Crashes and returning stars shake up Nove Mesto XCC World Cup

While weather had improved from Friday’s under-23 short track mud fest by the time the elites took to the XCC course on Saturday, conditions in Nove Mesto were still slippery. Greasy roots proved to be as major players in the elite XCC races as several big-name stars making their 2024 World Cup debut in the Czech Republic.

Keller shines, Rissveds crashes

The elite women’s race started the day off and, for the first few laps, 2016 Olympic XCO champion Jenny Rissveds (Team 31) controlled the pace. The action started right away, though, when a touch of wheels sent Puck Pieterse crashing hard into the wheels of the riders behind her. It was the 2023 World Cup overall winner’s first race back after a spring on the road and it was not off to a great start. Covered in mud but looking otherwise uninjured, Pieterse chased back to the main group without too much drama.

On lap four of eight, Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon) launched her first attack up the main hill. While the Swiss woman was reeled back in, the pace for the whole group was lifted and the race was very much on.

As soon as the group turned back downhill, Rissveds crashed hard. The Swedish racer touched a greasy root as the bunch fought for position near the front and was sent violently over the bars at a solid pace. Rissveds was slower to get up and was eventually helped to walk off the course and out of the race. Commentators would confirm later on that she is still a question mark for Sunday’s XCO.

Back at the front of the race, Pieterse had made her way to the front with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos) in her wheels. The two stars clearly are looking to stay out of trouble in their return to racing.

On lap seven of eight, though, Keller again launched a blistering uphill attack. Laura Stigger (Specialized) and Haley Batten (Specialized) initially chased but, finding little help behind, Keller was left to ride away while the group looked at each other.

Batten, the current World Cup leader, eventually started the chase in earnest. Ferrand-Prevot moved by her and continued to close the gap. While the two were closing in rapidly, they ran out of room.

Alessandra Keller fought hard to the line to take the win.

“I felt really strong,” Keller said afterwards. “I decided I should attack with two laps to go, had a little gap, and just went all in. Everything worked out perfectly, but it was very hard for the last lap.”

Ferrand-Prevot, looking happy with having secured a front-row start for Sunday, takes second. Batten settles for third. That give’s Keller the XCC leader’s jersey. Pieterse salvages a fifth behind Stigger, preserving the front-row start after her crash.

Jackson secures second row for Sunday

Jenn Jackson crosses the line 12th. That gives the Liv Factory Racing rider, and lone Canadian in the elite women’s XCC, a second row start in Sunday’s XCO. That’s a solid position for her quest to match, or better, that result in the XCO. If she can, she’ll move ahead of Isabella Holmgren in the race for Canada’s lone Olympic spot for the women’s mountain bike race.

Specialized finesses short track

While Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Puck Pieterse and Mona Mitterwallner were disrupting the women’s field, all eyes in the men’s race were on Tom Pidcock. The Ineos rider has a stellar record in Nove Mesto, taking the last three World Cup XCO wins in the Czech Republic.

In Saturday’s short track, through, the slight form of the multi-talented super star spent the opening laps sitting at the very back of the group. It wasn’t until the latter half of the eight-lap race that Pidcock started to move through the field. With the men’s XCC progressing as a more strategic than powerful contest, it took little than half a short lap for the Ineos rider to float forward to the front of the race. Crossing the line in third, Pidcock started to lift the pace on the following climb. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) joined the Brit, and the two continued to control the pace.

Finally, approaching the final lap, the pace started to lift and power took over from tactical wiles. Pidcock lifted the pace on the front. Thomas Litscher (Lapierre Mavic Unity) responded with an acceleration of his own. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) took off in pursuit.

Litscher led onto the start/finish straight only for Koretzky to go past on one side and Blevins on the other. The Frenchman wins ahead of the American in a Specialized Factory Racing 1-2 finish. Litscher holds on for third.

While Blevins settles for silver, the Specialized 1-2 provided its own satisfaction.

“It was pretty cool to see Viktor have the kick, and I came round Thomas, so not a bad one,” the U.S. racer said, adding racing was “super chaotic. It’s always super sketchy in Nové Mĕsto but I like it. You’ve got to be on your guard the whole time.”

Canadians set up for Sunday

For the Canadians, Gunnar Holmgren (KMC Ridley) crosses the line 15th. With that, he just squeaks into a second-row start for Sunday’s elite men’s XCO. Carter Woods (Giant Factory Racing) spent the early laps near the front of the race but finishes 27th. That mean’s Woods will have his work cut out for him to get up to the front in tomorrow’s XCO.

Like the women, Canada’s men are battling for a single spot in the men’s cross country race at the Paris Olympics. Nove Mesto is the final, and potentially deciding race in that selection race.