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Isabella Holmgren cracks top-10 in junior XCO at world champs

Zorak Paillé leads men in strong showing from Canada's next generation of cross country racers

Photo by: UCI / Twitter
August 25, 2022
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Isabella Holmgren and Zorak Paillé led a strong Canadian showing in the junior cross country races as the first individual medals were handed out at 2022 mountain bike world championships. Holmgren cracked the top 10 in the junior women’s XCO, posting the top Canadian result. Paillé nearly matched that, with an impressive 11th in the junior men’s race.

RELATED: How to watch 2022 mountain bike world championships in Canada

Junior Women

Isabella Holmgren rode to an incredible 10th , working her way through the field steadily throughout the race. She leads five Canadians in the top 25 of the junior women’s race. Together with Marin Lowe (16th) and her sister Ava Holmgren (18th), the Canadians placed second behind Switzerland in the team rankings for junior women.

Ophelie Grandmont and Ella Myers also battled through the field to finish 24th and 25th in junior women. Ellie Clark placed 36th and Mara Roldan in 39th in the 62-rider field, rounding out a very strong showing from the Canadian squad.

The junior women’s race was won by Switzerland’s Monique Halter who led from start to finish to claim her championship title. Lea Huber, also of Switzerland, and Poland’s Natalia Grzegorzewska finished 1:16 and 1:26 back to round out the podium.

Junior Men

National champion Zorak Paillé led the Canadians in the junior men’s results, finishing 11th behind race winner Paul Schehl of Germany. Jan Christen of Switzerland and Paul Magnier of France rounded out the jr. men’s XCO podium.

Maxime St.-Onge was the next across the line for Canada, finishing 42nd in the massive 113-rider junior men’s cross country race. Cam McCallum followed in 56th, Mike Comaniuk 58th and Alexander Woodford round out the Canadian effort in 65th.

Results: 2022 UCI mountain bike world championships (Les Gets, France)

Junior Women XCO

1 HALTER Monique SUI 59:37
2 HUBER Lea SUI +1:16
3 GRZEGORZEWSKA Natalia POL +1:26
4 WEEGER Antonia GER +1:56
5 MACLEAN-HOWELL Ella GBR +2:40
6 CORVI Valentina ITA +3:04
7 CIOPPA Bailey USA +3:56
8 EMBACHER Katrin AUT +4:09
9 HUTTER Anina SUI +4:45
10 HOLMGREN Isabella CAN +4:50
11 CANO ESPINOSA Marta ESP +5:01
12 HYLEN Tilda SWE +5:12
13 GREGOIRE Julia BEL +5:21
14 HAHN Carla GER +5:33
15 MOLENGRAAF Lauren NED +5:49
16 LOWE Marin CAN +5:49
17 JORDE Lisa Kristine NOR +6:34
18 HOLMGREN Ava CAN +6:37
19 ZUR Kinga POL +6:47
20 JACOBS Tyler RSA +6:49
24 GRANDMONT Ophelie CAN +8:02
25 MYERS Ella CAN +8:19
36 CLARK Elli CAN +9:54
39 ROLDAN Mara CAN +11:05

Junior Men’s XCO

1 SCHEHL Paul GER 1:02:48
2 CHRISTEN Jan SUI +0:18
3 MAGNIER Paul FRA +0:24
4 TEUNISSEN van MANEN Rens NED +1:18
5 KRUGER Benjamin GER +1:30
6 HERZOG Emil GER +1:46
7 EKROLL Sivert NOR +2:04
8 GRATER Lars GER +2:31
9 ENGLISH Daniel USA +2:53
10 FARSTADVOLL Martin E NOR +3:17
11 PAILLE Zorak CAN +3:33
12 SPRANGER Jack USA +3:45
13 PUNTENER Romano LIE +3:52
14 CROMMELINCK Melvin FRA +4:04
15 HATTENSCHWILER Loris SUI +4:06
16 LOUNELA Leo SWE +4:12
17 CORNILLON Nathan FRA +4:18
18 GERIG Sven SUI +4:32
19 DEBORD Romain FRA +4:36
20 52 GRUITERS Morris NED +4:46
42 ST. ONGE Maxime CAN +7:16
56 MCCALLUM Cam CAN +8:31
58 COMANIUK Mike CAN +8:46
65 WOODFORD Alexander CAN +9:24