American Duncan Riffle scored the top result among the three Giant Factory Off-Road Team downhillers at the April 23-24 opening round of the World Cup Series in South Africa. Riffle, a two-time U.S. champion, rode his Giant Glory to 14th place, 9 seconds off the winning time of another U.S. rider, Aaron Gwin.

Riffle’s British teammate Danny Hart, 2009 World Cup Series Junior Champion, finished 22nd. The third member of the team, South African National Champion Andrew Neethling, had a fast qualifier run (10th) but a finals crash took him out of contention.

The field of 82 riders in the pro men’s downhill faced a fast course in Pietermaritzburg that favored strength and fitness. The main technical challenges were man-made jumps and rock gardens. Riffle’s 14th-place was his best result since joining the Giant Factory Team in 2010.

In cross-country racing, Giant Factory Team rider Liam Killeen, the current U.K. National Champion, finished 27th in the pro men’s race.

The next round of the World Cup, a cross-country event, is May 21-22 in Yorkshire, Great Britain.