Sam Gaze Wins Mountain Bike World Title

Rio-bound Cambridge mountain biker Sam Gaze, 20, has made it a New Zealand double taking out the under-23 cross-country title at the UCI World Championships in the Czech Republic.

Gaze, who rides professionally for Specialized Factory Team, cleared out on the final two laps to win emphatically at Nove Mesto na Morave.

Gaze produced the perfect ride to the perfect plan set by his coach Christoph Sauser, a former Olympic medallist.

“One of the best feelings of all is to have had a plan and to then execute it so well,” Gaze said. “To win this is a phenomenal feeling. I’ve been eying this race for months and months with my coach and so to finally get the result I wanted and to do my team proud, my country proud and my family proud – it’s a great feeling.”

Gaze came into the championships on the back of two wins and a third placing in his three World Cup races this season, which followed a brutal off-season training block in South Africa with coach Sauser.

“The guy is a legend and he’s been like a dad to me. He has looked after me so well since last year’s world champs. He’s had a great plan from months ago.”

Original article by New Zealand Herald, July 3, 2016.