Maxxis Sweeps Podiums at World Cup/Australia XC, DH
9/09/2008Riders on Maxxis took key victories and swept podiums at the World Cup in Australia, held August 30-31 in Canberra. Ralph Naef grabbed the top spot in men’s cross country, while Greg Minnaar won men’s downhill and Tracy Mosley prevailed in women’s downhill.
Naef was joined on the men’s cross country podium by Jose Hermida in second place and Team Maxxis’ Geoff Kabush in third. "I wanted to push really early and get away, which I did,” Naef told cyclingnews.com. “It was not so easy but when I knew that [my teammate] Hermida was in the second group, I knew that so long as I didn't make any mistakes, I could win this race." Hermida dominated the chase group throughout the contest, fending off Naef’s rivals in a superb show of teamwork.
Maxxis swept the top five in men’s downhill with a victory for Minnaar and second through fifth places taken by, in order, Nathan Rennie, Gee Atherton, Fabien Barel and Chris Kovarik. All five contended with extreme mud in the lower section of the course, as Rennie noted in comments to cyclingnews.com: "This is my best result this season, with a second. It was hard to push through the mud; it almost feels like a win."
Top three women’s downhill riders Mosley, Rachel Atherton and Team Maxxis’ Sabrina Jonnier also faced a course made difficult by rain, as Mosley told cyclingnews.com. "That sprint to the finish was brutal in this weather," she said. "You feel like you’re going somewhere, and then you hit a muddy patch, and it completely saps your energy. It comes down to the pedaling on this track…Having a bike that rolls really good and tire pressure make a difference."
As if a podium at a World Cup race wasn’t enough for one weekend, Kabush crammed another outstanding result into his packed schedule. The longtime champ flew directly from Australia to the NMBS finals, taking third place and clinching his second straight NMBS cross country title. The championship is Kabush’s fourth overall.