In a staggering show of domination, Australian riders grabbed the top four places of the men's race at the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Championships mountain bike race in Canmore, Canada, this past weekend. The women's event was won by reigning world champion Rebecca Rusch (Specialized).
New South Wales rider James Williamson (Giant/Ritchey) took the overall title in fine style, clocking up 16 laps in less than 23 hours and taking an early finish when it became clear that second-placed Jason English (BMC/Ritchey) couldn't catch him.
Williamson took the early lead ahead of evergreen enduro star Tinker Juarez but at about the eight-hour mark, Juarez pulled away from Williamson, only to later drop out with vision problems caused by mud from the wet Canmore course.
"It was bloody hard early and I didn't think I could hold it," Williamson said at the finish.
Like Williamson, Rusch remarked on the toughness of the hilly Canmore course. "That was the hardest course I have ever done," she said after the finish. "Add in the rain and the cold and it's ten times harder."
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Siber and Rucknagel win round two in Canzei
Germany's Andreas Sieber and Harriet Rucknagel won the iXS European Downhill Cup's second race. The European tour stop brought the gravity community to the Dolomites. In Italy's Canazei, riders from many different countries from all over Europe rolled to the start of the 3.2km long course.
None of the participants knew what to expect from Canazei's first showing as a race venue so getting accustomed to the conditions at hand was the first thing to do. The course was a high-speed track, which supported the race's motto "release the brakes and give it a go". As with this series' first stop, the weather conditions were unsettled.
Rain set in just in time for Saturday's lunch break. So many riders had to race their seeding run on a wet track without having had the chance to practice under the tricky conditions. Andreas Sieber (Solid A-Class Factory Team) handled the extremely slippery course best, winning the seeding run and thus securing himself the last starting spot on Sunday on his way to a fastest time in the final, too. Marco Bugnone (Ancillotti Team) and Marcel Beer (Ixs Sports Division Racing Team) finished second and third.
In the women's race Scuol's third-place finisher Harriet Rücknagel (Team Zonenschein) stood up to her competitors, winning ahead of Swiss racers Silya Stadler (RMC Kerns) and Miriam Ruchti (Sport Promotion). After having won the seeding run, German Sandra Rübesam (Rad Art) had a crash in her final run, knocking her out of contention for the victory.
