Connor Wright has continued his unbeaten run in Europe with back-to-back victories at the Nové Mésto na Moravé UCI XCO Junior Series.
The West Australian showcased his powerful sprint finish in both the short track (XCC) and Olympic cross-country (XCO) races at the famed Czech venue.
With the XCC included in the UCI Junior Series for the first time, Wright made sure the occasion was memorable. After a tough seven laps, the junior national champion timed his run perfectly, launching his move as the riders entered the finishing straight.
Connor Wright crosses the line in the junior men XCC.
“I had the run onto the descent and then in the last 100 metres I managed to pull it off,” Wright said post-race.
There was little time to recover before he was back between the tape for Sunday’s XCO race, where he delivered another composed performance, particularly through the technical sections of the renowned Nové Město course.
Wright now leads the overall rankings for the UCI XCO Junior Series.
And just like the XCC, the Australian produced another thrilling finish, edging out Austria’s Michael Hettegger for the win.
The result marked Wright’s fourth straight victory in the UCI XCO Junior Series after earlier wins at the Czech MTB Cup and Bike the Rock in Germany.
All four wins have arrived during the AusCycling European U19 and U23 XCO Development Camp, which concludes this week.
The next round of the UCI XCO Junior Series heads to the Škoda Swiss Bike Cup in Savognin this weekend.
Featured photos: Philip Metzger