The Czech racetrack is a staple of the European leg of the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Short Track (XCC) World Cup, and it has proven troublesome for Luke in the past. It’s a fast course with short, dynamic ascents and descents, which, coupled with wet weather, made the notorious rock gardens and root-filled tracks trickier to navigate than usual.
Luke started in a phenomenal P10 for Saturday’s XCC but the short track took no prisoners. Despite fighting valiantly, he finished in P37. Luke took to Sunday’s start for the XCO back in the fifth row and immediately had to claw his way up the rankings from P39. While Luke admits he was finding it hard to find his groove after Brazil, he once again demonstrated his determination, using a mix of skill and grit to finish in a very respectable P19 in a race that saw several shock crashes and the withdrawal of big-name stars, including Mathieu van der Poel. Luke maintains his P11 in the overall Elite Men’s rankings.
