Mountainbiking: Waikato’s Sammie Maxwell places second in Quebec

Overall winner Ronja Blochlinger (left) and New Zealand's Sammie Maxwell on the podium for the under-23 short track MTB World Cup series.

Waikato mountain biker Sammie Maxwell finished second overall after the final round of the under-23 short track cross-country at Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec, Canada last week.

Maxwell, who won the under-23 world championship in Glasgow last month, finished runner-up to Swiss rider Ronja Blochlinger in a sprint finish of the XCC race.

The pair rode in a bunch of seven riders until the eighth and final lap when they both pushed clear, recording the same time, with the Swiss rider a bike length in front in the sprint finish.

Blochlinger won all eight short track races to finish on top of the rankings, with Maxwell finishing second in the last four races to push her into runner-up overall on count-back from another Swiss rider, Noelle Buri.

Other Kiwi finishers were Rotorua’s Ruby Ryan in 25th, Amelie Mackay 32nd and Annabel Bligh 33rd.

Canterbury Team Talley’s rider Ethan Rose was the best of the Kiwi under-23 men in 23rd, Matthew Wilson was 34th and Caleb Bottcher 36th.

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