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Pursue MTB perfection with Kate Courtney in Arizona
See Kate Courtney release her inner spirit animal – the shark, as she takes a bite out of rugged trails in Sedona in the latest instalment of our Sound of Speed series.
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American Kate Courtney has long been touted as cross-country mountain biking's next big thing. The 23-year-old made good on that promise during a stellar first year riding on the senior circuit in 2018 by winning the Cross-Country World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
What marks Courtney out from many others in the women's mountain biking is a relentless pursuit of perfection. She's deeply analytical of her weaknesses and works hard to improve her riding abilities. This, coupled with a competitive spirit and a never-say-die attitude, drives her to be up there with the best in her sport.
All change for 2019, as Kate moves from Specialized to Scott
© Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool
Kate Courtney looks good in those rainbow stripes
© Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool
There's a lot more to come from Courtney
© Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool
For our latest Sound of Speed series, Courtney lets fly on the trails of Sedona in Arizona, USA, as she debuts her Scott Contessa Spark RC following a move from Specialized in the new year. Watch her attack the Arizona trails in the clip above in a piece filmed by Rob Parkin.
Courtney proudly wore the world champion's rainbow stripes jersey on her way to winning the 2019 Mercedes-Benz UCI MTB XCO World Cup series title. Chart her journey to that title in season 3 of Fast Life, our series that goes behind the scenes of the MTB World Cup. See how she reacted to her maiden World Cup win at Albstadt and subsequent following World Cup wins at Nové Město and Les Gets.
For a taster of Fast Life Season Three, watch episode four in full below:
14 min
Giving yourself permission to be awesome
In Les Gets, France, two once-in-a-generation rivalries crystallise as the 2019 season reaches its zenith.
Enjoyed this instalment of Sound of Speed? Check out previous episodes from the 2019 series:
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