A big block of US Cup racing started with strong results from the Canadian contingent in Arkansas. That included wins in Wednesday’s UCI C1 event from Ethan Wood, Elli Clark and Ian Ackert along with several other podiums.
Juniors: Wood adds to stellar season start
The wins for Canada started right away, with Ethan Wood and Evan Moore going 1-2 in the junior men’s XCO. Rowan Nistal for the U.S.A. finished third. For Wood, it adds another win to an already strong start to the season. The current junior XCO national champion won the Canada Cup opener just a few days ago on Vancouver Island as well as a UCI Junior Series event in Puerto Rico before that.
On the junior women’s side, Elly Moore was the top-ranked Canuck in fifth. Lacey Dennis followed in seventh. Sophia Wellmeier won that race with fellow U.S. racers Lily Agnew and Aida Linton joining her on the podium.
Under-23: Clark and Ackert double up for Canada
In the under-23 XCO races, it was all about Canada. A 1-2 finish for Elli Clark and Raphaelle Carrier (Trinity Racing) saw the duo finish on the same time, with Clark taking the win. U.S.A. got on the board with Ingrid Mcelroy in third.
Lily Rose Marois in sixth, Maude Ruelland in seventh, Eleanor Winchell in eighth and Marie Fay St. Onge in 10th made the top rankings a very Canadian ordeal.
On the men’s side, Ian Ackert and Maxime St. Onge, both racing for Pivot Cycles-OTE, matched the under-23 women’s result. Ackert takes the win, St. Onge second with the U.S.A.’s Nicholas Konecny third.
Felix Antoine Leclair just missed the podium in fourth while Alexander Woodford joined him in the top-10, placing eighth.
Elites: Holmgren attacks, Blevins unstoppable
In the elite races, Canadians had a hard time disrupting what is currently a powerhouse U.S. cross country program on its home turf. But Gunnar Holmgren sure tried. The Pivot Cycles-OTE rider attacked to go solo, only to be slowed down by double flat tires.
Christopher Blevins (Specialized) the reigning double World Cup overall winner, proved unstoppable. Blevins takes the win ahead of Trek-Unbroken’s Riley Amos.
Zorak Paille (Pivot Cycles-OTE) earned a big third place for Canada. Owen Clark (Pivot Cycles-OTE) and Tyler Orschel (KMC Nukeproof) rounded out the wide-angle podium in fourth and fifth. Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) squeezed into the points in 10th.
On the women’s side, the U.S. just managed to shut out their northern neighbours. Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) led Madigan Munro (Liv Factory Racing) and Gewn Gibson (Trek-Unbroken).
Canada’s powerhouse U23 duo, Marin Lowe (Liv Factory Racing) and Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria) raced up into elites and finished fourth and fifth.
Ella Meyers and Ayana Gagne were just outside the top 10 in 11th and 12th while Catryana Marcotte nabbed 15th, and the final UCI point for Canada.
Racing at the Fayetteville round of the US Cup continues with a UCI Junior Series event and, for the U23/elite riders, a HC-ranked UCI race.
All of this week’s racing is being live streamed, for free, on the InsiderMTB YouTube channel.