This 18-year-old MTB phenom is doing CX World Cups
Lief Rodgers had a good week
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Photo by: Hung Mai Photography
After some incredible racing, the American portion of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup circuit is over. Last week there were three events in three different cities, and each race was bristling with action. In both the men’s and women’s races there was a strong Canadian contingent, including many riders who did their first CX World Cup. One of those racers was 18-year-old Lief Rodgers, who hails from Port Moody, B.C.
A muddy, fun week
Rodgers had a good run of races, finishing 34th in Waterloo, Wisc., 38th in Fayetteville, Ark., and 39th in Iowa City. He also scored a very impressive 16th at the Jingle Cross C1 in Iowa City which served as a warm-up race on Friday, prior to the World Cup on Sunday.
Eli Iserbyt wins second career Jingle Cross, Michael van den Ham 18th
Rodgers has been racing since he was three years old (!), and has scored many impressive results provincially and nationally, as well riding in his first UCI World Junior MTB Championships in August. He is quick to admit nothing can quite compare to his first UCI Cyclocross World Cup experience, flanked by some of the top pros in the world.
“The first race in Waterloo was a really cool experience. I was definitely nervous to be on the start line,” Rodgers said. “I just focused on my own race and ended up having a good one. The course was super slick and muddy which made it fun to race.”
Skills, skills, skills
Racing a World Cup is a notch up from racing back in Canada, and Rodgers was keen to soak it up.
“These World Cups are definitely a much higher level of racing than at home. Everyone here is super fast, the courses are much harder, and everyone is pretty focused on their race,” Rodgers said. “It was cool to see the similar vibe here though too. Even though these are the best racers in the world, they are all talking and having a good time together after the races.
Although Rodgers has some great technical skills from his mountain biking, he was still amazed by the Europeans. “The technical skills of all the Euro racers are quite impressive. I found the power that they can put out lap after lap to be even more impressive.”
So many fans
Rodgers is grateful for the experience stateside, knowing that all of the racing will help racing back home. Similar to what the Holmgren sisters said, one of the best aspects of racing the World Cups was the spectators. “My favourite race so far would have to be the Jingle Cross night race,” he said. “It was such a different experience to be racing under the lights at night and all the spectators cheering made for a really fun race.”
Canadians off to fast start at Jingle Cross World Cup weekend
Next up for Rodgers is the final USCX Cup in Cincinnati, and hopefully more UCI World Cups, and the World Championships in Fayetteville early next year.
