Teen phenom Gonçalo Bandeira claims 3rd place Overall at the 2018 iXS European Downhill Cup

Miranda Factory Team rider, Gonçalo Bandeira, took possession of 3rd place overall in the U17 category following the fifth and final round of the 2018 iXS European Downhill Cup, which took place last weekend in Brandnertal, Austria. The entire Miranda team was reunited with the additional presence of junior racer, Tiago Ladeira, and elite racer, Vasco Bica.

The race, which marked the end of the 2018 iXS series, saw Ladeira, the current Portuguese national and European downhill champion, finish in sixth place while Bica, who suffered a fall in his final run, finished 26th. Although there were no podiums in this 5th round of the iXS European Cup, the team demonstrated excellence and is already preparing for the downhill world championships next weekend in Switzerland.

Gonçalo Bandeira, who defended his Portuguese national champion title in June, qualified in second place on Saturday but during Sunday’s final, he suffered some falls and didn’t finish the race.

"Brandnertal proved to be the track-of-the-year,” Bandeira said. “There were lots of roots and mud, so it was hard to walk fast. I still had a lot of fun during the practice and qualifying runs but unfortunately I wasn’t so lucky in the chutes and couldn’t avoid falling. I had to take risks to win, but luck was not on my side this time.”

Despite his best efforts, Ladeira couldn’t conceal his disappointment.

“It’s with great regret that I didn’t get the result I wanted,” Ladeira lamented. “After finishing third in qualifying, my goal was to reach the top of the podium in the final, but I ended up making a lot of mistakes that prevented me from getting any higher than sixth place."

For his part, Bica confessed that this was a race "of extreme conditions.”

“It rained a lot every day, which made the track a real mess,” Bica said. “It was undoubtedly the most difficult race I’ve done in my career so far. I fell in the final where I finished in 26th place."

Still, for the Miranda Factory Team elite racer, the race was undoubtedly good training for next weekend’s World Championships, which in theory will feature the same conditions.

Bica and Ladeira will represent the team in Switzerland at the World Championships.

José Borges wins the 4th round of the Portuguese Enduro Cup

Miranda Racing Team’s José Borges clinched the win in the elite category of the fourth round of the Portuguese Enduro Cup, which happened this past weekend in Celorico da Beira.

As the elite men’s Portuguese National Enduro Champion, a title that he defended for the fourth consecutive time this year, Borges lost in the first special stage but ultimately dominated the remaining five stages to earn victory and take command of the series’ general classification.

The final classification in the Portuguese Enduro Cup will be decided in Ponte de Lima on October 14.