<\/p>\n
Mountain biking is an outdoor sport. All racers know that when the world is your venue, Mother Nature can be a decisive factor in race conditions as much as the other competitors. Still, a combination of rain, mud and untested course design left a few top riders frustrated enough to comment publicly about the World Cup season opener in South Korea.<\/p>\n
Not all the riders were upset, of course. Some took the epic conditions in stride.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was pretty gnarly for sure, so much running\u201d Haley Batten told Wyn Masters after the race for his Wyn TV post-race YouTube show. \u201cIt was good, I had fun. It was super fun in the dry but you know, bike racing\u2019s full of surprises.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad I packed my running shoes,\u201d Austrian Laura Stigger laughed, adding \u201cIt was a super nice challenge. We\u2019ve never had something like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s Jenn Jackson finished fourth, matching her best-ever World Cup result and finishing just shy of the podium. In the immediate afterglow of the event, the Canadian national champ was focused on the positives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was enjoying the descending but the hiking I could do with a \u2026 little bit less.\u201d Jackson told Masters, adding that she does run in the off season, but that cross training tapers off as the season gets started. \u201cThe descending was impressive!\u201d Masters added, which is always a solid tip of the hat when coming from a downhill racer.<\/p>\n
A short while later, though, the Canadians tone was more serious.<\/p>\n