Courtenay's Geoff Kabush posted the best Canadian finish in the Men's Elite event at the 2012 UCI World Mountain Bike Cross-Country Championships in Saalfelden, Austria, on Saturday.
Switzerland stole the show by sweeping the podium of the 38.3-km race. Nino Schurter took the victory with a time of 1:40.44, followed 29 second later by his teammate Lukas Fluckiger, and 51 seconds later by Mathias Fluckiger. Kabush placed 18th (+5:01). Other Canadians included Derek Zandstra 23rd (+6:10) and Raphael Gagné 36th (+9:37). Cameron Jette was lapped with three of eight laps to go.
The 35-year-old Kabush was coming off an eighth-place finish (Canada's best ever) at the Summer Olympics in London. The top three finishers at the Worlds were 26, 28 and 24 years old.
sports@comoxvalleyrecord.com