EVIE RICHARDS won her first ever UCI Mountain Bike World Cup under-23 women’s race with a sensational performance in Germany at the weekend.
The Great Britain Cycling member, a three-time runner-up in World Cup races, dominated over the climbs in Albstadt to claim her maiden victory.
Starting in the front row alongside early World Cup Series leader Kate Courtney of the United States and Switzerland’s Sina Frei, Richards saw her American rival take an early lead over the opening loop section.
But as soon as the course reached the main circuit, Richards showed her skills, closing a seven-second gap to have a lead of more than 20 seconds after the first lap.
Despite suffering a flat tyre during the course of the race, the win never looked in doubt for the young rider from Malvern, who stretched her lead to more than a minute by the halfway mark.
Richards powered home to cross the line in South Germany in 1:23:17 – 52 seconds clear of Courtney and having delivered the fastest final lap of any rider in the field.
The win sees Richards move to joint first in the World Cup rankings, tied on points with Courtney with four of the six races remaining.