It was a well fought fourth place for the Great Britian relay team as the sun came out on day two of the 2024 UEC European MTB Championships.
The team of six put on an impressive show to make up over four minutes and come within touching distance of the podium, but a medal was not to be and they finished in a respectable fourth place.
Yesterday’s silver medallist Ella Maclean-Howell kicked the race off as the only woman on the start line, taking the pace steadily to put Great Britain in 11th place with just over a two minute gap to the leaders Italy.
Junior rider Bethany-Ann Jackson took up the second 2.1km lap, which saw the squad stay in 11th place, with the gap widening to around five minutes.
The second junior of the squad, Max Standen, picked up the reins on lap three and immediately got to work pulling the gap back, successfully overtaking Ukraine and Turkey to put GB in ninth position heading into lap four.
Corran Carrick-Anderson picked up the fourth lap and put the power down with intent, making moves to gradually move up past Spain, Denmark, Germany and Czechia into sixth place with just the two elite riders left to go.
Isla Short took to the course for the first time this championships, putting in an impressive ride to take the team up into fourth position. Heading into the final lap, Switzerland dropped off the pace, giving Short the chance to pull back the gap even more and putting GB 24 seconds off a podium spot.
Charlie Aldridge took the final turn for the British team, working hard to claw back remaining seconds and get onto the podium, but it was not to be as the Swiss rider managed to hold him off and after a brilliantly fought race, came home in fourth position, just 12 seconds behind the bronze medal winners.
The Great Britain team currently has two silver medals and tomorrow’s third day of competition will see Max Standen contesting the junior men’s cross-country title, while Bethany-Ann Jackson, Evie Strachan, Maddie Moorhouse-Smith and Daisy Taylor compete in the women’s race. Joe Blackmore, Corran Carrick-Anderson and Max Greensill take on the under-23 men’s XCO race. Racing starts at 9am UK time.
