Monster Energy congratulates team rider Camille Balanche on taking second place and Marine Cabirou on taking third place in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships 2023 in Fort William, Scotland.
FORT WILLIAM, Scotland, Aug. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Crushing podiums at the World Championships! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Camille Balanche on taking second place in the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships 2023 in Fort William, Scotland. In the Elite Women division, the 33-year-old from La Chaux-de-Fond, Switzerland, claimed her podium spot alongside 26-year-old Marine Cabirou from Millau, France, in third place.
In the Men Junior division, 18-year-old Monster Army rider Bodhi Kuhn from Rossland, Canada, took second place.
In the Elite Men division race overshadowed by stormy racing conditions, 29-year-old Troy Brosnan from Adelaide, Australia, claimed fifth place.
From August 3–5, the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships attracted the world elite of the sport to Fort William. The legendary racetrack, at a length of 1.7 miles, was first created by locals on Aonach Mor mountain in the 1990s and has hosted UCI World Cup races since 2022. This weekend marked the first World Championships contested at Fort William since 2007. The Downhill World Championships were contested as part of the first-ever multi-discipline UCI Cycling World Championships.
In the Elite Women division, the finals on the notoriously long and punishing course came to a dramatic conclusion. First, French team rider Cabirou leapfrogged three British racers to take the lead by seven seconds. But then Balanche took over the top spot to lead by only 0.3 seconds with two more riders left to drop, including Austria's Valentina Höll.
"I was super happy with my time and finished first, so I knew worst case scenario, I would be third, so I was super stoked. But if you want to have the rainbow [jersey], it is pretty much a disappointment, so I kind of have mixed feelings, I guess; I am stoked because everything went to plan, but I am not stoked," Camille Balance on taking second place.
The crowd was in for a showstopping duel. On the final run, defending champion Höll had the last word and took first place, with Balanche claiming second place on the strength of a total time of 5:00.262. The Swiss rider was joined on the podium by her teammate: Having finished closely behind Balanche, Cabirou completed the track in 5:00.603 for third place.
"I am really happy to be back, to finish third and so close to the win. I had a complicated start to the season because I was just back from injury. So, I feel really happy to be on the race base again. Normally it is not the kind of track I really like and where I can ride fast, but this weekend I had a really good feeling on this track, and I feel really happy with my bike and everything. I can't wait for the next races," said Marine Cabirou.
On Friday, Mountain Bike Downhill World Champions were decided in the Men Junior division. In a closely contested race, 18-year-old Monster Army rider Bodhi Kuhn from Rossland, Canada, took the silver medal with a total time of 4:31.145, just 0.418 seconds behind the winner.
In the Elite Men division, heavy rain during the final created challenging conditions across the track. In a completely reshuffled race, young British rider Charlie Hatton took an early lead that held all the way to the end.
When all was said and done, Brosnan finished in fifth place with a total time of 4:28.259. Brosnan's teammate, 27-year-old Loris Vergier from Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, completed the track in 4:29.176 to finish in sixth place.
What's next? Don't miss the action when the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup season continues in Pal Arinsal, Andorra, from August 24-27.
For more on Camille Balanche, Bodhi Kuhn, Marine Cabirou, Troy Brosnan, Loris Vergier, and our team of mountain bike athletes, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Also, follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for exclusive updates from our mountain bike pros.
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