.
Another Rotorua-based rider, Tuhoto-Ariki Pene was an outstanding 14th at the 2021 world championships and the 21-year-old from the MS Mondraker pro team is currently the leading kiwi at 29 on the world rankings.
Queenstown’s national elite champion Jess Blewitt was eighth in the elite women’s downhill at Val di Sol, and after injury early in the summer, the GT Factory 20-year-old is ranked 11th overall on the world rankings.
The comer this year has been Rotorua teenager Jenna Hastings, the multi-national age champion who is now riding for the Pivot Factory pro team. She has been consistently inside the top-10 in the junior women’s competition and is ranked 19th from all female downhillers on the world rankings.50
The only other kiwis in the top-50 men are former two-time national champions Sam Blenkinsop (Norco Factory) and George Brannigan (NS Bikes UR) who are 44th and 50th respectively.
Multi national and Oceania rider Anton Cooper heads the rankings in cross-country, ranked 19th in the world in an illness-hit season including missing out of the Commonwealth Games.
“I’m in reason shape but I missed out on a crucial training black as well as the planned altitude training, but it is no use dwelling on that,” said the Trek Factory professional from Christchurch. “This is a good venue, and I have plenty of residual strength so I just have to knuckle down and get on with it.
“It is not my favourite course but it is good, fast and fair so I will give it all I have and hope my legs respond.”
Ben Oliver from Rangiora has continued his consistent form this year, ranked 38th in the world and with a Commonwealth Games silver medal to his credit.
Interest is with the form of Commonwealth double gold medallist Sam Gaze (Alpecin Fenix) and if he can move forward from his starting position and test the pointy end of the proceedings after his outstanding sixth placing last year.
Leading the junior riders is Taupo’s James Officer, the national champion, who has been competing in Europe this year, while under-23 hope Ethan Rose has been ill this week and still to decide if he will race.
Schedule (NZ time, Television coverage where applicable):
Cross-Country: Junior Female 1am Friday, Junior Male 3am Friday; U23 Female 7pm Sunday (Sky Chn 59); U23 Male 8.45pm Sunday (Sky Chn 59); Elite Female 11pm Sunday (Sky Chn 51); Elite Male 1.15am Monday (Sky Chn 51).
E-Bike: Female 8pm Friday; Male 9.30pm Friday.
Downhill: Junior Female 7.30pm Saturday; Junior Male 8pm Saturday; Elite Female: 11.15pm Saturday; (Sky Popup 1 Chn 600); Elite Male 12.35am Sunday (Sky Popup 1 Chn 600).
Torpedo7 Cycling New Zealand Team:
Downhill, elite male: Sam Blenkinsop (Norco, Christchurch), George Brannigan (NS Bikes UR, Hawkes Bay), Finn Hawkesby-Browne (Christchurch), Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker, Hawkes Bay), Ed Masters (Pivot, Taranaki), Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker, Rotorua), Hayden Stead (Australia).
Junior: Nico Arnold (YD Racing, Wanaka), Cameron Beck (YD Racing, Rotorua), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union, Rotorua), Alex Wayman (YD Racing, Christchurch), Carter Wiffin (YD Racing, Hawkes Bay).
Elite Women: Jess Blewitt (GT Factory, Queenstown), Kalani Muirhead (YD Racing, Wanaka).
Junior: Caitlin Flavell (Rotorua), Jenna Hastings (Pivot, Rotorua).
Cross-country, Elite, male: Anton Cooper (Trek Factory, Christchurch), Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Fenix, Cambridge), Ben Oliver (MitoQ-NZ Cycle Project, North Canterbury), Craig Oliver (North Canterbury).
U23: Caleb Bottcher (Palmerston North), Cameron Jones (Nelson), Ethan Rose (Canterbury), Matthew Wilson (Auckland).
U19: James Officer (Taupo), Ethan Woods (Motueka).
Female, Under 23: Amélie Mackay (Christchurch), Ruby Ryan (Rotorua).
Under-19: Mia Cameron (Taupo).
E-Bike, Male: Charlie Millington (Auckland), Charles Murray (Rotorua).