SOLDIER HOLLOW, USA

Round 8 – UCI MTB WORLD CUP

The final two World Cups saw the team packing bikes into slightly larger than usual bags and flying to the USA. Just outside of Salt Lake City, Soldier Hollow was a high altitude venue set in the open mountains of Utah, with terrain unlike any other World Cup – rolling mountains, leaves changing to red, and enthusiastic fans who had travelled from all over the country.

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SHORT TRACK (XCC)

The XCC did not go to plan. Crashes, unexpected rain mid-race and a much longer than anticipated short track made the race especially difficult for the team.

“A big pile up happened… I felt like I was perfectly positioned for the sprint until I crashed and then I couldn’t do shit”
Björn Riley

The short track was fast bunch racing with positions constantly changing and any small mistake costing riders dearly. Filippo and Björn came into the final lap with great positioning until a crash in front of them took both out of contention. Fabio started strongly but struggled with the altitude and slipped back through the field.

“A rider in front of me crashed and I couldn’t avoid it”
FILIPPO COLOMBO

“I could feel the altitude”
Fabio Püntener

“I was off the back from the start and it was just impossible to get back”
EMILLY JOHNSTON

Emilly got caught behind some traffic at the start of the race and struggled to move up on the open and fast course. She had some good battles with the riders around her and finished in the top 30.

It was maybe not the start to the final few races that the team wanted, but it is all part of racing.

“Shit happens, but that’s racing”
Frischi

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CROSS COUNTRY (XCO)

Like the short track, racing was a big bunch of riders vying for positions until the final lap. Halfway through the race the top twenty were separated by just eleven seconds.

Despite starting further back than usual the boys quickly made their way into the front group. Björn was in the front group going into the final lap and he held strong until the finish.

“I still managed to pull 6th, which I was super happy with”
Björn Riley

Fabio was in the mix all race, coming in and out of touch with the lead group and feeling the elastic effect of bunch racing. He eventually faded slightly in the closing laps, finishing just outside the top ten.

“I tried to stay calm,
not to make stupid moves”
Fabio Püntener

Filippo was riding well and tracking with the lead group until a badly timed flat tyre late in the race. He managed to salvage a solid 14th place despite the mechanical.

Andri had a great start, moving up in the first lap, however he quickly felt the effects of altitude combined with some sickness and chose to pull out of the race to focus on feeling good for the final World Cup.

“I felt a little bit sick… I had to pull out because I couldn’t breath properly”
Andri Frischknecht