Hawke's Bay's Brook MacDonald, who dislocated his kneecap during practice, displayed courage to ride to a season-best fourth place in the UCI World Cup mountain bike downhill in Italy yesterday.
The 24-year-old Trek World Racing professional dislocated his knee after a crash in his final practise run on Friday, but after treatment he decided to continue with bracing on his leg. He rushed down the treacherous Val di Sole course in 3:35.215 to nab the leader's Hot Seat which he held until being dislodged by the final three riders.
American Aaron Gwin won the final round and the overall World Cup title, with MacDonald (pictured) grabbing a deserved spot on the podium.
"Man that was a great run, I enjoyed it so much. About a third of the way in I was hitting everything just as I wanted and I was able to pick things up by the end of the second sector," MacDonald said.
"In the final sector I just let it rip and was stoked to see I was two seconds quicker than the rest when I crossed the line.
