ROCHETTE CRACKS TOP 10 IN U23 WOMEN RACE AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS
Vezina peaks at right time with seventh, Wallace ninth in Downhill Junior race
(Pietermaritzburg, RSA, – August 30, 2013) It was a solid day for Canada at the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in South Africa, with two Canadian downhillers posting Top 10 results and Maghalie Rochette realizing an excellent race in the cross-country women’s espoirs category to also crack the Top 10.
The cross-country events continued on Friday after the junior races were held Thursday, a day when young Canadian cyclist Peter Disera delivered a hair-raising silver medal performance. As the momentum carried in the Espoirs (U23) cross-country race, Maghalie Rochette stormed her way to the ninth place of the women espoir race, posting the best Canadian result of the day.
Despite a slower start for Rochette crossing the first time split in 16th position, her determination and endurance abilities kicked in, and progressively made her way among the leaders, gaining positions at every split, every lap.
Frédérique Trudel, the reigning Espoirs Canadian Champion in the discipline, finished the race ranked 26th immediately followed by her Canadian teammates Laura Bietola and Andréane Lanthier-Nadeau in 27th and 28th place respectively.
Six Canadian cyclists rode the Men’s Espoirs race, with Antoine Caron posting the best Canadian result in 23rd place. The current Canada Games champion Léandre Bouchard followed Caron to the finish line in 24th place. Jeremy Martin finished 33rd, Mitch Baily took the 41st rank. Evan Guthrie and Evan McNeely were pulled after being lapped by the leader, and placed 48th and 56th.
VEZINA RAISES EYEBROWS IN THE JUNIOR MEN DOWNHILL RACE
Canadian downhiller McKay Vezina arrived in South Africa in fine form, and his results proved it on Friday. Posting the best Canadian time in Thursday’s timed session with the sixth best time of the day, Vezina continued to demonstrate today his ability and strength, finishing seventh in the finals, his career best international result.
Mark Wallace, who has been consistently at the top of standings all year long in his first complete international season, also posted a decent run today, taking the ninth place.
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RESULTS – 2013 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – SOUTH AFRICA
Cross-country Espoirs (U23) Men
1. KERSCHBAUMER, Gerhard (ITALY) 1:28:55
2. SCHELB, Julian (GERMANY) +00:58
3. VAN DER HEIJDEN, Michiel (NETHERLANDS) +01:24
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23. CARON, Antoine (CANADA) +06:04
24. BOUCHARD, Léandre (CANADA) +06:34
33. MARTIN, Jeremy (CANADA) +08:12
41. MCNEELY, Evan (CANADA +11:09
48. GUTHRIE, Evan (CANADA) -1LAP
56. BAILEY, Mitchell (CANADA) -3LAP
Cross-country Espoirs (U23) Women
1. NEFF, Jolanda (SWITZERLAND) 1:25:44
2. FERRAND PRÉVOT, Pauline (FRANCE) +02:26
3. BELOMOYNA, Yana (UKRAINE) +03:45
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9. ROCHETTE, Maghalie (CANADA) +09:48
26. TRUDEL, Frederique (CANADA) +17:20
27. BIETOLA, Laura (CANADA) +18:32
28. LANTHIER-NADEAU, Andréane (CANADA) -1LAP
Downhill Junior Men
1. RUDE JR, Richard (USA) 4:06.640
2. VERGIER, Loris (FRANCE) 4:12.367 +05.727
3. JONES, Michael (GREAT BRITAIN) 4:14.043 +07.403
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7. VEZINA, Mckay (CANADA) 4:20.584 +13.944
9. WALLACE, Mark (CANADA) 4:21.578 +14.938
