The Snowshoe XCO World Cup has been the last for Brazilian Henrique Avancini and the race became an emotional farewell for teammates, fans and staff (mechanics, assistants, etc.) who will be part of the history of this sport.
Henrique Avancini marked an entire generation and put his name in the history of Brazilian sports, especially mountain biking. The increase in the number of practitioners of this sport – and cycling in general – in recent years is notable, with the petropolitan area being an important factor in this growth.
Revered and admired, Avancini announced a few weeks ago the end of his professional career and created a farewell calendar, competing in events that have meaning for him.
One of them was the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Snowshoe, West Virginia (United States), between September 27 and October 1, the seventh and penultimate stage of the competition.
Recently Cross Country Marathon World Champion, after announcing the end of his professional career, Avancini planned a farewell calendar in 2023. He established the Snowshoe World Championship as the only one to be held outside the country. His last participation in international events will take place in Short Track (XCC) and Olympic Cross-Country (XCO).
“I am going to do my last World Cup and, without a doubt, it is something very important, especially because I grew up wanting to be able to compete in a World Cup and that was a dream for a few years, a distant goal.” “Until I competed on the circuit. Then, little by little, little by little, I expanded my goals until I achieved my first Top 20, my first Top 10, my first podium and my first victory,” the cyclist commented in a statement.
A farewell atmosphere that did not mean for him a reduction in the pace of training ahead of his last stage of the World Cups, in Snowshoe: “This is how I managed to win, this is how I competed for titles. So I tried to give my best once “. “Again, for the last time. I gave my best, I had a good race and I enjoyed the pleasure of this process once again,” he added.
Main achievements of Henrique Avancini
– Two World titles in the MTB Marathon Category (XCM);
– Two gold medals in Pan American Games;
– Five World Cup stage victories: four in short track (XCC) and one in Olympic Cross-Country (XCO);
– Number one athlete in the UCI ranking in 2020;
– 23 times Brazilian Champion.
In addition to Avancini, Brazil was represented in the men’s Olympic Cross-Country (XCO) by Ulan Galinski, José Gabriel Almeida and Gustavo Pereira. Among the XCO women, Hercília Ferreira de Souza and Raiza Goulão competed.
In the under-23 XCO category, Giuliana Morgen was in the women’s race, while Alex Malacarne was in the men’s race. In the men’s downhill category (DHI), the country had Roger Vieira.
“The expectations were very positive, I am in a good moment in my career, with a good streak of performances, I am rising every week in the classification. It was here in the United States where I obtained the best result in the World Championships,” commented Ulan Galinski, Henrique Avancini Racing team athlete.