Sean Fincham of Squamish, BC, was Canada’s top rider on day 3 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which took place in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Fincham finished 14th in the Under-23 men’s competition. In the Under-23 women’s competition, Emily Unterberger of Revelstoke, BC, finished 20th and Laurie Arseneault of Terrebonne, Quebec, was 21st.
The women’s race was dominated by the Swiss, who finished 1-2. Unterberger moved up steadily through the race, from the mid-30s in the first lap, to the high 20s and then into 20th place with one lap to go. Arseneault, the Canadian national champion, had a stronger start, but faded slightly in the final laps. Other Canadian results include Mackenzie Myatt in 27th and Juliette Tetreault in 42nd.
Photo Rob Jones/Canadian Cyclist (All Rights Reserved) – Sean Fincham
The men’s race was won by last year’s silver medalist, Alan Hatherly of South Africa. Fincham, the Canadian men’s Under-23 champion, started on the fifth row, but had made his way to the mid-20s by the end of the first lap. His second lap was the fastest of the entire field, moving him into 16th, and a lap later he was up to 11th. However, the effort took a toll, and he faded slightly in the second half of the race.
Fincham, who was a member of the Team Relay squad that finished eight on Wednesday, said “It’s been a pretty awesome Worlds, I’m stoked. The start is always hectic, but I managed to sneak by a few people before the singletrack, and I hit there to move up. I was in there fighting for the top ten, but fell apart a little bit at the end. It’s been an eye-opening year … I know it’s possible now, and I’m looking forward to next year.”
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. With the vision of becoming a leading competitive cycling nation, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country. Cycling Canada programs are made possible through the support of its valued corporate partners – Global Relay, Lexus Canada, Mattamy Homes, Louis Garneau, lululemon, 4iiii, Argon18 and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.