July 11 2022
Walker sixth in Lenzerheide World Cup
Matt Walker consolidated his second-place spot in the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series, as he took sixth at round four in Lenzerheide, Switzerland for the Madison Saracen Factory Race Team.
Walker came into the race having won the previous round in Leogang and was quickly up to pace, qualifying inside the top-10.
His race run showed improved pace and when the clock stopped, the time of 2:50.001 was good enough for sixth position.
Agonisingly, this put Walker less than a tenth of a second off the podium but secured solid points for the series. The result keeps the 2020 champion in possession of the number-two plate at the halfway point of the eight-race campaign.
It was a case of what could have been for Jordan Williams in the junior men’s race, as a collision with a tree slowed his progress.
Williams set the best time in qualifying and had the fastest split times early in his race run. Halfway down the mountain however, he hit his hand on a tree, slowing his progress and leaving him struggling to hold on for the rest of the track.
Crossing the line in third means Williams slips to second in the overall standings – but with just a 10-point difference and four races remaining the title race remains open.
In the elite women’s race, Veronika Widmann matched her best result of the 2022 season, finishing in seventh place. The ride boosts her to eighth in the overall standings and closer to a protected rider spot for 2023.
The 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup continues with round five on July 15-17 in Vallnord, Andorra.
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