French end 2022 season with XCO wins in Val di Sole
Sandra Walter top Canadian elite in Italian season finale
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
The cross country racers took over Val di Sole on Sunday for the final World Cup races of 2022. France was the nation to beat, taking both elite men’s and women’s XCO wins. The Swiss, meanwhile earned the top spots in the season standings. Sandra Walter led the Canadian effort.
Canadians in Italy
After nine races across three continents, the Canadians struggled a little in Val di Sole. Sandra Walter (Liv) put in the top Canadian elite performance, finishing 24th in the women’s race. Emily Batty led the Canyon MTB trio in 31st, with teammates Jenn Jackson and Laurie Arseneault following in 46th and 53rd.
In the men’s race, Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team) was the fastest Canuck in 46th. Gunnar Holmgren(Pivot Cycles-OTE) followed in 52nd, Tyler Orschel (Canyon Devo) 59th, Sean Fincham (Norco Factory Team) 72nd, Victor Verreault (Foresco Holdings ProCo RL) 76th, Quinton Disera (Canyon Devo) 87th, Raphael Auclair (Pivot Cycles-OTE) 96th and Felix Belhumeur 103rd. Léandre Bouchard (Foresco Holdings ProCo RL) was caught up in a crash off the start and finished 93rd.
Titouan Carod celebrates his World Cup victory in Val di Sole. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Pauline Ferrand Prevot was untouchable in rainbows in Val di Sole. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Victor Koretzky added another French rider to Sunday's Men's XCO podium. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Loana Lecomte led the chase behind Ferrand-Prevot to take second. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content pool
Luca Braidot, Nino Schurter and Jordan Sarrou chased, but couldn't catch Carod. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
The final elite men's XCO podium of 2022. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
And the women's XCO podium. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
The last champagne celebration of the year. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
French finesse season finale
Two French riders topped the elite podiums on Sunday, with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (BMC) and teammate Titouan Carod (BMC) winning the elite women’s and men’s XCO races. Those victories are only the start of France’s success, though.
Loana Lecomte (Canyon Cllctv) followed Ferrand-Prevot in second in the women’s race ahead of Jolanda Neff (Trek), an ascendant Haley Batten (Specialized) and Sina Frei (Specialized).
On the men’s side, Carod was joined on the podium by fellow French riders Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) and Victor Koretzky, who placed third and fourth. Only Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) in second could break up the potential French sweep while Luca Braidot rounded out the podium in fifth.
Nino Schurter storms to an eighth World Cup title in Val di Sole. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Alessandra Keller wins her first World Cup title. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
The season of Swiss
Nino Schurter’s second-place finish may push his quest for 34 World Cup wins off to 2023, but it does give the new world champion the points to wrap up the season overall title. It’s Schurter’s eighth World Cup title, to add to his 10 world championships victories.
Another Swiss topped the women’s standings. While Australia’s Rebbecca McConnell lead early on, Alessandra Keller built momentum all season to win the women’s XCO World Cup. Keller’s sixth on Sunday was all the Thomus Maxon rider needed to secure her first World Cup title.
