Rotorua's Samara Sheppard (iXS Wheeler Pro Team) raced to a break-through World Cup performance on Saturday, proudly delivering a fourth pace finish in the Under 23 Women's race at the always challenging east coast Canadian venue.
Sheppard got away to a flying start on her first lap of four to move through the field and into a challenging position with the race leaders.
Terrible weather at the Mont Sainte Anne venue over the past week had left the course slippery and treacherous in places, with the several rocky, technical sections proving difficult for most riders to tame.
Sheppard had no issues with the conditions or the course, and built on her 2010 World Championships 11th at this same venue 10 months ago to finish fourth. Sheppard has been waiting patiently during her 2011 European campaign for her first World Cup opportunity to measure herself against the cream of the northern hemispheres mountainbike espoirs, and this podium result confirms her rapidly improving form with only two months to the 2011 World Championships.
Karen Hanlen (Whakatane) lined up in a class Elite Women's field for her third World Cup of the season. Hanlen was not daunted at all with the challenging race conditions or the competition, and displayed real grit to complete the race in 32nd.
