Mountain Bike Worlds open in Switzerland on unlucky note for USA
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Print The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships opened on an unlucky note for the United States with the Americans unable to break the top 20 in the team relay or the junior women’s cross-country events on Wednesday.
The U.S. seemed poised for a top result in the team relay, hosting arg
Todd Wells wait on the final exchange with a lone Croatian rider.uably its best squad for that event in some years. Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC MTB Development) led things off in the four-rider relay which is contested between nations with teams comprised of one U23 male, junior male, elite female and elite male. The U23 national champion however suffered an unavoidable crash resulting in a mechanical forcing the U.S. into last place after the first lap. Ettinger however powered through despite a broken finger.
A strong ride by junior cross-country national champ Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) put the U.S. team back in the game. Grotts posted a time that rivaled many of the elite men with a 13:55 lap of the Champéry course. A pair of Olympians then took to the course to try to improve their country’s standing. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) was able to close the gap before Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) turned a 13:29 lap, moving the U.S. ahead of Croatia and in to 21st place of the 22 teams.
The French team took the victory, just ahead of the host nation of Switzerland, 8:35 ahead of the Americans.
After several strong finishes on this year’s World Cup circuit, including a silver medal on the Windham, N.Y. stop AliciaRose Pastore (Durango, Colo./Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DEVO Sweet Elite) finished 26th in the junior women’s cross country event. The Swiss collected their second medal of the day, this time in the form of gold, as Linda Indergand won the junior women’s cross country event.
The strong American contingent of more than 50 riders will be back at it on Thursday as the Mountain Bike World Championships resume with the junior men and U23 women’s cross-country races as well as 4X and trials qualifying. Watch for a full wrap-up and photos via usacycling.org.
Follow the Mountain Bike World Championships live on freecaster.tv and watch TV highlights on Universal Sports.
UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2011
Champéry, Switzerland
AliciaRose Pastore battles it out during the junior women's cross-country race.
FULL RESULTS
PHOTOS
Cross-Country Team Relay – 18.7-kilometers
1. France 54:04
2. Switzerland +00:41
3. Italy +00:54
21. USA +08:35
Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC MTB Development) 19:18
Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) 13:55
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) 15:57
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) 13:29
Junior Women’s Cross-Country
1. Linda Indergand (SUI) 0:57:30
2. Lena Putz (GER) +02:19
3. Julia Innerhofer (ITA) +02:44
26. AliciaRose Pastore (Durango, Colo./Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DEVO Sweet Elite) +12:08
The U.S. seemed poised for a top result in the team relay, hosting arg
Todd Wells wait on the final exchange with a lone Croatian rider.
A strong ride by junior cross-country national champ Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) put the U.S. team back in the game. Grotts posted a time that rivaled many of the elite men with a 13:55 lap of the Champéry course. A pair of Olympians then took to the course to try to improve their country’s standing. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) was able to close the gap before Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) turned a 13:29 lap, moving the U.S. ahead of Croatia and in to 21st place of the 22 teams.
The French team took the victory, just ahead of the host nation of Switzerland, 8:35 ahead of the Americans.
After several strong finishes on this year’s World Cup circuit, including a silver medal on the Windham, N.Y. stop AliciaRose Pastore (Durango, Colo./Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DEVO Sweet Elite) finished 26th in the junior women’s cross country event. The Swiss collected their second medal of the day, this time in the form of gold, as Linda Indergand won the junior women’s cross country event.
The strong American contingent of more than 50 riders will be back at it on Thursday as the Mountain Bike World Championships resume with the junior men and U23 women’s cross-country races as well as 4X and trials qualifying. Watch for a full wrap-up and photos via usacycling.org.
Follow the Mountain Bike World Championships live on freecaster.tv and watch TV highlights on Universal Sports.
UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2011
Champéry, Switzerland
AliciaRose Pastore battles it out during the junior women's cross-country race.
FULL RESULTS
PHOTOS
Cross-Country Team Relay – 18.7-kilometers
1. France 54:04
2. Switzerland +00:41
3. Italy +00:54
21. USA +08:35
Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC MTB Development) 19:18
Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) 13:55
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) 15:57
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) 13:29
Junior Women’s Cross-Country
1. Linda Indergand (SUI) 0:57:30
2. Lena Putz (GER) +02:19
3. Julia Innerhofer (ITA) +02:44
26. AliciaRose Pastore (Durango, Colo./Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DEVO Sweet Elite) +12:08
This Article Published August 31, 2011 For more information contact:
