Top five fastest at UCI World Cup downhill in Poland

Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab has produced a breakthrough performance in the semifinals of the elite men’s downhill at the UCI MTB World Cup in Poland.

The 20-year-old New Zealand champion, who rides for the Union team, was fifth fastest down the 2km downhill semifinal at Bielsko-Biala today, to set up for an exciting elite men’s final tomorrow.
He produced the fastest time through the speed-trap at 59kph to finish his semifinal run 3:01.227, which was 1.5 seconds behind top qualifier American Dakotah Norton (Mondraker).

Three other kiwis who qualified for the semifinals comprised Sam Blenkinsop (Zerode) 44th, Toby Meek (Meek Boyz) in 46th and Brook MacDonald (Forbidden Synthesis) in 49th fastest.

Queenstown’s Jess Blewitt made a welcome return to the competition to be fifth fastest in the elite women’s semifinal.  The Cube Factory professional clocked 3:32.61 to be four seconds behind top placed Valentina Hill from Austria.

The New Zealand female riders continued to dominate the junior women’s category with three kiwis in the top four qualifiers.

In just her second World Cup start, Tauranga rookie Eliana Hulsebosch (Union), the national junior champion, topped qualifying in 3:33.454.  She was 3.9s faster than world champion kiwi Erice van Leuven (Commencal les Orres) in second with Sasha Earnest (Trek Factory) fourth fastest in 3:43.039s.
Meanwhile Canterbury’s Luke Wayman (Union-Sinter Factory) followed his second placing in the opening round at Fort William in the junior men, to qualify eighth fastest at Bielsko-Biala.
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Queenstown’s Rory Meek (Meek Boyz) was 19th fastest with only two kiwi rides in the 25 top from 90 starters to qualify for the junior men’s final.