Hot Springs native Cayden Parker won a pair of UCI cross country races in late April at the Moosejaw U.S. Pro Cup presented by OZ Trails at Centennial Park in Fayetteville, the latest round of world class bike racing in The Natural State.
Parker, a men’s elite junior who races for the Bear National Team, went off the front both races with teammate Jack Spranger. Parker was able to break away from Spranger in each race, winning the first on April 21 by 54 seconds and the second on April 23 by 27 seconds. In April 22’s short-track race, Spranger won a two-up sprint with Parker using a bike throw and wheelie at the line to inch out the victory.
As of late April, Spranger and Parker were the highest ranked junior cross country racers in the world.
Christopher Blevins, the elite men’s short track world champion, went three-for-three on the weekend. He won each of the XCO races by more than a minute and held off a hard-charging Quinton Disera for a 4-second win in the short-track race.
Savilia Blunk and Sofia Gomez Villa- fane won the elite women’s XCO races, while Maghalie Rochete took the short track win. Women’s elite junior Bailey Cioppa claimed victories in the first XCO race of the week and the short track. Ava Holmgren took the final elite junior women’s XCO victory, holding off her sister, Isabella. Cioppa finished third.