The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano headed Down Under, to Cairns, Australia, for round 2 of the downhill (DHI) and Round 1 of the cross-country Olympic (XCO). Despite threatening clouds, rain held off through the weekend of racing.
Rachel Atherton (Trek Factory Racing) took her second consecutive win in the women's downhill to soldify her lead in the overall standings, while UCI World Champion Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) took the win denied him at Lourdes in round 1 when he crashed near the finish line. Aaron Gwin (The YT Mob), despite finishing fourth in the men, continues to lead the overall.
In the XCO, Annika Langvad (Specialized Racing) took the second UCI World Cup win of her career, and is thus the first woman in 2016 to don the leader's jersey. Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo) won the Men Elite race, after regular rival Julien Absalon (BMC) flatted early on. However the French double Olympic Champion and 5-time UCI World Champion made a remarkable comeback to finish third.
Albstadt, Germany XCO #2 > May 21-22
Where to watch?
The races will be broadcasted live on our website and on Red Bull TV :
XCO Women > 22.05.2016 / 09:00 – 11:00 GMT XCO Men > 22.05.2016 / 12:00 – 14:00 GMT
All live broadcasts can be watched worldwide and without geo-blocking.
2015 Women 1. Jolanda Neff (SUI) 2. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (NOR) 3. Catharine Pendrel (CAN)
2015 Men 1. Julien Absalon (FRA) 2. Nino Schurter (SUI) 3. Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE)
… Albstadt UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
The UCI World Cup returns to Europe for two consecutive weekends of XCO competition, beginning with Albstadt, Germany, on May 21-22. This is the fourth time the World Cup stops in Albstadt, a small town in the south of Germany, near the Swiss and French borders.
Albstadt is one of the most physically demanding courses on the XCO circuit. It features very steep climbs and, if it rains, becomes slippery and treacherous. This is a course that Julien Absalon likes (he won the last two years) and his constant rival, Nino Schurter... does not.
Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa
Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa is a legend in cross-country mountain biking. The Norwegian rider (born February 10, 1973) is entering her 22nd season on the UCI World Cup circuit, and feature regularly among the top 5 of any race she enters. Dahle Flesjaa is the 2004 Olympic Champion, has won four XCO world titles, six Marathon world titles and holds the record for most UCI World Cup wins among women (29). Dahle Flesjaa has won the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup overall title four times.
Dahle Flesjaa has shown remarkable consistency at the highest level of the sport, with her World Cup wins (so far) stretching from 1995 to 2015. She has also battled back from potentially career-ending health issues twice - the first in 2000 and the second in 2007-8. In 2009, Dahle Flesjaa and her husband Kenneth had a son, Bjorna.
Key Results
Olympic Champion (2004) 1st Elite XCO UCI World Championships (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006) 1st Marathon UCI World Championships (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015) 1st Overall XCO UCI World Cup (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) 29 XCO UCI World Cup victories (women's record)
On the 25th of April we are 103 days from the Olympic Games in Rio.
[TWITTER ID="https://twitter.com/RedBullUK/status/724209613759881216"]