Silver In Season Swansong

Australia’s Troy Brosnan and Rebecca McConnell have finished the 2021 UCI MTB World Cup season on a silver high at Snowshoe, West Virginia.

CROSS-COUNTRY

With another first row start for the six lap lung burster, McConnell launched an early attack on the second lap to put her alone at the head of the race, as she searched for her first elite World Cup victory.

However, a front tyre puncture when she led World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing XC Team) by about 20 seconds returned her to the chasing group with Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds and Sina Frei (Specialized Racing).

The reigning Oceania champion couldn’t catch the British rider who was powering towards her second consecutive win, but she was able to hold the gap to her pursuers.

McConnell rolling across the stripe for her fifth podium finish this season, four in XCO and one in XCC leaving her in fourth in the overall standings.

McConnell will now head to race at the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships in Capoliveri - Isle of Elba, Italy in a fortnight.

Cameron Wright (Giant Factory Off Road Team) saved one of his best for last picking up some more valuable UCI points finishing in 22nd.

Full Results

Downhill

Riders faced a double header in as many days and after finishing ninth in the Round 5 race, Troy Brosnan (Canyon Collective Factory Team) had one last chance to put down the perfect run for a podium place.

The current Australian champion stopped the clock with a 3:13:300 to put himself on the hot seat with only two riders to come.

Canadian Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) crashed in his run, it was left to Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) to put it all together under pressure to conjure up a run for the ages to nick the win by 0.421 seconds and his second overall UCI MTB World Cup title.

The South Aussie finished with silver and a fourth place in the overall standings.

Full Results