Christopher Blevins led a Specialized Factory Racing 1-2-3 in the Men Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup which was decided on the final lap of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, while Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) showed her experience to take a solo women’s victory in the sizzling heat of Araxá, Minas Gerais.
Blevins now leads both men’s elite overall UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) and UCI XCO World Cup standings after securing his first-ever XCC double, along with a win and a runner-up finish in the XCO, on a fast and demanding course in Brazil.
After riding away to victory a week ago at the same venue Specialized Factory Racing again dominated the men’s podium but were pushed all the way for victory this time out.
A leading group of 10 riders came into the final lap together and the red jerseys only pulled clear on the final climb with Blevins quickest in the sprint ahead of team-mates Martin Vidaurre in second and Adrien Boichis in third.
Rissveds had a more comfortable win in the women’s UCI XCO event after timing her midway point attack to perfection and building an unassailable advantage.
After winning last weeks’ UCI XCO World Cup race, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) burst clear from the chasing pack for second and a bruised Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) came back from an early crash and sprinted into third.
The course in Araxá provided a different challenge to a week ago with short punchy climbs exchanged for one four-minute ascent - which the men tackled 10 times and women one less.
BLEVINS LEADS LATE SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING MASTERCLASS
After riding away from their opponents in the opening XCO round, Specialized Factory Racing, again dominated the podium, but were forced into winning a different way.
Specialized tried to repeat last week’s winning move of riding clear on the opening climb, but were this time followed throughout by a leading group of riders. German national champion Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was one of those who was trying to test the Specialized Factory Racing quartet – including Victor Koretzky - at the head of proceedings. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) placed himself amid the Specialized Factory Racing train and stopped them riding away with proceedings, while Luke Moir and Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) also posed a threat in the leading group.
Boichis appeared to be suffering in the heat at the midway point and fell back to a second group leaving Specialized Factory Racing team-mates in a leading group of four, along with Avondetto. However, Boichis responded and brought the second group back up to his team-mate as a larger leading group formed. After withstanding the Specialized Factory Racing attacks Avondetto took the race to his opponents on the seventh time up the climb, but the fast descent allowed the leading group to swell back to 10 riders.
Swiss rider Fabio Puntener attacked through the feed zone entering the penultimate lap as Specialized Factory Racing appeared to be losing their grip on the front. Vidaurre responded and attacked at the top of the climb and was chased down by team-mates Blevins and Boichis on the descent.
It was Puntener who had a slender gap coming into the final lap after attacking through the feed zone for a second time.
However, the privateer was caught and Specialized Factory Racing led the first four positions entering the final climb – led by Blevins and Boichis.
Series leader Koretzky was the first rider to crack on the climb and fell down the pack as teammate Boichis attacked into the descent.
Specialized Factory Racing had dispatched their rivals coming into the final exchanges as Boichis, Blevins and Vidaurre had an eight-second advantage on Italian Avondetto.
Using his XCC speed, it was Blevins who beat Vidaurre into second and Boichis third.
“It was all a blur, I love that kind of racing where everything was happening at once and you have to stay locked in,” said Blevins.
“The team aspect, Adrien Boichis, when he passed me on that climb, I've never met a kid with more exuberance than him, he's just brilliant. I had to dig super-deep to stay with him. Martin [Vidaurre] had a hell of a ride as well.
"It's just a cool feeling doing it with the team. We were just so locked in as a unit, there is something about the four red jerseys at the front. When we all push each other, it’s like iron sharpens iron, and it’s hard to figure out exactly what to do with team tactics. Having four red jerseys at the front is changing the way we race.”
Blevins now has the overall series lead, he added: “I’ll take it race by race. It's a long year and a lot can change. I’ve just got to do my process, just as I would if it didn't go well this weekend. I’ll stay focused on the next one, I really want to perform well in Europe so that’s my goal now.”
RISSVEDS TIMES ATTACK PERFECTLY TO TAKE SOLO WIN
Jenny Rissveds was surprised to take an unusual solo victory as she claimed a fourth career UCI XCO World Cup win, following a grueling women’s race.
The blistering heat in Araxá and steep climb made it a war of attrition with little to separate the leading competitors throughout the race.
After winning last weeks’ XCO race Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) was full of confidence and looked to take command during the tense opening minutes. A long climb on each lap proved a grueling challenge in the heat and on the second of nine laps Rissveds started stringing out the field but was closely followed by Maxwell and Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing).
