06.20.08 - Canada’s Raphael Gagné seventh at world mountain bike championships

Click here for pictures

VAL DI SOLE, Italy – Raphael Gagné of Quebec City produced Canada’s fourth top-10 result this week at the world mountain bike championships with a seventh place finish in the men’s under-23 cross country race.

Nino Schurter of Switzerland won the 34.9 kilometre race in one hour and 44 minutes and 34 seconds. Burry Stander of South Africa was second 0:41 seconds behind and Matthias Fluckiger of Switzerland third 3:46 back of the winner.

Gagné took seventh spot out of more than 100 racers finishing 8:46 back of first place and exactly five minutes off a podium placing. Gagné was also a member of Canada’s sixth place team in the relay event which opened the competition on Tuesday.

‘’Racing in the relay really helped me today,’’ said Gagné, the only Canadian entry. ‘’It taught me how to manage the course and that helped do very well in the climbing sections. I did a good job studying this course and my whole preparation this year has been solid. I was hoping for a top-10 so I’m very satisfied with the finish.’’

Canada’s two other top-10’s this week were sixth place finishes by Emily Batty of Brooklyn, Ont., and Bianca Adolf of Vancouver in the women’s under-23 and junior races respectively on Wednesday.

In Thursday’s men’s junior race, Evan Guthrie of Kelowna, B.C., was 45th, Tyson Wagler of Shakespeare, Ont., 53rd and Jonathon Boucher of Quebec City 67th.

Competition continues Saturday with the downhill events and concludes Sunday with the elite cross country races featuring World Cup leader and Olympic silver medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont of Chateau-Richer, Que.