Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) delivered a victory for his home crowd, while Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) completed her first-ever Cross-country Short Track (XCC) – Cross-country Olympic (XCO) double with a dominant performance in a thrilling UCI XCO World Cup in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France).
Riders faced hot, sunny conditions on a track left slick and punishing by the previous day’s rain. Martin and Rissveds adapted best, with Martin becoming the eighth Frenchman to claim an Elite UCI XCO World Cup win and only the fourth to do it on home soil, in a tense, hard fought race.
In contrast, Rissveds proved untouchable, securing her first XCC-XCO double after an emphatic victory on Saturday.
Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) took his fourth XCO win this season in the men’s U23 category, while Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) continued her dominance in the women’s U23 field.
RISSVEDS MAKES IT A FIRST-EVER XCC-XCO DOUBLE
Rissveds delivered a masterclass, claiming a commanding UCI XCO World Cup victory. After ending a 26-month drought on Saturday, the Swede confirmed her return to top form with another stellar performance.
Rissveds adapted quickest to the conditions, bursting out of the gates and taking the lead immediately, steadily extending her advantage over the technical terrain. By the end of the opening lap, she was 12 seconds clear. A brief excursion off course in the second lap - possibly due to a technical issue - did little to slow her, and she kept her rivals at bay.
Her lead was further boosted when Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon), who had been leading the chase group, stumbled on the third lap, triggering a chain reaction among the other contenders.
Behind her, Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) and Keller battled fiercely for second, with Keller ultimately prevailing in a dramatic last-lap effort.
Meanwhile, Rissveds made the merciless course look effortless, crossing the finish line in 1:12:01 - 1 minute and 12 seconds ahead of the rest.
Maxwell retains her hold on first place in the overall standings, though Rissveds has reduced the deficit to 435 points.
“I didn’t have an attack planned for today,” said Rissveds. “I had just planned to do my own race, and I think that’s the key to cross-country racing, and don’t think about the others so much.”
“I thought I had a rear flat,” Rissveds said, explaining her wobble mid-race. “It felt soft, but I don’t know. It was just tricky conditions today with the rain over the past few days.
“There was so much back and forth regarding tyre choices and material. I ended up finding a good option. I’m happy with the material for the day.”
MARTIN DELIVERS JOY TO HOME CROWD WITH FIRST UCI XCO WORLD CUP WIN
Home favourite Martin thrilled the crowd with a landmark win on home soil, adding to his UCI XCC World Cup victory at the most recent Cross-country round in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) in July.
The national champion struck on one of the steepest climbs to overhaul Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) before crossing the line with a wheelie, 12 seconds ahead of the Italian. It was a fitting climax to an unforgettable race, fiercely contested from start to finish.
Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon), Alan Hatherly (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) rounded out the top five, while Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) fought back to sixth after starting 33rd on the grid left him 45 seconds adrift of the leaders.
Braidot attacked at the start of the final lap, but Martin timed his move to perfection, sealing his first UCI XCO World Cup victory in 1:22:03.
“It’s just incredible. I don’t understand how [I did it], said Braidot. It’s crazy on the track, like some people are on fire, and some people say my name. It’s very special.
“I think I win because I take some pleasure on the bike. I just ride my bike.
“I stay focused and I put the last one [an attack] at the top of the second climb and the last climb.”
Martin is third in the standings, 396 points behind leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing).
TREUDLER AND CORVI ASSERT DOMINANCE IN U23 EVENTS
The men’s U23 event was won by overall leader Finn Treudler in a rapid time of 1:16:54.
Germany’s Benjamin Krüger and Swiss rider Treudler established an early gap over the rest of the competition on the opening lap, but Kruger was no match for his rival.
Treudler finished 45 seconds ahead of the runner-up, with France’s Alix Andre Gallis (Sunn Factory Racing) in third.
“I felt really strong,” Treudler said. “I had the race under control. At the beginning I tried to do too much so I could see where the other guys were and their shape after the break. I made the gap and kept it to the finish.”
It marked a fourth straight victory for Treudler and extends his lead to 375 points over his nearest competitor, Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team).
Meanwhile, European champion Valentina Corvi asserted her dominance and stretched her overall lead with victory in the women’s U23 race.
“I felt strong today. I am proud and happy, especially about my shape one week before the Worlds,” she said.
The Italian underlined her superiority on the day with an emphatic win, finishing 56 seconds ahead of her closest rival Vida Lopez de San Roman and one minute 17 seconds ahead of third-placed Isabella Holmgren.
“I tried to manage my energy in the climbs. I took a little bit of a gap from the beginning and I just pushed on,” Corvi added.
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series heads next to Bike Kingdom – Lenzerheide (Switzerland) for cross-country and downhill rounds from 18-21 September.