However, slowing of pace on the descent and flat section at the bottom of the course resulted in the chasers regrouping each lap in the opening half of the race.
The race winning move was an unlikely one as Rissveds had a slender advantage on the climb after five of nine laps, and as her opponents eased their pace the former Olympic Champion powered on to build an advantage.
Bidding to defender her overall lead Maxwell attacked the chasing group in search of Rissveds but struggled to get away from the likes of Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) and Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli).
The tactical games behind allowed Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider Rissveds to continue to grow her advantage from a large chasing group of 14 riders.
After being patient during the first half Tamara Wiedmann (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) was the next to push the pace from the chasers and had Lecomte for company with three laps remaining. However, both Wiedmann and Lecomte suffered for their efforts in the blazing heat as the chasing group remained largely together.
Heading into the penultimate lap Rissveds had an advantage of 37 seconds from Wiedmann, Maxwell and Jackson, as the chasing group started to fragment. After winning her second consecutive UCI XCC World Cup the previous day, Richards was in a determined mood and clawed back to the chasing group for the final lap.
Maxwell was the strongest of the chasers on the climb and went clear for second place, but her rivals, led by Jackson, remained just seconds behind as they descended to the finish. Showing her short track power Richards was the quicker descender and bridged to third placed Jackson coming into the final stages.
Canyon CLLCTV XCO rider Rissveds had enough of an advantage to fend off the late charge from series leader Maxwell, while Richards sprinted past Jackson for third.
“It's new to me to be lonely like that in a World Cup race,” said Rissveds. “I’m working up some confidence, which is really nice and a big forward from last weekend.”
“I wanted to stay with the group to start with and then I tried to settle into my rhythm. I might have gone a little bit too soon, but not as early as last weekend and I think that was smart.
Talking about working on her confidence, Rissveds added: “I’m working on it every race. I think we all do that. We might seem confident, but I think we all have some doubts.”
HOLMGREN AND TREUDLER RIDE AWAY FROM U23 COMPETITION AGAIN
Isabella Holmgren maintained her perfect start for the season by making it four UCI Cross Country World Cup wins from four in Brazil.
After winning the previous day’s Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup the Canadian took control of the Women U23 XCO race to win by 50 seconds. Wearing the UCI World Champion stripes Holmgren took control on the second lap, with only Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) able to match her pace.
In similar fashion to the opening XCO round the pair worked together until midway point. It was on the fifth of seven laps when Holmgren increased her pace on the steep climbs and quickly gained a lead of 12 seconds.
Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) and Canadian Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Racing) had slower starts but their consistent pace pulled them through to battle out for the final podium spot.
Holmgren continued to grow out her lead and finished 50 seconds ahead of Corvi, while Macphee had enough power in the final lap to place third and second Canadian on the podium.
“I loved every second of it,” said Holmgren. “I wanted to see how the race would play out, we worked together really well in the first few laps making a bigger gap.
“I noticed that I was putting her under a bit of pressure so I went all in and created the gap.”
Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) won the opening UCI XCO World Cup round last weekend and put in another masterclass to continue his winning form.
Unhappy with the large leading group which had gathered on the second of eight laps, Cube Factory Racing team-mates Treudler and Nikolaj Hougs went on the offensive and gapped the rest by 15 seconds.
With the team-mates sharing out pace setting through the wooded terrain the leaders slowly edged out a gap on the seven chasers.
At the halfway point Treudler proved too strong for team-mate Hougs and last weekend’s UCI XCO World Cup winner was alone at the front.
Hougs faded following his earlier effort and crashed on a technical wooded section to lose further time, falling back to the chasers and then out of podium contention.
The chasing group fractured on the penultimate lap with Norwegian William Handley and Elian Paccagnella (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Racing) going clear in search of the podium.
European champion Treudler was able to give a triumphant celebrating, with Handley pulling clear in second and Paccagnella holding off the chasers to complete the podium.
“I wanted to get a gap early to race my own rhythm,” said Treudler. “I knew I could go super hard on the uphills and I tried to keep it safe in the downhills, with all the sharp rocks and stuff.
"It was super hard, especially when you get called the times, you never know sometimes the gap gets bigger, sometimes it gets smaller. I just tried to focus on myself and it worked out in the end.”
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues with the first round of the UCI Enduro World Cup in Finale Ligure-Finale Outdoor Region, Italy on May 9-11.
