The start to Maple Bay mountain biker Jenn Jackson's season has been nothing short of spectacular.
The six-time Canadian champion kicked off her competitive year with the US Cup Pro Series in Fayetteville, Arkansas where she raced to two runner-up finishes, finishing behind former World Champion Kate Courtney each time. Jackson then secured a first-place finish in the final main event, earning maximum points ahead of the opening World Cup rounds in Araxá, Brazil.
Jackson kept the momentum going in the World Cup's first stage, with a sixth place finish in both the short track and cross-country events.
"It was a standout start to the season for me," she said last week. The string of results exceeds her best efforts from years past. "The following weekend I found more confidence in my form and race craft."
In the second stage, Jackson narrowly missed out on a podium spot to finish fifth after a breakaway opportunity in the short track race slipped away. The following day she was fourth overall — a personal best — after being edged out of the Top three in the final lap of the cross country race.
"It was the first Top 5 finish for Canada since Catharine Pendrel in 2019, so a return to the front of World Cup racing for the country as well," Jackson noted.
It was a heck of a way to get the season underway for the racer, who switched teams to Orbea Fox Factory Team from Liv Factory Racing this year.
"It was incredible to get these results to start the year, especially with the new team, and also to see the success of our U23 women with three of the top five in their race," Jackson said. "To be ranked fifth in the overall standings after the first two rounds is crazy. Hopefully I can carry the confidence and form to compete for more podiums this season."
And it's just the beginning for the racer. There are many more races to come this season. The Pan American Continental Championships are in Costa Rica at the end of the month and then Jackson is back home to enjoy a few weeks of spring riding and training before heading to Europe at the end of May to resume the World Cup season.
