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For mountain bikers, the highlight of the season is on the program this Saturday afternoon. After the Cross-Country World Cup at Nove Mesto last week, the World Cup race will take place this weekend in Leogang, Austria. Unfortunately also here without spectators in the place.
As expected in advance, the races of women and men degenerate into a veritable mud battle. Because it has rained a lot in recent days. The route in Leogang, Austria demands everything from the drivers and their gear. Sometimes so much mud would accumulate on the tires that the wheels could barely turn. They are not good requirements to master the many meters of altitude lap after lap. The athletes repeatedly splashed water on the chains with their drink cans to keep them clean.
The male race
After women, men take exactly the same path under the wheels. However, they have to complete one more lap, a total of six. Conditions are also difficult for men and some passages are impassable.
As with women, a Frenchman also triumphs with men. However, it is not the favorite Victor Koretzky (26), but Jordan Sarrou (27). Sarrou sets himself apart from the other drivers early in the race and deliberately drove to the world championship title. He has yet to win a World Cup race.
It’s not Schurter’s day
Wet and cold, these are not necessarily the conditions that the Swiss Nino Schurter (34) likes. To make matters worse, the start of the current world champion is not optimal. After a few hundred meters, the Bündner gets into trouble and has to briefly release the pedals. As a result, the co-favorite falls back a few places in the title in the important opening phase. After halfway through the race, the Graubünden driver is already two minutes behind French leader Jordan Sarrou. It is not the race of the 32 years, he suffers and finishes in ninth position.
Flückiger again vice-world champion
The other Swiss Mathias Flückiger (32) is doing better. The reigning vice world champion recently struggled with gastrointestinal issues, but made a big impression in this race. In the first third of the race, he is third. He manages to keep Brazilian Henrique Avancini (31) behind. Towards the end of the race, he again taps into his last energy reserves and has an excellent run towards the runner-up title.
Felipe Colombo from Ticino showed a very good performance in his first World Championship race in the elite and crossed the finish line in seventh place.
Milan Vader of the Netherlands, who sets himself apart from the competition on the start circuit, cannot keep up with this pace and crashes several times in the third round. Then the rhythm seems broken and has to be dropped.
The women’s race – Swiss women
These are conditions that should be adapted to some Swiss drivers. We are talking about Sina Frei (23) and Jolanda Neff (27), who have successfully participated in cross-bike races in the past. Frei, who last year was world and European champion in the U-23, now leads her first World Cup with the elite. The 23-year-old Zurich is driving a strong race and will duel Eva Lechner for third place over several laps. Unfortunately, he had to fold on the fifth and final lap, but it ended up being a solid fourth.
Neff from eastern Switzerland, who was ill a week ago, is also not 100% this weekend. But he’s driving an attractive career and with a solid second half of the race, he’s still improving among the six. With Alessandra Keller (24), a third Swiss woman is in the top 10.
Successful title defense
Reigning world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (28) successfully defends her title. French and fellow mountain bike legend Julien Absalon already has a big lead on the first lap and then drives a solo race at the top, although she also has to get off the bike at some stages. He wins the race with a three-minute lead and can wear the rainbow jersey again. For the third time overall.
In the battle for second place there is a final sprint. There, Italian Eva Lechner narrowly beat Rebecca McConnell.
Some big names have to leave the race with defects or injuries. American Kate Courtney (24), 2018 world champion, falls headlong in a fall and can no longer continue. Swedish Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds (26) also does not see the goal.
Resignation before the race
By the way, the career of a very important player in the sport comes to an end: her Palmares in the last decade: five world championship titles, five Cape Epic victories and many other successes in the World Cup. We are talking about the Danish Annika Langvad (36), who suffers from a gastrointestinal infection and therefore could not participate in the World Championship race. On Friday morning, the 36-year-old announced her resignation from professional sports with immediate effect.
The European Championship, which will take place in Switzerland in Ticino, will follow in a week.
