Mountain biking: Top 10 finishes for NZ

Three New Zealand downhill racers filled spots in the top 10 at the latest round of the UCI Mountainbike World Cup in Austria this morning (NZT).

Dunedin's Justin Leov, riding for Trek World Racing, was the best of the New Zealanders down the Leogang course to finish eighth, 9.984 seconds behind the winner, American Aaron Gwin.

Wanganui's Sam Blenkinsop was ninth, while Brook MacDonald was 10th after leading for much of the day.

Eight New Zealanders were on the entry list, and seven made it through from the 270-strong field to qualify in the top 80 for the main race.

MacDonald now lies seventh in the overall World Cup standings with Leov a spot behind and Blenkinsop ninth while Cam Cole, who could only finish 24th in Austria, is 15th.

In Switzerland, Rotorua's Samara Sheppard was seventh, in her second race for the Wheeler iXS Pro team, in the seven-lap women's cross country elite race in the Racer Bikes Cup at Engelberg. Katie O'Neill was 11th in the same race.

In the men's race, New Zealand champion Carl Jones was 11th in the 10-lap race with fellow Rotorua riders Dirk Peters 19th and Sam Shaw 24th.

- NZPA