New Zealand's MTB cross-country Olympians have had to work hard at the UCI MTB World Championships in Andorra.
Sammie Maxwell graduated to her first elite world championship with honours, finishing 11th after claiming the under-23 world championship last year.
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It followed her eighth placing at the Paris Olympic Games, with the world championships presenting a sterner test for the 22-year-old Decathlon Ford pro rider, with significantly deeper fields and the challenges of a tougher test, both physically and technically, at high altitude in Pal Arinsal.
Young Dutch star Puck Pieterse was the class of the field; dominating throughout in a dynamic display.
Meanwhile Sam Gaze, looking to bounce back from his short track performance, was not in the same form that took him to sixth place at the Paris Olympics.
Gaze was unable to go with the fierce pace at the front of the field, dropping back as he bravely fought to the finish in 38th place, 5:46 behind the winner.
With a bunch of six riders pushing the pace from the start, Maxwell joined the chasing group in eighth place, forming a solid pace with a small group.
She fought well on the challenging climbs, edged in the final lap for a top-10 finish by veteran Australian Rebecca Henderson but finishing ahead of the Olympic champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.
Gaze had been confident that his preparations had gone to plan but like several Olympians, he was were unable to find the podium spark today.
South African Alan Hatherly, the 2018 under-23 world champion a year after back-to-back titles by Gaze, claimed his first world championship honours. The South African pushed clear of Frenchman Victor Koretzky on the final lap to claim the title, with the French rider finishing second to go with his silver medal in Paris, with the Olympic champion Tom Pidcock (GBR) third.
Cycling New Zealand coach Sam Thompson said Gaze had been confident that he had timed his preparations well, but he never looked his usual comfortable self throughout, despite hopes of a strong performance at Andorra, where he is based.
Earlier Trek Future team rider, Ethan Rose (Christchurch) was a non-starter in the under-23 men’s race, having not recovered sufficiently from illness that kept him out of all competition this week.
Results:
Elite female: Puck Pieterse (NED) 1:09.41, 1; Anne Terpstra (NED) at 59s, 2; Martina Berta (ITA) at 1:19, 3. Also Sammie Maxwell (NZL) at 3:09, 11.
Elite male: Alan Hatherly (RSA) 1:09.51, 1; Victor Koretzky (FRA) at 22s, 2; Tom Pidock (GBR) at 39s, 3. Also: Sam Gaze at 5:46, 38.
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