Langvad, Van der Poel take short track wins in La Bresse
Benko, Neff and Forster, Avancini round out podiums
The final round of the XCC - Short Track - at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup saw some familiar faces on the top of podium in La Bresse, France, on Friday. Annika Langvad (Specialized) proved that she owns the women's race, with her fifth win in six events, while Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) took his third win of the season.
Rain earlier in the day had tapered off by the time the 20 minute races began, but the ground was still thoroughly soaked and muddy. Riders faced a main steep climb before traversing the side of the ski hill and then zig-zagging to the bottom. A second short climb and a final descent back to the finishing straight completed the circuit.
Three riders quickly separated themselves from the rest of the women's field - Langvad, world champion and World Cup leader Jolanda Neff (Kross Racing), and Barbara Benko (Ghost Factory). As in previous races, Langvad attacked in the last five minutes to pull away for the win, with Benko taking second ahead of Neff. The World Cup points offered did not change the lead, however, Langvad did move to within 97 points of Neff.
"You plan different race scenarios, but you are never right," commented Langvad. "You have to go by intuition and feeling. If you had told me one year ago when I first heard about the new format that I would have five wins, I wouldn't have believed it. I'm happy about the whole season."
The men's race did not split up like the women's, with a core dozen riders all in contention going into the last lap, when van der Poel launched a massive attack to drop the rest of the group and take the win. New European champion Lars Forster (BMC) took second ahead of Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory).
World champion Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) had already mathematically locked up the overall title at the previous Mont-Ste-Anne round in Canada, however, van der Poel padded his second place spot over Avancini with his win, and goes into Sunday's XCO with a 64 point advantage over the Brazilian.
"You can lose or you can win with an attack," said van der Poel, "and I won the race there. The final straight was very long, and it would be hard to be there on your own, so I was waiting for the last lap to put the attack in."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Annika Langvad (Den) Specialized Racing | 0:20:52 |
2 | Barbara Benko (Ita) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:00:08 |
3 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) Kross Racing Team | 0:00:11 |
4 | Alessandra Keller (Swi) Thömus - Rn Racing Team | 0:00:14 |
5 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Thömus - Rn Racing Team | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
6 | Erin Huck (USA) | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
7 | Anne Tauber (Fra) Cst Sandd American Eagle Mtb Racing Team | 0:00:15 |
8 | Chloe Woodruff (USA) Stan's-Pivot Pro Team P/B Maxxis | 0:00:23 |
9 | Iryna Popova (Ukr) | 0:00:24 |
10 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) | 0:00:27 |
11 | Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Canyon Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:31 |
12 | Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:35 |
13 | Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) Gapp System - Cabtech Mtb Racing Team | 0:00:36 |
14 | Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior/Devinci Factory Racing | 0:00:37 |
15 | Kate Courtney (USA) Specialized Racing | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
16 | Lea Davison (USA) Clif Pro Team | 0:00:38 |
17 | Serena Calvetti (Ita) Ktm Protek Dama | 0:00:43 |
18 | Githa Michiels (Bel) | 0:00:45 |
19 | Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Kross Racing Team | 0:00:55 |
20 | Holly Harris (Aus) Team Merida Gunn-Rita | 0:00:56 |
21 | Haley Smith (Can) Norco Factory Team Xc | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
22 | Julie Bresset (Fra) | 0:00:58 |
23 | Catharine Pendrel (Can) Clif Pro Team | 0:01:01 |
24 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Wiawis Bikes Pro Team | 0:01:04 |
25 | Nadine Rieder (Ger) | 0:01:14 |
26 | Jovana Crnogorac (Fra) Bike Way Racing Team | 0:01:15 |
27 | Mariske Strauss (RSA) Silverback Omx Pro Team | 0:01:27 |
28 | Paula Gorycka (Pol) Strüby-Bixs Team | 0:01:35 |
29 | Sandra Walter (Can) | 0:01:36 |
30 | Cindy Montambault (Can) | 0:01:48 |
31 | Perrine Clauzel (Fra) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | 0:01:55 |
32 | Cherie Redecker (RSA) | 0:02:56 |
DNF | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Raiza Goulao Henrique (Bra) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mathieu Van Der Poel (Ned) Corendon-Circus | 0:21:10 |
2 | Lars Forster (Swi) Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:00:06 |
3 | Henrique Avancini (Bra) Cannondale Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:07 |
4 | Florian Vogel (Swi) Focus Xc Team | 0:00:11 |
5 | Jens Schuermans (Bel) Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret | 0:00:12 |
6 | Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Sram Mtb Racing | 0:00:13 |
7 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) Cannondale Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:15 |
8 | Sebastian Fini Carstensen (Den) Cst Sandd American Eagle Mtb Racing Team | 0:00:18 |
9 | Howard Grotts (USA) Specialized Racing | 0:00:19 |
10 | David Valero Serrano (Spa) Mmr Factory Racing Team | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor | 0:00:22 |
12 | Daniele Braidot (Ita) Centro Sportivo Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia | 0:00:23 |
13 | Bartlomiej Wawak (Pol) Kross Racing Team | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
14 | Jordan Sarrou (Fra) Kmc-Ekoi-Srsuntour | 0:00:24 |
15 | Titouan Carod (Fra) Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:00:25 |
16 | Martin Loo (Est) | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
17 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Trek Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:29 |
18 | Reto Indergand (Swi) Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:00:31 |
19 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:33 |
20 | Ondrej Cink (Cze) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
21 | Anton Cooper (Aus) Trek Factory Racing Xc | 0:00:37 |
22 | Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) Torpado Gabogas | 0:00:50 |
23 | Grant Ferguson (GBr) Cst Sandd American Eagle Mtb Racing Team | 0:00:58 |
24 | Anton Sintsov (Rus) Salcano Sakarya B.B. Pro Team | 0:01:01 |
25 | Stephane Tempier (Fra) Bianchi Countervail | 0:01:04 |
26 | Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Primaflor Mondraker Rotor | 0:01:09 |
27 | Karl Markt (Aut) Moebel Maerki Mtb Pro Team | Row 26 - Cell 2 |
28 | Gregor Raggl (Aut) Moebel Maerki Mtb Pro Team | 0:01:16 |
29 | Catriel Soto (Arg) Mmr Factory Racing Team | 0:01:19 |
30 | Luca Braidot (Ita) Centro Sportivo Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia | 0:01:37 |
31 | Gioele Bertolini (Ita) Team Focus Selle Italia | 0:02:45 |
32 | Andri Frischknecht (Swi) Scott-Sram Mtb Racing | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Nadir Colledani (Ita) Bianchi Countervail | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Lukas Flueckiger (Swi) Thömus - Rn Racing Team | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Mathias Flueckiger (Swi) Thömus - Rn Racing Team | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Bianchi Countervail | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
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