Blenkinsop shines on world stage

Sam Blenkinsop, seen here at the world championships, came fourth in the latest round of the UCI World Cup in Norway yesterday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Wanganui mountain biker Sam Blenkinsop can count the number of riders ahead of him in the world on one hand after a strong performance at the penultimate round of the UCI World Cup in Norway.

Riding for his Lapierre International team, Blenkinsop finished in fourth place on the tricky Hafjell course in Norway and moves up to sixth overall on the World Cup rankings with one round remaining.

The 24-year-old Blenkinsop, who qualified seventh fastest, was in third place after his run down a wet and treacherous track at the Hafjell Mountain Bike Park.

However, he was pushed back to fourth after Canada's Steve Smith powered to the overall win.

"It was a good day in the office with a fourth. The track was so sick," Blenkinsop said on Twitter.

His finish matched his fourth placings at the World Cup round in Scotland's Fort William, and at the recent one-off world championships in South Africa.

Fellow New Zealander George Brannigan (Trek World Racing) was also back to top form following major knee surgery, qualifying sixth fastest. Brannigan was enjoying a strong run on the course where he came second this past year, but fell on the slippery rock section to finish 41st.

Of the other Kiwis to qualify, Ed Masters (Taranaki) was 57th and Reon Boe (Queenstown) 67th, while Matt Walker (Rotorua) and Wyn Masters (Team Bulls) did not finish.

Queenstown's Alanna Columb finished 14th in the elite women won by Briton Rachel Atherton.

The final round of the World Cup is this weekend in Austria.