The US Cup ramped up to its grand finale, a UCI HC race in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Canadians were all over the podium. Canuck’s swept the true podium in the under-23 men’s and women’s XCO, Ethan Wood own the UCI Junior Series XCO, Marin Lowe raced up against the elite women and Gunnar Holmgren and Carter Woods took everything but the win in the elite men’s race.
All in, the US Cup week was a very positive showing from the Canadian contingent as we inch closer to the first World Cup of the season in South Korea.
Elite Men: Holmgren and Woods on the podium
Blevins DNF’s with an exploded wheel. Riley Amos (Trek-Unbroken) takes the win followed 40 seconds later by Gunnar Holmgren (Pivot Cycles-OTE) and Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) in second and third. Owen Clark (Pivot Cycles-OTE) puts another Canuck on the extended podium in fourth ahead of the U.S.A.’s Jack Spranger. Tyler Orschel (KMC Nukeproof) finishes eighth and Logan Sadesky (Blue Bridge Racing) in 10th for a strong Canadian showing.
Elite Women: Lowe races up to chase U.S. elites
The powerful U.S. women’s program swept the elite HC XCO event, with Gwendalyn Gibson (Trek-Unbroken) leading Haley Batten (Specialized) and Madigan Munro (Liv Factory Racing). But Canada’s next generation, racing up from under-23’s in the elite race, showed they’re already a force to be reckoned with. Marin Lowe (Liv Factory Racing) finished fourth and Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria) ninth. Ayana Gagne just missed a top-10, placing 11th.
Under-23 Women: Canadians sweep Arkansas
Rafaelle Carrier led a Canadian sweep of the under-23 women’s XCO in the US Cup HC event, her first win for her new Trinity Racing squad. She was joined on the podium by Wednesday’s C1 XCO winner, Elli Clark (Armada) and, in third, Ella Myers (Gravity Academy).
Lily Rose Marios in fifth and Maude Ruelland in sixth, both for Pivot Cycles-OTE, and Marie-Fay St. Onge in seventh made for quite the run of Canadians. Eleanor Winchell just misses a top 10 in 11th.
Under-23 Men: Pivot Cycles-OTE sweep Arkansas
In the under-23 men’s race, there was no stopping the Canadians. Led by Ian Ackert (Pivot Cycles-OTE), the northern contingent took the top three podium spots in the UCI HC XCO. Zorak Paille (Pivot Cycles-OTE) earned second with Maxime St.Onge completing the Pivot Cycles-OTE podium sweep. While Nicholas Konecny disrupted the extended podium run, finishing fourth for the U.S.A., Felix Antoine Leclair in…
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