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Rotorua professional Lachlan Stevens-McNab finished runner-up in the elite men’s downhill at the mountain biking world championship in Italy on Sunday.
The 22-year-old came within a blink of creating history by winning the rainbow jersey but was pipped by just 0.695sec by Canada’s Jackson Goldstone with the final run of the competition.
Stevens-McNab is just the second New Zealand elite men’s rider to make a podium in downhill at the world championships, following a third placing by Sam Blenkinsop 15 years ago.
The Rotorua rider hurtled down the super-challenging 2.4km course known as the Black Snake to claim the lead and set the standard of 3min 29.480sec.
Great Britain star Jordan Williams, a three-time world cup winner, came within a blink-of-the-eye to edging him but had to ultimately settle for third, as the Kiwi waited on top of the hot seat until Goldstone made it two title wins in a row.
Stevens-McNab led an outstanding effort from the elite men with Christchurch rider Luke Wayman claiming a career-best 11th, ahead of fellow teenager Oli Clark (Kaikoura) in 20th and Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (Rotorua) 23rd.
“It is pretty special,” Stevens-McNab said.
“World champs are the most important race of the year. It is a one-off and who can do it on the day.
“We came pretty close today so it is a little bittersweet but I am chuffed.
“It has been a hard year with injuries. I’m chuffed to put a good one down today on a ruthless track and be right up there and hang that silver medal in my home.”
Queenstown rider Indy Deavoll, who celebrated her 18th birthday last week, claimed a bronze medal in the women’s under-23 downhill.
It capped a consistently strong season for Deavoll, who is currently fifth in the overall world cup standings with the North American rounds to come.
She sat on the hot seat behind Australian Tilly Boadle for a significant time, edged back to third by Norway’s Rosa Jensen.
Deavoll follows in a line of outstanding young female New Zealand gravity riders who have won medals at the world championships over the past five years including Jenna Hastings, Erice van Leuven, Poppy Lane, Sacha Earnest and Eliana Hulsebosch.
Another of the rising Kiwi stars, Kate Hastings (Rotorua), set the tone when she took the early lead in the elite women’s competition.
That was surpassed by Tauranga rider Hulsebosch, who had qualified fifth fastest and had a liking for the Val di Sole course, winning a world cup competition there as a junior.
She held the top spot on the hot seat until the final four riders edged ahead, won ultimately by Austria’s Valentina Holl.
Hulsebosch settled for fifth and Hastings eighth for impressive performances.
Earnest, a two-time junior world placegetter, was also on target for a podium but fell before recovering to finish 14th.
There were high hopes of New Zealand success in the under-23 men with a strong group led by season-long UCI world series winner Jonty Williamson and compatriot Malik Boatwright.
The mountains of the Dolomites produced rain overnight, which turned the downhill track, especially the exposed roots and rocks, to a super-slippery surface for riders during their morning warm-ups.
Williamson, the fastest qualifier, crashed in the morning practice, suffering a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw.
Boatwright made a flying start up with the leaders but a mistake mid-run proved costly, finishing an unlucky 13th with Taranaki’s Dexter Lock in 15th. — Allied Media