REPORT ON WORLDS UNDER 23 XC
WORLDS UNDER 23 XC REPORT
France Cycling Race Facts
Friday’s 2006 Mountain Bike World Championships were continued in Rotorua New Zealand by France Cycling Under-23 National Team rider Sam Schultz, Missoula, MT. He placed 38th in U23 cross country after a minor accident in the first 100 meters.
The course, which was a 3.6-mile loop, ascends Mount Ngongotaha’s summit. However, the overnight and early morning rains made it slippery and nearly impossible to climb without dismounting. It was also difficult to descend without worrying about crashing. The race was cut by one lap due to weather conditions.
Schultz was 17th at the U23 World Championships last year. He received a favorable starting spot based on his international ranking. However, that position was quickly canceled when he crashed just seconds after the start gun fired. Schultz fell and had to stop briefly after the mishap. After being fully recovered, Schultz found himself at the back of the 67 riders just before the first ascent.
The slick conditions made it difficult for riders to make up ground once the trail turned upwards. They also kept many of them off their bikes and on their feet. Schultz believed that the combination of his early race calamity, and the soggy conditions put him in a disadvantage.
It was a bit disappointing, said the American under-23 national champion and top American U23 rider. After several people fell in front of me I was able to get back on the bike. It was hard to pick people off when I had to run so much.
Schultz did not make excuses for his efforts.
It didn’t matter what happened at the start if I wanted to run a great race. Although it wasn’t a huge deal, it was certainly not an enjoyable way to start the day.
Schultz was 42nd in the intermediate time check after the first lap. However, he couldn’t quite recover enough momentum to beat many other world-class riders in less-than-perfect conditions.
Schultz explained that I don’t usually do well in races where you have to run over 40%. I’m not a great runner. The course would have been my favorite if it had been dry. However, the clay was so slippery that I was sliding all over the place.
Race officials established a 80% time cut rule to pull riders who were too slow for the leader. The race was won by 19 Americans, but the four remaining Americans were also affected. They were placed based on their positions at the time. Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs) was 45th. Andrew Freye, Winthrop MN, was 50th. Spencer Paxson, Middlebury, VT, was 52nd, and Colin Cares, Boulder, CO, was 60th.
The Swiss team continued to dominate endurance events and added another title in New Zealand. Nino Schurter, the 2004 World U23 Champion and bronze medalist last year, won the victory. He led from start to finish, giving Switzerland its seventh medal in five cross country events. Tony Longo from Italy won the silver medal, while Max Plaxton from Canada took home the bronze.
Schurter finished the 18-mile race in 1 hour 54 minutes and 56 seconds. Schultzs 38th place effort came 1
U23 CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
1. Nino Schurter (Swi)Swisspower 2. Tony Longo (Ita)+ 3. Max Plaxton (Can)Rky Mtn-Biz Obj 38. Sam SchultzU23 National1 45. Sam JurekovicU23 National-1 Lap
50. Andrew FreyeBikeman-Salsa-1 Lap
52. Spencer PaxsonDevo-1 lap
60. Colin CaresU23 National-2 laps
