Cooper runner-up in final mountain bike World Cup
Sunday 15 September 2013, 12:00PM
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Teenager Anton Cooper has claimed an outstanding second place in the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Norway today.
The 19 year old Cannondale Factory Team professional forced his way through the field over the second half of the race to finish just 37 seconds of winner Jordan Sarrou (France) with Michiel van der Heijden (Netherlands) in third.
The result elevated Cooper to eighth place overall in his first year in the under-23 division, which is all the more impressive given he missed half the season with illness, coming back to win the penultimate round in Canada, fourth just off the podium in the world championships and now second at Hafjell today.
The North Canterbury rider had a solid start to be ninth after the first of six laps but by the halfway mark he was up to third. He was the fastest rider on the course in the second half of the race.
“It was a great weekend to finish up a tough season,” said Cooper. “It was a perfect day for the team with Cannondale winning the team category.”
Meanwhile Queenstown cross-country rider Kate Fluker finished 34th in the elite women’s race, on the same lap as winner Irina Kalentieva (RUS).
Focus tomorrow is on downhill in their penultimate round of the world cup, where in-form British rider Gee Atherton was fastest in qualifying ahead of Australian Michael Hannah.
Hawkes Bay professional George Brannigan (Trek World Racing) was in excellent form to be seventh fastest just ahead of compatriot Sam Blenkinsop (Lapierre International).
It was an excellent day for the Kiwi gravity brigade with six Kiwis through to the final field tomorrow with Taranaki’s Ed Masters in excellent form to qualify in 38th, Mat Walker (Rotorua) 54th, Wyn Masters (Team Bulls) 58th and Reon Boe 67th. The unlucky rider was Bryan Dickerson who came down in his qualifying run.
The Atherton machine was to the fore again with sister Rachel Atherton (GBR) fastest in the women where Queenstown’s Alanna Columb was the only Kiwi to qualify, timed in 17th fastest, while Auckland’s Raphael Kammlein-Cutler was eighth fastest in seeding in the junior men where Wellington’s Kyle Lockwood also qualified for tomorrow’s racing.
Results, Under-23 men cross-country: Jordan Sarrou (FRA) 1:15.40, 1; Anton Cooper (NZL) 1:16.17, 2; Michiel van der Heijden (NED) 1:16.46, 3.
Overall ranking: Markus Schulte-Luenzum (GER) 310 points, 1; Hugo Drechou (FRA), van der Heijden 210, equal 2. Also: Cooper 168, 8.