Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) made it two wins out of two in the UCI World Cup Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) for the American team in its home race. The Swiss and the new UCI XCC world champion won two thrilling races at Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid.
Source: press release
The results also saw the women's series title decided ahead of next week's WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series events in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada: Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) was crowned the winner with one round still to go.
FREI RUSHES FOR FIRST UCI XCC WORLD CUP WIN
The elite women's XCC got the action underway on a dry short track course, with Rio 2016 Olympic champion Jenny Risveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) setting the pace early on. The Red Bull Rock and Roll rock garden looked like it might cause problems with its various technical lines, but despite slowing the pace, all riders managed to get through without issue.
Series leader Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) fought her way to the front, but was unable to get any breathing space from the still heavily-powered chasing group.
Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) and Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) both attempted to break away on their own, but their attacks were stopped before a breakaway finally seemed to have taken off on lap five: Risveds, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Koller all gained ground.
New UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) was not far from the front group, closing the gap in her first race in the rainbow jersey. Sina Frei was in fine form, dropping all the riders on the final climb.
Rissveds failed to respond as Sina Frei soloed to the finish line. Behind them, Richards sprinted past Lecomte to take third place.
With Puck Pietrse (Alpecin-Deceunick) not racing in North America, the series title was virtually a given, but Keller's eighth place confirmed it. Tomorrow, he will attempt to do the same in the UCI World Cup Cross-country Olympic (XCO).
STANDINGS
| 1. |  | FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 19:41 |
| 2. |  | Risveds Jenny (TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES CONTINENTAL) | 19:44 +3 |
| 3. |  | RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING – PIRELLI) | 19:45 +4 |
| 4. |  | LECOMTE Loana (CANYON CLLCTV XCO) | 19:45 +4 |
| 5. | | KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING) | 19:48 +7 |
| 6. |  | BLUNK Savilia (DECATHLON FORD RACING TEAM) | 19:49 +8 |
| 7. |  | BERTHA Martina (SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) | 19:51 +10 |
| 8. | | KELLER Alexandra (THOMUS MAXON) | 19:52 +11 |
| 9. |  | HENDERSON Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER RACING TEAM) | 19:52 +11 |
| 10. | | LAST Annie (LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) | 19:53 +12 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
KORETZKY SHOWS OFF RAINBOW JERSEY IN STYLE
While Keller's series title was effectively sealed, the men's race looked set to go down to the wire with Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceunick) and Koretzky battling it out for first place.
It was Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) who set the early pace, the new UCI XCO World Champion proving he can mix it up in the shorter format, as he last demonstrated in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France).
Another Cannondale Factory Racing rider, Simon Andreassen, came to the fore in the lead group, and it was clear the pair had team tactics in play. Then disaster struck for Gaze. Entering a critical point just before the tunnel, the series leader crashed and soon found himself in last place. Koretzky sensed his opportunity. Midway through the fifth lap, the Frenchman made a push, but was just testing the waters for the next part of the race.
Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing), Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) took turns at the front, but Koretzky was never far behind.
Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) crashed early in the penultimate lap, compromising the race. Going into the final lap, there was a clear lead group of five riders: Koretzky, Andreassen, Hatherly, Schurter and Martins Blums (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team).
Approaching the rock garden, Koretzky put the power in and no one else could respond. Behind him, Andreassen finished second, while Hatherly sprinted past Schurter for third.
Gaze managed to rally up to 32nd place, securing 42 points in the process, meaning the series title will still be on the line next week.
STANDINGS
| 1. | | KORETZKY Victor (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 22:00 |
| 2. |  | ANDREASSEN Simon (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 22:02 +2 |
| 3. |  | HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 22:02 +2 |
| 4. |  | BLUMS Martins (KMC RIDLEY MTB RACING TEAM) | 22:02 +2 |
| 5. | | SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) | 22:05 +5 |
| 6. | | COLUMBUS Philip (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) | 22:06 +6 |
| 7. |  | VIDAURRE KOSSMANN Martin (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 22:07 +7 |
| 8. | | GUERRINI Marcel (BIXS PERFORMANCE RACE TEAM) | 22:08 +8 |
| 9. |  | DE FROIDMONT Pierre (ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) | 22:08 +8 |
| 10. |  | RØHME Knut (CUBE FACTORY RACING) | 22:09 +9 |
| 11. | | BRAIDOT Luke (SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) | 22:11 +11 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
LILLO AND BÖHM ON TOP IN U23
Yesterday it was the turn of the Under 23s and the race was just as exciting. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) and Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) emerged victorious in the UCI U23 World Cup Cross-country Men's and Women's Short-Track, but both races came down to the final lap on a relentless short-track course.
Böhm and Isabella Holmgren traded leads throughout, but the German came forward on the final lap, leaving the Canadian in her dust. Riding solo across the finish line, she celebrated her fourth win of the season and with it the overall series ahead of the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, next weekend.
Meanwhile, Lillo made a last-lap attack that no one could compete with to take his first XCC win of the series. The U23 men’s series will go all the way, with Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) and Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) going head-to-head heading into the final round.
