STEVE SMITH SECOND, HOLLY FENIAK FASTEST IN JUNIOR WOMEN IN DOWNHILL TIMED SESSION AT MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLDS

Canada places three in Top 10 in Women Elite; McKay Vezina

(Leogang, AUT – September 1, 2012) The Canadian Downhill Mountain Bike Team is ready to make a statement tomorrow in the Downhill Finals at the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, with the downhill portion held in Leogang, Austria.

In the opening day of the downhill competition, Canada excelled in all categories of the timed session, Junior and Elite for both Men and Women. Finals will be held tomorrow.

Holly Feniak, a young rider from Sunshine Coast in BC and racing at the first UCI World Championships in her first Women Junior season, showed she is a World Championships contender by posting the fastest time in her category. Feniak rode the course with a time of 4:07.362, a lead of 11s over the second fastest rider.

Canada’s team had four riders in the Top 10 combined in the elite categories, with 2010 silver medallist Steve Smith (Cassidy, BC) posting a time of 3:27.156, the second fastest time of the large Men Elite group by less than half a second.

In the Women elite session, Canada had three riders crack the Top 10 of the timed session, with Micayla Gatto speeding to the sixth place, 2010 World Junior Champion Lauren Rosser riding to the ninth place, and 2011 Worlds Bronze Medallist Claire Buchar in tenth place.

Finally, McKay Vezina posted the seventh fastest time on the Men Junior group.

The Finals will be raced tomorrow, Sunday.

RESULTS – 2012 UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE AND TRIALS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – DOWNHILL TIMED SESSION

Junior Women

1. FENIAK, Holly [4:07.362]

2. SEAGRAVE, Tahnee [4:18.852] +11.490

3. BEECROFT, Danielle [4:28.258] +20.896

Junior Men

1. BRUNI, Loic [3:34.166]

2. NIEDERBERGER, Noel [3:38.962] +04.796

3. MCGLONE, Fraser [3:40.789] +06.623

7. VEZINA, Mckay [3:42.785] +08.619

19. WALLACE, Mark [3:45.675] +11.509

43. RIESCO, Forrest [3:53.728] +19.562

61. LANGEVIN, Hugo [4:02.960] +28.794

65. RICARD, Philippe [4:07.111] +32.945

Elite Women

1. RAGOT, Emmeline [3:56.974]

2. PUGIN, Floriane [3:57.974] +01.000

3. CARPENTER, Manon [4:01.329] +04.355

6. GATTO, Micayla [4:10.395] +13.421

9. ROSSER, Lauren [4:11.887] +14.913

10. BUCHAR, Claire [4:13.390] +16.416

19. BROWN, Casey [4:23.448] +26.474

21. MILLER, Miranda [4:26.035] +29.061

Elite Men

1. HANNAH, Michael [3:26.636]

2. SMITH, Steve [3:27.156] +00.520

3. MINNAAR, Greg [3:27.936] +01.300

39. GAUVIN, Remi [3:41.540] +14.904

58. BEER, Matthew [3:48.146] +21.510

66. SANGERS, Kyle [3:48.978] +22.342

Full results can be posted shortly at www.uci.ch.