MALVERN'S Liam Killeen rode to his second ever World Cup Cross Country podium last weekend in the sweltering humidity of Mont-Sainte-Anne, the famous mountain bike destination on the outskirts of Quebec City, Canada.

The 23-year-old Specialized Factory Team rider put in a solid race from start to finish, despite an early crash that had him on the ground in the first lap.

Temperatures reached the 30s but it was the oppressing humidity that most riders found uncomfortable over six laps of arguably the toughest technical course of the season. Mont-Sainte-Anne is famous for its tricky wooded sections with gnarly descents and awkward tree root sections. This year the course had less sustained climbing, but the wooded sections claimed many experienced riders.

For Liam, however, it was an early race crash that unsettled him. After coming through in 17th place after the start loop, Liam had worked his way up to fifth place after two thirds of lap one. Towards the end of the first lap he accidentally hooked a bar end on a small tree and was pulled off the bike. While not sustaining any significant injury, Liam lost a few places but, more importantly, lost his rhythm. Fighting back up to fifth place on the second lap, Liam needed another two laps before he felt he'd regained his rhythm. The top 10 riders swapped around a good deal with Liam often in sixth, but mostly in fifth for the majority of the race. Passed by Jeremiah Bishop at one point, who then went on to puncture, Liam kept a steady pace and on the last lap managed to stave off a challenge from Spanish rider Marti Gispert (Maxxis-MSC) to keep fifth and record his second podium in World Cup XC racing.

Liam said: "It's a good feeling to get this podium result, which was actually my target for this race. To have the crash was a disappointment because it was just one of those stupid little things, but it cost me some time and some important rhythm. I would like to have been one minute further up and challenging Geoff Kabush for third. I know I had the legs for it, but that's how it goes at Mont-Sainte-Anne, it's a tough course and I just came unstuck."

The result has Liam in seventh place in the overall series. Next round of the World Cup is in Brazil, but Liam will be opting not to attend in order to prepare in Boulder Colorado for the following round in New Mexico, which is a high altitude venue.

Results: 1 Christoph Sauser (SUI) Siemens Cannondale 1.57.28, 2 Frederik Kessiakoff (SWE) Siemens Cannondale 1.57.46,3 Geoff Kabush (CAN) Maxxis-MSC 1.58.44, 4 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Michelin 1.59.14, 5 Liam Killeen (GBR) Specialized Factory Racing 1.59.45.