Blunk, Courtney, Munro, Riley, and Amos were among the top finishers.
PAL ARINSAL, Andorra (September 1, 2024) – On the final day of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, storms were forecasted to hit Pal Arinsal in the afternoon. The race organizers adjusted the schedule last night to ensure racing concluded before the weather turned. The changes included earlier start times for all categories, shortened race distances, and the merging of the Elite and U23 Women’s races.
Elite Men’s XCO
The men’s race was fast from the start with Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) staying with the front group and maintaining positioning near the top 10 for the majority of the race. He kicked it into gear on the final lap, recording his fastest lap time of the day. Blevins ultimately finished in 14th place, marking his best result at an Elite World Championship.
Results:
1. Alan Hatherly (RSA) 1:09:51
2. Victor Koretzky (FRA) +0:22
3. Tom Pidcock (GRA) +0:39
14. Christopher Blevins (USA) +3:01
Elite/U23 Women’s XCO
Over 100 women lined up for Sunday’s XCO where the U23 and Elite Women’s races were combined and would take on the 5-lap race together. The Americans racing in the Elite class included Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing Team), Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif.; SCOTT-SRAM Factory Racing), Haley Batten (Park City, Utah; Specialized Factory Racing), Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing), and Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; Team 31). Madigan Munro (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) and Sofia Waite (Littleton, Colo.; BH Coloma Team) represented the U23 category.
Blunk and Batten both had strong starts but started to fade as the race progressed. Meanwhile, Courtney maintained a consistent pace lap after lap, with all three riders finishing in the top 15. Munro and Waite fought through the chaos, battling their way to impressive results, with Munro securing a spot in the top 10 and Waite close behind in 16th.
Elite Women’s Results:
1. Puck Pieterse (NED) 1:09:41
2. Anne Terpstra (NED) +0:59
3. Martina Berta (ITA) +1:19
8. Savilia Blunk (USA) +2:32
9. Kate Courtney (USA) +2:57
13. Haley Batten (USA) +3:14
17. Gwendalyn Gibson (USA) +3:44
22. Kelsey Urban (USA) +4:23
U23 Women’s Results:
1. Isabella Holmgren (CAN) 1:11:12
2. Olivia Onesti (FRA) +1:17
3. Emily Johnston (CAN) +2:31
10. Madigan Munro (USA) +5:03
16. Sofia Waite (USA) +7:20
U23 Men’s XCO
It was a challenging day for the Under-23 men after seeing such a success in the Short Track earlier this week. Riley Amos(Durango, Colo.; Trek Factory Racing) and Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Trek Future Racing) had been the two to watch after their winning streaks in the World Cups earlier this year. Riley rode a strong and consistent race to finish fifth in a stacked field. Amos stayed with the lead group until lap three when he slowly started dropping back. After battling sickness all week, he couldn’t keep the pace at the front and finished 10th. Brayden Johnson (Littleton, Colo.; Santa Cruz Rock Shox) achieved his best U23 Worlds result, finishing 11th.
Results:
1. Luca Martin (FRA) 59:48
2. Dario Lillo (SUI) +0:21
3. Tobias Lillelund (DEN) +0:52
5. Bjorn Riley (USA) +1:49
10. Riley Amos (USA) +2:57
11. Brayden Johnson (USA) +3:14
63. Carson Hampton (USA) +9:37
