New Zealand mountain bike rider Sammie Maxwell won gold in the under-23 women's cross country at the cycling world championships in Scotland. Photo: SWpix.com
National champion Sammie Maxwell crushed the field to win the gold medal in the women's under-23 cross-country at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Scotland today.
The Wellington-based rider from Taupo becomes the first New Zealand woman to claim the under-23 world title, winning today by just over a minute at Glentress Forest near Peebles in the Scottish Borders.
She came into the championships on the back of two impressive podium performances in the UCI World Cup series, and took the challenge to pre-race Swiss favourites, Ginia Caluori and Ronja Blochlinger.
The 21-year-old attacked from the start to hold a narrow lead over Blochlinger after the first lap and from there stamped her authority over her opposition, building her advantage each lap.
She was 30 seconds clear at the midway point and doubled that on the remaining six laps to win in 1hr 16min 28sec, with 1min 01sec back to Calluori and a further 26 seconds to Blochlinger.
"t's incredible. I'm speechless. Honestly from the start, six laps are a long time to tell yourself I can do this, I can keep going," Maxwell said
"It means so much. You spend your whole life thinking about what it takes, what you sacrifice to be the best in the world. This year I have focussed on being healthy, sustainable training, enjoying what I do. That's what it takes, not sacrificing or missing anything or suffering - just being happy and loving what you do."
Maxwell joins established men's riders Anton Cooper and Sam Gaze, who both won the under-23 world crown, although the super-climber was not as confident with the more benign climbs at Glentress.
"I didn't think the course suited me coming in here. It is not super climbing," she said.
"One hour, 15 is a long time to tell yourself that you can keep going and I just had to keep believing in myself, count off the laps one by one and not think too far ahead."
The mountain bike programme finishes tomorrow with Gaze, Cooper, and Ben Oliver in the elite men's race.
Road cycling
Earlier, track cycling medallist Tom Sexton displayed his prowess on the road, finishing 29th in the elite men's time trial in Stirling.
The Black Spoke pro rider clocked 58min 40.46sec for the 48km time trial with am average speed of nearly 49kmh.
The title went to Belgian star Remco Evenpoel who won in 55min 19.22sec, which was 12 seconds clear of former winner, Italian rider Filippo Ganna.
South Canterbury's Noah Hollamby was the leading kiwi in the junior men's time trial over 23km, finishing 36th.
- RNZ