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Catharine Pendrel wins first Sea Otter title of her career

After many years of trying, Catharine Pendrel secured a career-first victory at the Sea Otter Classic cross country race this weekend. Pendrel and fellow Canadian Emily Batty entered the race as the top two riders in the UCI points ranking–Pendrel in her world champion jersey, Batty in the U.S. Cup leader’s jersey.

Catharine Pendrel
April 20, 2015
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After many years of trying, Catharine Pendrel secured a career-first victory at the Sea Otter Classic cross country race this weekend.

Pendrel and fellow Canadian Emily Batty entered the race as the top two riders in the UCI points ranking–Pendrel in her world champion jersey, Batty in the U.S. Cup leader’s jersey. Batty took the lead from the start, with a group of seven breaking away from the rest of the field. On the second and final lap, Pendrel and Rebecca Henderson slipped away from the rest of the group. Pendrel out powered Henderson on the race to the finish line. Henderson claimed second ahead of Jenny Rissveds. Chloe Woodruff and Emily Batty finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The men’s race saw Nino Schurter escaping on the second lap with Howard Grotts and Dan McConnell following along. The three raced to the finish with Schurter crossing the line first. Grotts claimed second and McDonnell third. Canadian Raphael Gagné finished fifth, one minute, 29 seconds back from Schurter. Adam Morka finished ninth after getting hung up in a crash, while Geoff Kabush clocked in at 11th place.

The dry, hot and sunny conditions that are conspiring to worsen an already bad Californian drought played a hand in the Sea Otter Classic XC races. The course snaked more than 50 km on sandy, dusty tracks that nearly failed to pass under anything that might offer shade.

Batty and Gagné have retained the leader’s jersey in the U.S. Cup series.

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