No one expected the US men to match Lea Davison’s silver medal performance on Sunday so when Howard Grotts finished 21st it wasn’t a bad result. Grotts has only finisher higher than 20th once so far this year in the three UCI World Cup events. The 23-year-old is still on the rise in the sport and could be a medal contender in the coming years. Stephen Ettinger finished 50th and Spencer Paxson was 63rd, certainly a better result compared to expectations for Paxson than Ettinger.

The cross country athletes will be back on the world cup tour when they stop in Lenzerheide, Switzerland next weekend.

UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships Coverage:
Preview
Wednesday Update
Thursday Update
Saturday Update

Lea Davison has been in the top twenty at all three world cup events so far this season but she hasn’t come close to the performance she had at the UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championship on Saturday. Davison was 16th after the starting loop and had to work her way up through the standings, still sitting outside the medals going into the last lap. Davison really brought it on the final lap, passing two competitors and finishing the lap three seconds quicker than anyone else and with a silver medal awaiting her.

Her push for silver was as amazing as the fall for those in second and third going into the last lap. Poland’s Maja Wloszczowska was 57 seconds ahead of Davison going into the final lap but was 17th fastest on the final lap, almost a minute and a half slower than Davison, and then got beat to the line in a photo finish by Emily Batty of Canada for the bronze. Sabine Spitz of Germany was over a half minute in front of Davison going into the final lap but was 40th fastest on that lap, three and half minutes behind Davison, as she wound up ninth.

Davison wasn’t the only American to have a strong day as Erin Huck placed 11th, Chloe Woodruff was 14th, and Georgia Gould was 15th. It was better finishes for Huck and Gould than they have achieved on the world cup series this year and Woodruff was one off her series high from the year. Mary McConneloug in 30th and Rose Grant in 32nd completed a great day for the US.

Tomorrow in the men’s race Stephen Ettinger, Howard Grotts, and Spencer Paxson will compete for the US.

On Saturday seven Americans, including Davison, will take part in the women’s cross country race. Also in the field are Chloe Woodruff and American national champion Erin Huck. Both Ettinger and Grotts have multiple top 32 finishes this year.

UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships Coverage:
Preview
Wednesday Update
Thursday Update

The US team of Stephen Ettinger, Christopher Blevins, Lea Davison, and Keegan Swenson bounced around between eighth and 11th, eventually finishing eight and 1:53 behind the winning team from France. The US had Ettinger take the lead leg and were already 1:10 behind after that. They were fairly competitive in the middle legs, gaining five seconds on France over those two legs.

On Saturday seven Americans, including Davison, will take part in the women’s cross country race. Also in the field are Chloe Woodruff and Erin Huck.

UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships Coverage:
Preview
Wednesday Update

Kate Courtney advanced from qualifying in the eliminator event on Wednesday but did not start the final as the competition began at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cross Country Championships in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. Courtney finished 11th in the qualifying round, 9.6 seconds back, but did not start the 16-rider final.

The US will hope to have better luck on Thursday in the team relay event with Stephen Ettinger, Christopher Blevins, Lea Davison, and Keegan Swenson entered for the US.

UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships Coverage:
Preview

Wednesday will be the kickoff for the five day UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for cross country in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic. Competition begins with the eliminator competitions before the team relay on Thursday and the main cross country races for the women on Saturday and the men on Sunday. The US will have Kate Courtney competing in the women’s elimination event while there are no US men entered in the men’s event.

Howard Grotts had a strong ride at the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championship and finished in the top ten in ninth place. Grotts was over four minutes behind the winner, Tiago Jorge Oliveira Ferreira of Portugal, but the 23-year-old was the youngest finisher in the top 30. On the other side of the age spectrum 40-year-old Jeremiah Bishop finished 23rd while 41-year-old Todd Wells was 48th.

Next year’s marathon world championship will be held in Singen, Germany from June 24th-25th.

Previous UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championship Coverage:
Preview