Day three of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, France, saw British riders contesting the E-MTB and short-track events, with Commonwealth champion Evie Richards our highest finisher with fifth place in the women’s short track.
Having won silver in the short track event in last year’s world championships in Val di Sole, Richards took to the start line once again for Great Britain, alongside teammate Annie Last.
Both riders performed strongly throughout, with Last sitting in second place after six of the nine laps. However a surging attack saw home favourite Pauline Ferrand-Prevot go clear of the pack, and she proved just too strong, taking the win by 18 seconds.
Richards was the first British finisher in fifth place, just eight seconds off the podium, with Last a further 15 seconds back in seventh place.
Cameron Orr was the sole British entrant in the men’s short track race, and did well to finish 13th overall in a strong field, 19 seconds down on the podium places.
In the first race of the day to feature British riders, the men's E-MTB, Cameron Mason battled well in wet conditions to finish in 17th place, with world championships debutant Robert Williams and Chris Hutchens close behind in 21st and 30th respectively. France’s Jerome Gilloux took the win to successfully defend his title.
Mason will ride again in Sunday’s under-23 cross-country event, and the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continue tomorrow when rainbow jerseys will be awarded in the downhill events.
