Seventeen-year-old kiwi Erice van Leuven finished her junior career with a remarkable victory at the final UCI MTB World Cup in Canada.
Van Leuven’s win in challenging damp conditions with low cloud restricting visibility, earned her a second straight World Cup win and with it the overall season title, to go with a second UCI Junior Women’s Downhill World Championship recently.
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Fellow New Zealand rider Lachie Stevens-McNab came within a blink of winning his first elite World Cup, finishing runner-up in the elite men’s final.
The Union professional from Rotorua had set a blistering time of 3:54.065 in the difficult conditions, to claim the lead until top qualifier, Australian Troy Brosnan edged him by 0.06s in the final run after being behind the kiwi at the second-to-last time check.
The victory for van Leuven was more impressive as the Commencal les Orres professional fell during her run but bounced back despite the poor visibility to take the win ahead of fellow New Zealand rider, Sacha Earnest.
The win, following on from last week’s triumph at Lake Placid, made for the perfect ending for van Leuven, who will move up to the elite category next season.
“I am really happy, “ said van Leuven. “I actually had quite a decent crash in my run and I thought ‘damn it’ but then I just didn’t give up, I didn’t go crazy pushing back, I just went solid. So I am really proud of my run.
“It is pretty special to win my second World Cup in a row and definitely a dream come true to take the title. For my last junior race, it is pretty cool.”
Earnest’s second placing earned her third overall for the World Cup season to go with her second bronze medal at the World Championships to complete an outstanding season for the Trek Factory rider.
Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch finished fourth overall, having already returned to New Zealand following an injury that ruled her out of the North American races.
Stevens-McNab scored his first elite world cup podium at Leogang earlier in the season, with his podium today courtesy of his high ranking. He crashed in qualifying but progressed in the competition with his protected rider status.
He took full advantage with a strong run to be 11th fastest in the semifinal and then produced a superb performance in the final to push up to 12th overall in the elite world cup standings.
It has been over a decade since a New Zealand rider won an elite world cup with Brook Macdonald prevailed at Val d’Isere (France) in 2012, with Stevens-McNab going so close to emulating that feat.
Christchurch rider Luke Wayman, 17, finished seventh in the junior men’s downhill, securing second overall for the season. The Gravity Cartel rider finished behind French rider Max Alran, with fellow kiwi Tyler Waite finishing on the podium today to rise to 12th overall.
Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt crashed in the elite women’s semifinal, to finish 11th overall in the season standings, with Rotorua’s Jenna Hastings making the semifinals.
The season finale marked the final UCI World Cup for former national champion George Brannigan after 15 years on the circuit, although the Hawkes Bay rider plans to compete in one-off events.
Action moves back to cross-country with elite and under-23 finals tomorrow.
Results, UCI MTB World Cup Downhill, Mont Sainte Ann, Canada: Downhill qualifying:
Elite women: Myriam Nicole (FRA) 4:18.524, 1; Nina Hoffmann (GER) at 3.357s, 2; Valentina Holl (AUT) at 4.101s, 3. NZ qualifiers for semifinals: Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory) at 9.949, 11; Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory) at 10.830, 13. Semifinals: Nicole 4:17.226, 1; Holl at 1.160, 2; Louise-Anna Ferguson (GBR) at 1.993, 3. Also NZers: Jenna Hastings at 9.166, 14; Jess Blewitt dnf. Final: Marine Cabirou (FRA) 4:27.496, 1; Gracey Hemstreet (CAN) at 1.423, 2; Holl at 2.339, 3.
Season standings: Holl 184, 1; Cabirou 143, 2; Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) 141, 3. NZers: Blewitt 480, 11;
Elite men: Matt Walker (GBR) 3:43.522, 1; Troy Brosnan (AUS) at 0.092s, 2; Norton Dakotah (USA) at 0.248, 3. NZers: Sam Blenkinsop at 8.670, 35; Tuhoto Ariki Pene at 11.513, 54; George Brannigan at 12.246, 55; Brook MacDonald at 12.550, 58; Wyn Masters at 12.959, 62; Ed Masters at 15.360, 78; Lachlan Stevens-McNab at 21.766, 90; Liam Jackson at 32.111, 97. Semifinals: Brosnan 3:42.196, 1; Norton at 1.451, 2; Andreas Kolb (AUT) at 1/471, 3. NZers: Stevens-McNab at 4.076, 11; Blenkinsop at 13.511, 53; Pene at 15.008, 57; Brannigan at 15.385, 58; Macdonald at 18.302, 59.
Final: Brosnan 3L54,003, 1; Stevens-McNab at 0.062s, 2; Laurie Greenland (GBR) at 0.532, 3.
Season standings: Loic Bruni (FRA) 1651, 1; Brosnan 1317, 2; Amaury Pierron 1302, 3. Also NZers: Stevens-McNab 806, 12; Toby Meek 127, 49; Sam Blenkinsop 57, 69
Men Junior Final: Max Alran (FRA) 3:53.196, 1; Till Alran (FRA) at 5.237, 2; Tyler Waite (NZL) at 8.064, 3. Also NZers: Luke Wayman at 11.183, 7; Oli Clark at 13.270, 9; Rory Meek at 14.001, 11.
Final standings: Max Alran 332, 1; Wayman 246, 2; Asa Vermette (USA) 239, 3. Also: Waite 95, 12; Clark 82, 13; Meek 51, 23.
Women Junior Final: Erice van Leuven (NZL) 4:46.007, 1; Sacha Earnest NZL) at 4.929, 2; Bellah Birchall dns.
Final standings: Van Leuven 360, 1; Heather Wilson (GB) 290, 2; Earnest 280, 3; Eliana Hulsebosch 270, 4; Bellah Birchall 40, 11.