In early September, Kate Courtney lined up at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for the 12th time in her career, but the first time targeting the marathon distance. A figure at the front of the pack in the shorter cross country and short track distances, Courtney would surprise everyone by winning the 77-mile race, claiming the second rainbow jersey of her nearly decade-long career.
“The competition at the sharp end is so high and the course was brutal, so I was productively intimidated,” said the 30-year-old Courtney, “I didn’t think much about the pressure of winning, which let me just focus on myself.”
