Mulally third in downhill at the 2014 UCI MTB World Cup in Cairns
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Cairns, Australia (April 26, 2014) — Scoring his best finish in the elite category, Neko Mulally (Pisgah Forest, N.C./Trek World Racing) placed third yesterday in Cairns, Australia, in the second downhill round of the 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Round one winner Aaron Gwin (Wildomar, Calif./Specialized Racing DH) finished just behind him in fourth.
Mulally finished eighth earlier this month in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, at the opening round of the world cup. The slick, muddy course in Cairns proved to make things unpredictable for riders, and Mulally was no exception. He was able to overcome a brief crash during his run to gain back time and stop the clock less than seven seconds behind winner Gee Atherton (GBR/GT Factory Racing). Gwin, who maintains his lead in the men’s UCI MTB World Cup standings, was less than two-tenths of a second behind Mulally, who is currently ranked fourth overall.
Eliot Jackson (West Lake Village, Calif./Pivot Factory DH Team) finished 25th in the elite men’s race, and Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/Specialized Racing DH) placed 40th.
Prior to the elite men’s contest, downhill racing kicked off with the junior men’s competition. Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C./ SRAM/Troy Lee Designs Racing), who also won round one in South Africa, placed 10th in Cairns, more than 31 seconds back on race winner Loris Vergier (FRA/Lapierre Gravity Republic).
In the women’s race, Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Team Norco International), who finished third in Pietermaritzburg, suffered an early crash in her finals run that knocked her out of podium contention. She finished 12th, more than a minute behind the winner, Rachel Atherton of Great Britain. Kintner is now sixth in the women’s UCI World Cup downhill standings.
In the women’s eliminator, held on Friday in Cairns, 19-year-old Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Racing XC) finished sixth. She won her first heat, and then came in third in the semifinal to place her in the small final, where she was the runner-up.
Courtney, along with Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team), Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Project Dirt), Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./ SRAM/Troy Lee Designs Racing), and Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing), will compete in the cross-country races today. You can watch the action live on redbull.tv.
2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
April 24-27, 2014
Cairns, Australia
Women’s Eliminator
1. Alexandra Engen (SWE/Ghost Factory Racing)
2. Jenny Rissveds (SWE/Scott-Odlo MTB Racing Team)
3. Jolanda Neff (SUI/Liv Pro XC Team)
6. Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Racing XC)
Men’s Juniors Downhill
1. Loris Vergier (FRA/Lapierre Gravity Republic) 4:27.890
2. Aiden Varley (Australia) +5.705
3. Neil Stewart (GRB/FMD Racing) +11.025
10. Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C./ SRAM/Troy Lee Designs Racing) +31.762
Women’s Downhill
1. Rachel Atherton (GRB/GT Factory Racing) 4:50.576
2. Manon Carpenter (GBR/Madison Saracen Factory Team) +11.655
3. Myriam Nicole (FRA/ Commencal/Riding Addiction) +25.846
12. Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Team Norco International) +1:10.138
Men’s Elite Downhill
1. Gee Atherton (GBR/GT Factory Racing) 4:00.707
2. Josh Bryceland (GBR/Santa Cruz Syndicate) +4.229
3. Neko Mulally (Pisgah Forest, N.C./Trek World Racing) +6.930
4. Aaron Gwin (Wildomar, Calif./Specialized Racing DH) +7.093
25. Eliot Jackson (West Lake Village, Calif./Pivot Factory DH Team) +18.398
40. Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/Specialized Racing DH) +27.979
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This Article Updated April 26, 2014 @ 10:50 PM For more information contact:
