After nearly a month off, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup resumed Thursday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, with the first of four races that will take place in the next month.
Three cyclists from Durango competed, with mixed results.
Christopher Blevins of Specialized Factory Racing finished 30th in the elite men’s short track cross-country race on Thursday. On Sunday, however, he had one of best World Cup performances in the cross-country Olympic race. Blevins placed eighth out of 113 pros in 1 hour, 19 minutes, 19 seconds, finishing just 1:47 after the winner, Italian Luca Braidot (Santa Cruz FSA MTB Pro Team).
“It felt good to feel good, and to find flow on one of my favorite courses,” Blevins posted. “There’s no shortage of races in the next month, so I’m looking forward to more chances to be in the dance.”
In the elite women’s cross-country Olympic race, Savilia Blunk of Orange Seal Off Road Team took an early tumble but recovered and advanced to place 27th out of 76 in 1:23:24. France’s Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) won in 1:17:31.
“Moving in the right direction!” Blunk posted. “Started in the second from last row and moved up to 27th by the end. My most chaotic start, an unfortunately timed tomahawk that left me searching for my bike in the first few minutes of the race and sent my wahoo flying … but thankfully I was all good and back chasing from even farther back. Besides that, the rest of the race was solid, with some encouraging lap times once I moved through traffic. I have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on! Thanks to the whole team for a super smooth week and support all weekend long!”
In the U23 men’s cross-country Olympic race, Riley Amos finished 12th out of 122 bikers, but it was his worst result of the World Cup season so far. He called the race “a head scratcher.”
“I had been feeling incredible all week long leading up to the race, and after the start lap I honestly just struggled with the pace,” Amos posted. “When I have crashes and mishaps and am able to ride feeling strong and always be moving forward til the end of the race I can be satisfied, but not when a clean race brings my worst result of the year so far. Hoping the legs just needed a wake up to racing again after some time training at home. Very excited to try again this weekend in beautiful Andorra.”
After five World Cups, Amos is in ninth place in the U23 men’s field with four race to go. Amos, who didn’t race in Leogang, Austria, has amassed 244 points.
Martin Vidaurre Kossmann has won all five races and leads the U23 men with a perfect 625.
Blevins is in 27th in the elite men’s division with 343. Nino Schurter of Switzerland leads with 1,154 points after one win, two second-place finishes and a third and a fifth.
Blunk is 57th out of 94 elite women with 86 points in three races, including 52 points for her effort in Lenzerheide. Lecomte leads with 1,204.
In the U23 women’s division, Ruth Holcomb is in 24th place after a sixth-place finish in Petropolis, Brazil, and 28th-place finishes in Albstadt, Germany, and Nove Mesta, Czech Republic. Holcomb, however, did not race in Lenzerheide.
Line Burquier of France leads the U23 women with 575 points after winning twice and finishing second three times.
This week, July 16-17, the World Cup competition will take place in Valnord, Andorra, before two stops in North America – July 30-31 at Snowshoe, West Virginia, and Aug. 6-7 at Mont St. Anne in Canada. The World Cup will then conclude Sept. 3-4 in Val di Sole, Italy.
The USA Cycling national championships, meanwhile, will be contested July 22-24 in Winter Park, Colorado, which Blunk returned to the U.S. to train for.
