A super-tight circuit and fallen riders gave New Zealand’s Sam Gaze little chance to become a factor in the defence of his title in the short track race at the UCI MTB World Championships in Andorra.
Gaze, who won the last two world championship short-track titles, started on the second row but had his progress stalled when two riders fell and blocked his progress.
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The Alpecin–Deceuninck professional pushed hard to close the gap, moving up to seventh place just four seconds from the flying lead group with three laps to go but another hold-up on the tight track through the forest ended any hopes.
Gaze took the foot off the accelerator to coast home in 12th place and save his legs for the world championship race on Monday (NZ time).
Teammate Sammie Maxwell, in her first season in the elite women’s competition, also started on the second row and like Gaze, she found progress challenging on the single-track course.
In a race that was unusually spread out, Maxwell worked her way from 16th up to 13th at the finish, 46 seconds from winner Evie Richards (Britain) who held off the Olympic champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France).
“It is a tight track with really only one spot to pass which made it tough if you were shunted back,” said Cycling New Zealand team manager Sam Thompson.
Earlier, Christchurch rider Ethan Rose withdrew from the under-23 short-track race with illness, but hopes to recover sufficiently to race on the weekend.
Focus moves back to the downhill tomorrow with nine New Zealand gravity riders to compete in the elite finals – two in the women with Jess Blewitt and Jenna Hastings.
Seven Kiwi men will compete ranging from rising 20-year-old star, Lachlan Stevens-McNab to 35-years-young legend, Sam Blenkinsop.
UCI MTB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Short-Track (XCC) Final
Elite Women: Evie Richards (GBR) 19:46, 1; Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (FRA) 19:47, 2; Jenny Rissveds (SWE) 20:04, 3. Also: Sammie Maxwell (NZL) 20:32, 13
Elite Men: Victor Koretzy (Fra) 21:49, 1; Charlie Aldridge (GBR) 21:52, 2; Alan Hatherly (RSA) same time, 3. Also: Sam Gaze (NZL) 22:21, 12
Women Under-23: Isabella Holmgren 20:31, 1; Ella Maclean-Howell (GBR) 20:53, 2; Ava Holmgren (CAN) 20:57, 3
Men Under-23: Riley Amos (USA)20:02, 1; Bjorn Riley (USA) Same time, 2; Tobias Lillelund (DEN) 20:06, 3.