Britain’s Nicole Cooke picked up a Bronze medal in the Junior Women’s
Cross-Country race at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Spain. The 17
year-old from Cowbridge, South Glamorgan, led the race after the first lap
of two, but a crash demoted her to second, and a mechanical problem late in
the race dropped her to third.

In the Junior Men’s event, Liam Killeen from Malvern came fifth in an
extremely tight and competitive event, finishing only 90 seconds down on the
winner. Lejarreta of Spain went away from the start of the race and led by
40 seconds at the end of the first lap of three. Killeen was in 5th at 1
minute 30 seconds. Lejarretta led the race until the final lap when he was
caught by Walker Ferguson of the USA. Liam was briefly up into 4th place,
but was passed by Argentinian Eduardo Bosc in the closing stages.

Team Manager Simon Burney said:
“Nicole is a little disappointed. She came here to win the race and on the
first lap she went off very fast. It’s impossible to say if she would have
won it without the problems on the second lap. Liam was in a very
competitive race. It was quick and the top five or six were never more than
a minute and a half apart. It was a world class ride in a very fast race.”

Result: Junior Women’s Cross-Country
1. Sonia Traxel (SWI)
2. Maja Wolsczowska (POL)
3. Nicole Cooke (GBR)

Result: Junior Men’s Cross -Country
1. Walker Ferguson (USA)
2. Inaki Lejarreta (ESP)
3. Florin Vogl (SWI)
4. Eduardo Bosc (Arg)
5. Liam Killeen (GBR)