Brook Macdonald powered his way down a mud-laden course to claim third place in the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in France.
The MS Mondraker Team rider, fourth fastest in qualifying, produced an outstanding ride in the testing conditions to finish third behind Belgium’s Martin Maes and Britain’s Gee Atherton. It is the second podium in the World Cup downhill competition this year for the Hawkes Bay rider, who has finished sixth overall on the standings.
It has been a consistently competitive season in his return to the MS Mondraker Team with five top-11 finishes and real confidence going into next month’s world championships in Switzerland.
MS Mondraker was MacDonald’s first factory team, and his return full circle has gone with a return to high quality form throughout the season.
Of the other Kiwi riders, Matt Walker was a season-best 13th, Sam Blenkinsop 37th and Ed Masters 50th.
Frenchman Amaury Pierron took out the World Cup overall from Danny Hart (GBR) and Troy Brosnan (AUS) with Macdonald sixth, and Blenkinsop 13th.
Subway National Performance Hub riders Charles Makea and Hamish McLeod were 17th and 20th respectively in the junior race.
Tomorrow Anton Cooper and Ben Oliver compete in the cross-country races, before attention then turns to the UCI World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on 5-9 September.
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