The 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup continues in Lenzerheide, Switzerland from 9-10 July, with both cross-country and downhill events taking place.
It is the second time this season that both mountain bike disciplines have come together for a combined world cup weekend.
British mountain bike riders will head to Switzerland fresh from the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in the Czech Republic while Rachel Atherton will look to extend her record-breaking run of world cup downhill victories.
Cross-country
Elite
It has been a busy week for Grant Ferguson.
The 22-year-old made his elite men’s race debut at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Nove Mesto before being confirmed as the 27th member of Team GB’s cycling line-up for this summer’s Olympic Games in Brazil.
The young Scot, representing CST Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team, has been an ever-present on the world cup circuit this season, in his maiden year of competing at elite level. He is currently ranked 26th in the standings after securing back-to-back top ten finishes in the competition’s opening two rounds.
Alongside Ferguson in Switzerland is fellow British rider Phillip Pearce, who heads to Lenzerheide in 90th place in the world cup standings.
In the women’s event, Annie Last is the highest ranked British woman in the senior competition following her 28th place finish in La Bresse, France, in May.
The Novus OMX Pro Team rider is joined by Kerry MacPhee and Maxine Filby in the elite women’s race.
Under-23 and juniors
Evie Richards has had a terrific season so far for the Great Britain Cycling Team in the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and will look to continue her fine form in Switzerland.
The Malvern teenager, who finished fourth in the world championships in the Czech Republic, has back-to-back second places from stages in Germany and France, beaten on both occasions by Sina Frei, the Swiss rider who will have home advantage this weekend.
Another British rider heading from Nove Mesto to Lenzerheide is Beth Crumpton. The 22-year-old took 15th at the world championships, to follow up on 16th and 10th place in the previous two world cup rounds.
Novus OMX Pro Team’s Isla Short completes the British line-up in the women’s under-23 race, hoping to improve on her 29th place in the standings.
In the men’s under-23 race, three riders will be in Great Britain Cycling Team colours.
Iain Paton took 32nd in the under-23 men’s cross-country race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships last weekend.
The 21-year-old said he found that race a good learning experience and will look to build upon that performance in Switzerland.
Paton will be joined in Lenzerheide by Mark McGuire and Frazer Clacherty.
Downhill
Record-breaking Rachel Atherton will look for an unprecedented eleventh consecutive world cup stage win in Switzerland this weekend.
The Trek Factory Racing DH rider made history in Leogang last month, continuing her unbeaten start to the world cup season.
Atherton is not the only British downhill rider in terrific form as Madison Saracen Factory Team’s Manon Carpenter currently sits in second place in the world cup standings.
Transition Factory Racing / FMD’s Tahnee Seagrave is in fourth place having taken silver in Austria in June.
In the men’s downhill race, MS Mondraker Team’s Danny Hart is in third place in the world cup rankings, his position boosted by a fourth place in Leogang.
Competing alongside Hart in Switzerland will be Greg Williamson (Cube Global Squad protected by Bliss) who is currently ranked in sixth place and Trek Factory Racing’s Gee Atherton, who is in tenth.
In the men’s junior race, Matt Walker will look for a second world cup win of the season. The Madison Saracen Factory Team rider won gold in the second round of the season in Cairns.
Schedule (UK times)
Friday 8 July
11.30am: Downhill qualifying round – men’s juniors
12.30pm: Downhill qualifying round – women
1pm: Downhill qualifying round – men’s elite
Saturday 9 July
11am: Downhill final – men’s juniors
12pm: Downhill final – women
1pm: Downhill final – men’s elite
Sunday 10 July
8am: Cross-country – men’s under-23
10.20am: Cross-country – women’s elite
1.20pm: Cross-country – men’s elite
3.30pm: Cross-country – women’s under-23
How to follow
- Watch the elite downhill finals from 12pm on Saturday on Red Bull TV
- Watch the elite cross-country finals from 10.20am on Sunday on Red Bull TV
- Updates will appear on Twitter @BritishCycling
- Report will appear on British Cycling website
