One of the wettest places on the planet, the Fort William at Scottish highlands is playing host to a week-long biking spectacle. The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships features 700 top riders from 50 different countries. The contest is sponsored by Nissan, under a new initiative, ‘Nissan Sports Adventure’.
The Kiwis were splendid at the downhill competition before the finale on Monday. Former world champion, Vanessa Quin and Sam Blenkinsop shaped impressive downhill seeding runs while Tauranga’s Quin, the 2004 world champion, was 13th fastest, ahead of team-mates Jenna Makgill and Scarlett Hagen.
Mat Scoles the best in the New Zealand juniors, registered seventh fastest in the seeding run with Holly Kernohan-Smith, of Christchurch. Rider Olivia Johnston finished the challenging 2.8km course in 6.49.23 to place 31st in the elite women’s class, 1.19.03 off the pace set by Rachel Atherton. Sam Blenkinsop was the fastest Kiwi elite man, with his first year in the top grade timed at 5.01.16, the seventh fastest run of the day just 11.20 seconds behind the leader, South Africa’s Greg Minnaar.
Meanwhile, Spaniard Margarita Fullana and Austrian Michael Weiss the cross-country racer are slated to leave the event and declared unfit after failing pre-race medical blood screenings.
Image Courtesy
Via: NZHerald
