Filippo Colombo finishes on the podium for the third time in his career in the Olympic cross-country at the mountain bikers' World Cup premiere in Lake Placid.
In the sprint, the 26-year-old from Ticino was only beaten by French Olympic silver medallist Victor Koretzky and South African world champion and overall World Cup leader Alan Hatherly. Marcel Guerrini and Mathias Flückiger finished 4th and 5th.
Nino Schurter (25th) was part of the leading group on the least technically demanding course of the World Cup in the US state of New York until halfway through the race, but was then thrown back by a flat tire.
For Colombo, who lost out to Flückiger and Schurter in the Olympic selection and did not make it past 32nd place at the World Championships at the beginning of September, it was his second podium finish of the season a week before the World Cup final in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. He had also finished third at the season opener in Mairiporã in April. His best result remains 2nd place in Mont-Sainte-Anne 2022.
With his podium finish in the USA, Colombo defended his 3rd place in the overall World Cup. Second behind Hatherly, who leads by almost 250 points, is no longer Schurter, who has slipped to 4th place, but Koretzky.
