Courtney’s 4th-place finish leads Americans in round 2 of UCI XC MTB World Cup
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Cairns, Australia (April 27, 2014) — With a fourth-place finish in the under-23 women’s race, Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Racing XC) led the way for Americans in the cross-country competitions at the second round of the 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Cairns, Australia.
Cairns marked her first race in the U23 ranks after winning the juniors 17-18 cross-country national championship last year as well as a juniors women’s cross-country race at the UCI World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. Courtney also placed sixth on Friday in the women’s eliminator.
Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing), who was battling a stomach bug the night before his race, placed 21st in the U23 men’s event.
Elite Races
Improving upon her 21st-place finish in round one of the world cup, Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) rode to 11th in Cairns in the elite women’s race.
In the elite men’s contest, reigning pro cross-country national champion Stephen Ettinger (Bozeman, Mont./BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team) overcame a crash at the start to move from last position to crossing the line in 12th, barely three and a half minutes behind the winner, former world champion and Ettinger’s BMC teammate Julien Absalon of France.
Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./ SRAM/Troy Lee Designs Racing) was the next highest-placed American at 27th. 2013 U23 men’s cross-country national champ Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Project Dirt) suffered a flat tire on the final lap that dropped him to 35th in his first world cup race at the elite level.
The 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup heads to Europe next, with cross-country and eliminator competitions in the Czech Republic in May. Downhill world cup racing resumes in June at Fort William, Great Britain.
2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
April 24-27, 2014
Cairns, Australia
U23 Women’s Cross-Country
1. Helen Grobert (GER/Focus XC Team) 1:25:22
2. Jenny Rissveds (SWE/Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team) +0:10
3. Jovana Crnogorac (SRB/Salcano Alanya) +1:24
4. Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Racing XC) +2:53
U23 Men’s Cross-Country
1. Victor Koretzky (FRA/BH-Suntour-KMC) 1:25:33
2. Jordan Sarrou (FRA/BN-Suntour-KMC) +0:43
3. Michiel van der Hiejden (NED/Giant Pro XC Team) +0:53
21. Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) -2 laps
Elite Women’s Cross-Country
1. Eva Lechner (ITA/Team Colnago Sudtirol) 1:38:48
2. Emily Batty (CAN/Trek Factory Racing) +0:52
3. Irina Kalentieva (Russia) +1:07
11. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) +5:28
Elite Men’s Cross-Country
1. Julien Absalon (FRA/BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team) 1:38:22
2. Mathias Flückiger (SUI/Stöckli Pro Team) +0:16
3. Maxime Marotte (FRA/BH-Suntour-KMC) +0:24
12. Stephen Ettinger (Bozeman, Mont./BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team) +3:26
27. Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./ SRAM/Troy Lee Designs Racing) +8:06
35. Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Project Dirt) +12:04
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