**Events

UCI World MTB Championships: Day 4

Day four of the UCI World MTB and Trials Championships in Rotorua, New Zealand opened with heavy rain, making conditions for the Under-23 Men’s XC race muddy and slippery. The Mt Ngongotaha course was already pretty challenging, and the weather made it more so. It didn’t prove much of a problem for Switzerland’s Nino Schurter, though. Having already helped the Swiss team to top spot in Tuesday’s Team Relay, Schurter went to the front from the start and had extended his lead to over a minute by the second lap. A chasing group including Italy’s Tony Longo, Canada’s Max Plaxton, Spain’s Ruben Ruzafa Cueto, France’s Stephane Tempier and Schurter’s Swiss team-mate Lukas Fluckiger worked hard, but with the course deteriorating in the poor conditions it began to be more of a question of who could stay upright.

No problems for Schurter, who finished 50 seconds clear of second-placed Longo. Plaxton was third, over two and a half minutes behind the winner. Britain’s Ian Field finished 25th. Schurter’s win means that Switzerland has had at least one rider on the podium in every Championship race so far, including the top three places in the Junior Men’s XC.

Results: U23 Men XC

1. SCHURTER Nino SUI 1:54:58
2. LONGO Tony ITA 1:55:48 + 50
3. PLAXTON Max CAN 1:57:33 +2:34
4. TEMPIER Stéphane FRA 1:58:07 +3:09
5. FUGLSANG Jakob Diemer DEN 1:58:33 +3:34

British riders

25. FIELD Ian GBR 2:08:47 + 13:48

4X

Michal Prokop crashed and broke his ankle at last year’s 4X World Champs, but this year he dominated all his heats to take the rainbow jersey. Meanwhile it was defending champion Brian Lopes who crashed in the small final, finishing eighth overall. He wasn’t the only big name to disappoint – Cedric Gracia crashed out in his first heat.

Prokop has been training on the track to get his ankle back up to strength, and managed to get himself on to the Czech national track team while he was doing so. All that work paid off, as he rode away from Roger Rinderknecht (Switzerland) and Germany’s Guido Tschugg to win the final. Britain’s Dan Atherton was fourth, while Will Longden made it through to the small final and finished sixth overall.

In the women’s event, Jill Kintner successfully defended her crown, although Anneke Beerten and Anita Molcik put up stiff competition. Britain’s Joey Gough won the small final.

Results: 4X Men

1. PROKOP Michal CZE
2. RINDERKNECHT Roger SUI
3. TSCHUGG Guido GER
4. ATHERTON Dan GBR

Other British riders

6. LONGDEN Will GBR
10. ATHERTON Gee GBR

Results: 4X Women

1. KINTNER Jill USA
2. BEERTEN Anneke NED
3. MOLCIK Anita AUT
4. HORAKOVA Jana CZE

British riders

5. GOUGH Joey GBR

Trials

There was yet more Swiss success in the Women’s Trials final, with Karin Moor taking top spot ahead of the Spanish twins Mireia and Gemma Abant Condal.

Full results and more details at www.2006rotoruamtb.com.