Shaw and Kintner stand out at Mountain Bike World Cup #5
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Print Vallnord, Andorra (July 31, 2013) — The fifth round of the eight-round UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series was held July 25-28, in Vallnord, Andorra.
Due to the event’s scheduling in relation to the 2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships, only four Americans contested the cross-country races. In all, the Americans scored three top-10 results in the three different types of races – cross-country, cross-country eliminator and downhill.
Cross-Country
Nineteen-year-old Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale-Factory Racing) finished in 13th place in the U23 men’s race, only 3:20 behind the winner, Hugo Drechou (FRA). Swenson now sits in 26th place in the UCI U23 Cross-Country World Cup standings with 16 points. Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Specialized Racing) is the top-ranked American, sitting in 20th place with 36 points. Markus Schulte-Luenzum (GER) tops the standings with 250 points.
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) was America’s top performer in the elite women’s race, finishing 5:47 behind the winner, Sabine Spitz (GER). Spitz won a very close race, edging Katerina Nash (CZE) by only one second and Eva Lechner (ITA) was only four seconds back in third place. Judy Freeman (Littleton, Colo./Crankbrothers Race Club) placed 35th, 11:06 behind Spitz.
Gould also placed seventh in the cross-country eliminator race. Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI) topped the elite women’s field with Alexandra Engen (SWE) and Jenny Rissveds (SWE) placing second and third, respectively.
Newly-crowned elite women’s cross-country national champion Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Racing XC) is the top-ranked American in the UCI Elite Women’s Cross-Country World Cup standings with 292 points in 15th place. Tanja Zakelj (SLO) tops the standings with 790 points. Gould is sitting in 20th place with 244 points. Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-Stan's No Tubes) has 168 points in 29th place. Freeman holds 44th place with 81 points while Erin Huck (Boulder, Colo./Tokyo Joe's) sits in 68th with 34 points.
Liam Earl (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Development Squad)) was the lone American in the juniors men’s race. He placed 42nd, 11:08 behind the winner, Jan Vastl (CZE). Samuel Gaze (NZL) narrowly defeated Gioele Bertolini (ITA) by five seconds in the race for the silver medal.
Downhill
Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C./Specialized Gravity DH) registered the best result among the Americans, placing fifth in the juniors men’s downhill. Shaw completed his run 8.354 seconds behind the best time in his group, that of Michael Jones (GBR), who completed the course in 4:23.644. Loris Vergier (FRA) and Daniel Algarra Navarro (ESP) placed second and third. Vergier was only .468 seconds behind Jones while Navarro was 6.122 behind the winner. After his performance in Andorra, Shaw has moved into fifth place in the UCI Juniors Men’s Downhill World Cup standings with 66 points. Dean Lucas (AUS) tops that group with 102 points.
The U.S. scored its second top-10 result when Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Team Norco International) placed eighth in the elite women’s downhill. Kintner finished 29.914 behind that group’s winner, Rachel Atherton (GBR), who completed her descent in 4:47.778. Manon Carpenter (GBR) placed second, finishing 1.617 behind Atherton while Myriam Nicole (FRA) finished 11.450 behind Atherton to get the bronze medal. Jacqueline Harmony (Tucson, Ariz./A Culture of Speed) finished 1:23.698 behind Atherton to place 22nd.
Atherton leads the UCI Elite Women’s Downhill World Cup standings with 740 points. Kintner is the top American, sitting in eighth place with 225 points. Harmony is in 26th place with 15 points.
Five Americans competed in the elite men’s downhill contest. Aaron Gwin (Wildomar, Calif./Specialized Racing DH) posted the best result, finishing in tenth at 4.376 seconds behind Rémi Thiron (FRA), who topped the field, completing his descent in 4:13.666. Gee Atherton (GBR) stopped the clock 1.350 seconds slower than Thiron to place second while Samuel Hill (AUS) placed third, 1.756 seconds behind Thiron. Neko Mulally (Reading, Pa./Trek World Racing), who finished second in the Super D at the 2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships, finished 16th in Andorra, 7.078 behind Thiron. Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash./Evil Vengeance Tour) and Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/Factory Specialized DH) finished 32nd and 37th, respectively. Strobel was 11.841 behind Thiron while 13.589 slower than the winner. Richard Rude (Redding, Conn./Yeti-Fox Factory Racing) completed his run 16.396 seconds slower than Thiron did.
After the competition in Vallnord, Atherton tops the UCI Elite Men’s Downhill World Cup standings with 680 points. Gwin is the top American with 282 points to place 11th. Mulally is four spots behind him with 215 points. Strobel and Austin Warren (Alpine, Calif./Pivot Cycles Factory DH Team) are in 42nd and 43rd places with 108 and 100 points, respectively. Rude is right behind them in 48th place with 92 points. Ropelato sits in 74th place with 44 points while Kevin Aiello (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./KHS Bicycles) is in 107th place with 13 points. Logan Binggeli (Saint George, Utah/KHS-LiveStrength-ISX Sports) rounds out the Americans in the standings with 12 points in 109th place.
The next round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will feature cross-country and downhill racing at Mont-Saint-Anne in Quebec, Canada, from Aug. 10-11.
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
July 25-28, 2013
Vallnord, Andorra
Cross-Country
Elite Women
1. Sabine Spitz (GER) 1:26:54
2. Katerina Nash (CZE) +0:01
3. Eva Lechner (ITA) +0:04
20. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) +5:47
35. Judy Freeman (Littleton Colo./Crankbrothers Race Club) +11:06
U23 Men
1. Hugo Drechou (FRA) 1:13:51
2. Markus Schulte-Luenzum (GER) +0:50
3. Jordan Sarroll (FRA) +1:27
13. Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/ Cannondale-Factory Racing) +3:20
Juniors Men
1. Jan Vastl (CZE) 1:02:37
2. Samuel Gaze (NZL) +1:01
3. Gioele Bertolini (ITA) +1:06
42. Liam Earl (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Development Squad)) +11:08
Cross-Country Eliminator
Elite Women
1. Kathrin Stirnemann (SUI)
2. Alexandra Engen (SWE)
3. Jenny Rissveds (SWE)
7. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team)
Downhill
Elite Men
1. Rémi Thiron (FRA) 4:13.666
2. Gee Atherton (GBR) +1.350
3. Samuel Hill (AUS) +1.756
10. Aaron Gwin (Wildomar, Calif./Specialized Racing DH) +4.376
16. Neko Mulally (Reading, Pa./Trek World Racing) +7.078
32. Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash./Evil Vengeance Tour) +11.841
37. Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/Factory Specialized DH) +13.589
47. Richard Rude Jr. (Redding, Conn./Yeti-Fox Factory Racing) +16.396
Elite Women
1. Rachel Atherton (GBR) 4:47.778
2. Manon Carpenter (GBR) +1.617
3. Myriam Nicole (FRA) +11.450
8. Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Team Norco International) +29.914
22. Jacqueline Harmony (Tucson, Ariz./A Culture of Speed) +1:23.698
Juniors Men
1. Michael Jones (GBR) 4:23.644
2. Loris Vergier (FRA) +0.468
3. Daniel Algarra Navarro (ESP) +6.122
5. Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C./Specialized Gravity DH) +8.354
This Article Updated July 31, 2013 @ 04:17 PM For more information contact:
