WORLD CHAMP | ALAN HATHERLY
Finally , to cap off your UCI season , you powered to victory in tricky conditions on the technical Mont-Sainte-Anne track to clinch the Whoop UCI MTB World Cup XCO title . You were already at the top of the leaderboard thanks to consistent performances throughout the series ( including a win at Les Gets and podium finishes in Araxá , Val di Sole and Lake Placid ) but you obviously wanted that final victory . Talk us through your World Cup season and how it all came together for a dominant overall title . This season was a lot longer with Olympics being thrown in the mix . Phil and I plan the season well in advance and targeted specific races such as Les Gets , to test my shape before Olympics and find any areas that may need ed improvement , and Olympics , well because it ’ s the Olympics ! World Champs was the main target for my season this year and I based myself in Andorra this season to get the best possible prep and to make travelling between World Cups easier than flying in and out . Each race is like basically ticking a box as you get closer to those target events . I always want to be on the box and to win but with such a long season we also have to take into consideration that t the engine needs to last through to the end . Most guys took some time off after Olympics . I think I had two or three days off but they were filled with media requests and meetings , so I didn ’ t really get a break – which I actually think helped me in the long run because the focus and consistency stayed . Leading the overall by quite a gap , I knew I wanted to finish the season on a high note and show that I earned the stripes , so I wanted to prove a point by being fully in control that final race . It was the cherry on top of the cake for my season to take the overall and to do so in style ! I ’ m just looking forward to some short but needed time off now much- !
“ I WANTED TO FINISH THE SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE AND SHOW THAT I EARNED THE STRIPES ”
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