The Colombian mountain biker Valentina Roa Sánchez achieved a historic victory this Friday at the sixth stop of the 2023 UCI MTB World Series, which was held in Haute-Savoie, France, after winning the downhill competition in the junior category.
The Transition Factory Racing rider from Tolima finished in first place after completing the descent of the track in four minutes, 07 seconds and 007 hundredths, and surpassed by more than three seconds the Australian Sacha Mills, second with a time of 4: 10,405 (+3,398). The podium was completed by the Frenchwoman Lais Bonnaure, who finished third 3,543 behind the Colombian (4:10.550).
Today becomes the first victory for a Latin runner in a valid DHI (downhill) World Cup, a result achieved in the French region of Les Gets, where the Ibaguera native had won the bronze medal in the Championship. Mountain Bike World Cup, in the 2022 edition.
Valentina had just achieved third place in the fifth stop of the year, held in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes, and finished fifth in the Glasgow 2023 Super World Cup.
Throughout the season, the Colombian has achieved two second places at the stops in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, and Pal Arinsal, Andorra; third place in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes and finished fourth in Leogang-Salzburg, Austria, and in Val di Sole Trentino, in Italy, results that, added to first place in Haute-Savoie, allow her to partially place herself as leader of the general classification in the downhill, junior category, in the 2023 UCI MTB World Series, with 285 points.
Velntina’s next appointments will be in Snowshoe, United States, between September 27 and October 1, and in Mont-Sainte-Ann, Canada, from October 5 to 8.
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico