August 11, 2014 (Windham, New York) – Beautiful weather graced Windham, New York for Round 6 of the UCI MTB World Cup presented by Shimano, and former MTB Worlds and recently crowned Canadian champ, Catharine Pendrel (Luna) delivered her first World Cup victory of the season with a dominant performance in the Elite women’s race.
For the men, arch rivals Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott-Odlo and World Cup leader Julien Absalon (Fra) BMC locked horns again with Schurter triumphant again as in Mont-Ste-Anne. Canadian teammates Geoff Kabush and Derek Zandstra (Scott-3 Rox Racing) finished strong in 12th and 13th respectively marking Zandstra’s best WCup finish.
Swiss star, Jolanda Neff (Liv Pro XC), locked up the women’s overall title finishing fourth while Absalon has virtually done the same and must finish at least 28th to clinch the title.
The Windham course was brutal and simple: a long climb followed by a technical descent. Hot sun added to difficulty the riders faced, and for many it became a race of attrition.
U23 Women/Men
Margot Moschetti (Fra) Scott-La Clusaz, who was second at MSA, came to race as she established herself in a lead break of four riders that asserted themselves early in the 19.5km contest (4 laps). Jovana Crnogorac (Srb) Salcano Alanya looked strong in second as Yana Belomoina (Ukr) Betch.Nl Superior Brentjens MTB Racing Team settled into third.
Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds (Scott – Odlo), who was with the leaders, suffered a crash and a mechanical but she regained her composure to finish 4th.
Moschetti attacked on the second lap establishing a strong 20+ second gap and never looked back as Belomoina closed in on Crnogorac on the final lap to take 2nd on the day. The overall title is very tight as Moschetti leads with 340 points followed by Rissveds with 337 and then Belomoina at 330.
Canada’s Haley Smith (Norco Factory) earned another top-ten result racing as high as 7th but fell back and found herself in a battle with the USA’s Kate Courtney (Specialized Racing XC) to claim 9th – up one spot over her Mont Ste. Anne race.
“Two top tens is great – I’m pretty stoked on it. I think I raced strong and clean. It’s a big improvement over last year and I’m looking forward to the upcoming races,” Smith told Pedal.
In the U23 Men’s 24.3km race France’s Jordan Sarrou (BH-Suntour-KMC), the World Cup leader, was out front dominating again taking another strong victory over Anton Cooper (Nzl) Cannondale Factory Racing with Grant Ferguson (Gbr) third on the final podium.
Reigning U23 men’s champ, Leandre Bouchard (Cyclone D’Alma/Devinci) led the Canadian men finishing 8th with Mitchell Bailey (Trek) in 12th followed by Evan McNeely (Norco Factory) just out of the top 20 in 21st.
Sarrou was leading teammate Victor Koretzky (Fra) and Cooper but Koretzky faded as Ferguson, Michiel van der Heijden (Ned) Giant Pro XC Team, Howard Grotts (USA) Specialized Racing XC and Belgium’s Bart De Vocht (Goeman – Scott Cycling Team VZW) took up the chase.
Bouchard kept moving up from the low teens settling into 9th which he improved to 8th by the finish. But no one could match Sarrou who extended his lead over Cooper, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist, by 41s at the finish.
“I feel really good and I’m pretty happy with my result today. I finished 8th but I’m pretty close to the top five, about 2-min off the leader. I tried to catch the group ahead of me but it didn’t work out – still a good race for me and better than last weekend at Mont-Ste-Anne,” said Bouchard in a Pedal interview post-race.
Full interviews with Smith, Bouchard and Bailey here.
U23 Women’s and Men’s results here.
Elite Women
Pendrel, who won here the last time the World Cup was held, in 2012, shot to the front on the opening climb and never looked back. Neff initially tried to match the pace but soon backed off. Annika Langvad (Specialized Racing XC) attempted to bridge up but faded to finish third behind a late surging Tanja Zakelj (Unior Tools).
“I knew she [Neff] was breathing really hard on the climb but she wanted to lead the descent,” explained Pendrel. “When she got in front of me on the descent I felt I had more pace and I wanted to see if I could get ahead and open a gap and I was able to do that.”
“It feels amazing,” said Pendrel of her comeback from injury. “I’m really happy with the way my training has gone. It’s unfortunate to miss those first two World Cups but in terms of the overall and my season it still worked out okay and I feel strong and that’s important. It’s always nice to have a stronger end to your season. You can come out blazing in the spring but if you don’t hold it until the end…”
Fellow Canuck Batty found herself in 14th after the start and went to work moving up to 11th by the third lap and then battled to 8th on the penultimate loop which she held to the finish.
“I definitely came here for a top five, but more a top three. I was able to move up and pass a bunch of girls – it was a dog fight for sure but not what I was hoping for,” commented the former national champ. Batty heads off to Meribel, France soon to check out the new venue and get ready for the final round.
Canada MTB Cup leader Sandra Walter (LIV/Giant Canada) was hoping to match or better her personal best of 13th at MSA but settled for 20th. “I’m ok with it… it felt a lot different from last week. It’s a different course and a solid result but I didn’t feel as focused as at MSA so perhaps that’s the difference. It’s hard to do a personal best every week so now I’m looking forward to the Worlds in Norway,” Walter told Pedal.
Neff has 1,050 points and can’t be caught as Pendrel vaulted into second with 790 but is only two points ahead of Zakelj in third with Batty now fourth with 700 heading into the final round.
Full interviews with Pendrel, Batty and Walter here.
Elite Women’s results here.
Elite Men
As it’s been for most of the season, Schurter and Absalon were the main protagonists in the men’s 7-lap, 33.9km competition, with Schurter coming out on top, thanks to being faster on the descent.
Reigning Canadian champion Kabush had a very good start, briefly leading the field, but by the top of the climb it was Schurter, Absalon and Mathias Flückiger (Stöckli) at the front, followed by Trek Factory teammates Sergio Mantecon and Dan McConnell, Manuel Fumic (Cannondale), José Hermida (Multivan Merida), Henrique Avancini (Caloi Team) and Portuguese champion David Rosa.
By lap three the front of the race had split into two groups, with Absalon, Schurter and the Flückiger brothers ahead, and McConnell, Mantecon, Fumic and Stéphane Tempier (BH-Suntour-KMC) ten seconds behind. The leading quartet came apart on the following lap, as Schurter and Lukas Flückiger pushed the pace on the descent, putting Absalon and Mathias Flückiger on their heels. Absalon battled past Lukas Flückiger to take second, but could not close the gap to Schurter.
“It was a hard battle with Absalon,” explained Schurter. “I would say I made it in the downhill. I had quite an advantage with the full-suspension. I was always able to open the gap, maybe 10 to 15 seconds. I tried to hold it on the uphill. It was definitely hard but I’m super-stoked to win here on a course that maybe doesn’t suit me best.”
Kabush fell back into the mid-20s with teammate Zandstra and the two went to work picking off riders in a steady advance as the finishline approached. The dynamic duo managed to cross the line a strong 12th and 13th respectively for Zandstra’s best result at a WCup meeting his goal to break into the top 15.
“I wanted to get up front today as you get frustrated getting stuck in traffic and I was able to but when the pace picked up it stung a bit and I dropped back to the mid 20s. It was nice to hook up with my teammate Derek and work hard and push each other to keep fighting and move up. And it was great to see Derek earn his best WCup result here,” commented Kabush.
“I had a good start and we avoided a crash early on and made it to the mid-20s which helped a lot,” said a smiling Zandstra post-race. “Geoff and split up but came together again and then started picking off guys that were hurting. He really helped me through a few rough spots so it was good to get a solid result together. Now I get a break for three weeks of training until the Worlds.”
Heading into the final race at Meribel, France Aug. 21-24, Absalon leads with 1,290 points followed by Schurter at 1,080 as Dan McConnell (Aus) continues to hold third place with 840 points.
Full interviews with Kabush and Zandstra here.
Elite men’s results here.
With files from the UCI