– What happened? –
After a break of seven weeks, the 19th edition of the UCI Trials World Cup resumed in Val di Sole-Trentino, Italy, for the second of four rounds.
In the Men's 26" category, French riders swept the podium, and took the top five spots in the final, led by Nicolas Vallée ahead of Vincent Hermance and Gilles Coustellier. Round 1 winner Jack Carthy of Great Britain did not make the final. Carthy still leads the overall standings with 295 points, but Vallée is right behind with 290, and Coustellier is third with 280.
Spain was the dominant nation in the Men's 20" category, taking four spots in the final, including first for Alejandro Montalvo and third for Ion Areitio. Austria's Thomas Pechhacker finished second. Montalvo, who is still a Junior rider, moves into the UCI World Cup lead with 340 points, followed by Round 1 winner Benito Ros of Spain, who was fourth in Val di Sole.
In the Women's competition, UCI World Champion and two time defending World Cup winner Nina Reichenbach of Germany continues to dominate, winning her second straight World Cup. Spanish riders took the next two spots, with Irene Caminos second and Alba Hidalgo third. Reichenbach leads the standings with 400 points, followed by Hidalgo at 280 and Caminos at 270.
– What's next? –
Antwerp, Belgium, UCI Trials World Cup #3 > September 22-23
– Photo of the week –
– Focus on Alba Hidalgo –
Nineteen-year-old Alba Hidalgo of Spain is having a strong start to the 2018 World Cup season, finishing on the podium in third place for the Women's category in both of the World Cups contested this season - her first UCI World Cup podiums. She is currently ranked second in the UCI World Cup standings. In June, she was second in the Spanish Championships, and last month won the bronze medal at the UEC Trials European Continental Championships in Moudon, Switzerland. She is currently sixth in the UCI World Rankings, having moved up two spots. In 2017, Hidalgo won her second Spanish national title, as well as the Copa Catalana Trial Internacional. She was eighth at the UCI Trials World Championships in Chengdu, China.
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