As one of the Sea to Sky's most well-known mountain bikers, Georgia Astle kicked off her 2023 season last month with five races at Crankworx Rotorua.
The Whistlerite's best outing in New Zealand was a silver medal in the Whip-off, where she joined Kirsten Van Horne of Nelson, B.C. on the podium. It was the first time either Canadian had earned Whip-off hardware.
Prior to that, Astle managed an eighth-place result in downhill. She failed to crack the top 10 in her next two races, placing 11th in air downhill and 13th in the pump track challenge.
Fortunately, the veteran rider rebounded with.a stronger performance on March 25 in the Speed & Style contest, finishing sixth as the lone Canadian in a 14-woman field. Robin Goomes of New Zealand took victory that day, followed by runner-up Aussie Caroline Buchanan and Martha Gill of Great Britain.
Astle did not start in March 26's dual slalom.
