Whether
facing regional talent or the best in the world, Whole
Athlete/Specialized Juniors showed their class in both the US and in
Europe with impressive performances this past weekend.
At the UCI Junior Series races in Haiming, Austria and Heubach, Germany, Haley Batten and Christopher Blevins
posted top results with 11th and 12th place finishes in huge
world-class fields of as many as 120 racers. On the most challenging of
courses, Carson Beckett and Kelsey Urban also had strong showings, earning 20th and 23rd placings.
After their Spring European race campain, all four riders are currently among the top ranked Junior riders in the world with Batten in 1st, Blevins 4th, Urban 6th and Beckett 17th.
Urban climbs the muddy trails of Heubach.
Blevins gives his all in the Haiming XC.
Beckett at full effort on the Haiming climb.
A focused and muddy Batten at Heubach.
Epic mud in Heubach.
Training among the Austrian Alps.
Meanwhile back in the US, our youngest team Junior Aidan Bond
posted a win in his first race of the season at the Tierra Torture in
Santa Fe, NM. At only 12-years-old, Bond bested his competitors in the
9-15 age group. Not to be outdone, Junior rider Anders Johnson
raced the Pros at the Intermountain Cup in Midway, UT and landed
squarely on the podium in 2nd place among a field of seasoned racers.
Johnson charging on home turf. (photo: Angie Harker)
