Mountain biking: Rotorua’s Tuhoto-Ariki Pene bags season-best at UCI MTB World Cup Downhill in Andorra

Rotorua's Tuhoto-Ariki Pene, pictured at Crankworx Rotorua this year, is competing on the UCI MTB World Cup Downhill circuit. Photo / Aleyna Martinez

Rotorua mountain biker Tuhoto-Ariki Pene bagged a season-best performance in the elite downhill finals at the latest round of the UCI MTB World Cup Downhill at Pal Arinsal in Andorra.

The earlier start and cancellation of the junior finals enabled organisers to avoid predicted electrical storms, a Cycling New Zealand report said.

Pene qualified for the final in the 20th and final spot, before producing a stunning ride to nab eighth in the final.

The MS Racing professional clocked the fastest speed in the final at 56.47km/h, and was seventh-fastest at the first time check.

Cycling NZ reported it was his best World Cup performance as an elite after storming on to the scene as a world championship junior medallist, with his efforts at Andorra moving him inside the top 30 on season standings, sitting 28th.

In February, Pene claimed the elite men’s title on home soil in the Mountain Bike Rotorua Downhill National Championships, and is a former King of Crankworx.

After a brilliant qualifying performance in Andorra, Rotorua’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab made a major mistake on the top part of the course in the finals, dropping over 20 seconds getting back on to the course.

The Trek Factory Racing rider recovered with competitive times over the bottom half of the course to finish 26th but retained his place in the top 10 on the season rankings after six of the 10 rounds, ranked 10th.

Cycling NZ said there would be a three-week break before round seven at Haute-Savoie in France for both downhill and cross-country and the season finale for Enduro.

Final times

Top 3: 1. Loic Bruni (FRA) 2m 34.367s; 2. Jackson Goldstone (CAN) at 1.279s; 3. Loris Vergier (FRA) at 2.167s. New Zealanders: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) at 3.288s, 8; Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory, Rotorua) at 27.643s, 26.