Canberra, Australia (September 3, 2009) – The junior men’s cross country race was the featured event on Thursday as the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continued in Canberra, Australia.
Three young men toed the line this morning to represent the U.S. over five laps of the cross country circuit: Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash.), and Zach McDonald ( Bainbridge Island, Wash.).
On a course where the start is very important, the American trio had the 49th, 50th, and 51st start positions and none of them were able to make it to the front of the race before entering the technical single track that allowed little passing. Finsterwald was the first American to cross the finish line after 32.35 kilometers of racing, placing 41st while Emsky was right behind him in 43rd. McDonald was forced to abandon after crashing during an attempt to overtake a slower rider during the race’s midway point.
The event was won by Italian Garhard Kershbaumer while Ricardo Paulo Reis Marinheiro of Portugal and Reto Indergand of Switzerland were second and third.
Friday will feature the U23 men’s cross country contest as well as the four cross events. Check back to www.usacycling.org for a full report.
For complete results from the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, click here.
Photo caption: Emsky was 43rd on the technical course.
Photos courtesy of www.canadiancyclist.com
