Atherton riding high with World Cup win
Powys cyclist Rachel Atherton claimed a 39th career Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup victory in Vallnord, Andorra on Saturday.
The racer, based in Llanrhaeadr on the Welsh border, finished in five minutes 00.662 seconds on Saturday to seal a 74th podium placing, the most by any female mountain biker.
The 32-year-old was almost three seconds clear of France’s Marine Cabirou while Australia’s Hannah Tracey came third.
“Thirty-nine wins – that’s about how old I feel so it’s nice to be to equal that,” reigning champion Atherton said.
“It’s a super-hard track, everyone was struggling and going super fast and I knew it was going to be on the limit.”
Tracey’s third-place finish means she holds on to top spot in the overall rankings but Atherton’s win moved her up into second.
Atherton’s compatriot Tahnee Seagrave, who won the first race of the season, missed the event in Vallnord with injury but remains third overall.
The next downhill World Cup event takes place in Les Gets, France on July 13-14.