Results: 2022 World Cup XCO #9 – Val di Sole, Italy
Elite Women
| 1. |  |
FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (BMC MTB RACING)
|
1:20:23 |
| 2. | |
LECOMTE Loana (CANYON CLLCTV)
|
1:21:50 +1:27 |
| 3. |  |
NEFF Jolanda (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:22:52 +2:29 |
| 4. |  |
BATTEN Haley (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:23:41 +3:18 |
| 5. | |
FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:25:34 +5:11 |
| 6. | |
KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS MAXON)
|
1:25:50 +5:27 |
| 7. |  |
RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:25:55 +5:32 |
| 8. |  |
BERTA Martina (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:26:15 +5:52 |
| 9. | |
LAST Annie
|
1:26:23 +6:00 |
| 10. | |
FORCHINI Ramona (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)
|
1:26:44 +6:21 |
| 11. |  |
STIGGER Laura (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:27:02 +6:39 |
| 12. | |
INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING)
|
1:27:31 +7:08 |
| 13. | |
COURTNEY Kate (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:27:42 +7:19 |
| 14. |  |
DEGN Malene (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:27:58 +7:35 |
| 15. |  |
TAUBER Anne (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:28:00 +7:37 |
| 16. |  |
ŽAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR SINTER FACTORY RACING)
|
1:28:12 +7:49 |
| 17. | |
MITTERWALLNER Mona (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:28:33 +8:10 |
| 18. | |
SHORT Isla
|
1:28:43 +8:20 |
| 19. |  |
MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER GENUINS)
|
1:29:01 +8:38 |
| 20. | |
GIBSON Gwendalyn (NORCO FACTORY TEAM)
|
1:29:13 +8:50 |
| 21. | |
GERAULT Léna (KTM VITTORIA TEAM)
|
1:29:29 +9:06 |
| 22. | |
BLUNK Savilia
|
1:29:35 +9:12 |
| 23. |  |
LILL Candice
|
1:29:57 +9:34 |
| 24. |  |
WALTER Sandra
|
1:30:34 +10:11 |
| 25. | |
KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:30:50 +10:27 |
| 26. |  |
DETILLEUX Emeline (ROCKRIDER RACING TEAM)
|
1:31:13 +10:50 |
| 31. | |
BATTY Emily (CANYON MTB RACING)
|
1:32:08 +11:45 |
| 46. | |
JACKSON Jennifer (CANYON MTB RACING)
|
-1 |
| 53. | |
ARSENEAULT Laurie (CANYON MTB RACING)
|
-1 |
Elite Men
| 1. | |
CAROD Titouan (BMC MTB RACING)
|
1:22:02 |
| 2. | |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:22:37 +35 |
| 3. | |
SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:23:10 +1:08 |
| 4. | |
KORETZKY Victor
|
1:23:29 +1:27 |
| 5. | |
BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:23:38 +1:36 |
| 6. |  |
VALERO SERRANO David (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)
|
1:23:50 +1:48 |
| 7. |  |
ULLOA AREVALO Jose Gerardo (MASSI-BEAUMES DE VENISE)
|
1:23:57 +1:55 |
| 8. | |
GUERRINI Marcel (BIXS PERFORMANCE RACING)
|
1:24:23 +2:21 |
| 9. | |
ALBIN Vital (THÖMUS MAXON)
|
1:24:46 +2:44 |
| 10. | |
ROTH Joel (BIXS PERFORMANCE RACING)
|
1:24:51 +2:49 |
| 11. | |
HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:24:54 +2:52 |
| 12. | |
GRIOT Thomas (CANYON CLLCTV)
|
1:24:56 +2:54 |
| 13. |  |
BRANDL Maximilian (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
1:25:00 +2:58 |
| 14. |  |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
1:25:08 +3:06 |
| 15. | |
DUBAU Joshua (ROCKRIDER RACING TEAM)
|
1:25:15 +3:13 |
| 16. | |
DE FROIDMONT Pierre (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:25:23 +3:21 |
| 17. |  |
BLUMS Martins (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:25:38 +3:36 |
| 18. |  |
DASCALU Vlad (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:25:44 +3:42 |
| 19. | |
SCHWARZBAUER Luca (CANYON CLLCTV)
|
1:25:47 +3:45 |
| 20. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
1:25:53 +3:51 |
| 21. | |
SCHUERMANS Jens (SCOTT CREUSE OXYGENE GUERET)
|
1:26:06 +4:04 |
| 22. | |
SCHELB Julian (STOP&GO MARDERABWEHR MTB TEAM)
|
1:26:08 +4:06 |
| 23. |  |
EID Emil Hasund
|
1:26:09 +4:07 |
| 24. |  |
WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
1:26:24 +4:22 |
| 25. | |
FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:26:29 +4:27 |
| 46. | |
DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM)
|
1:29:11 +7:09 |
| 52. | |
HOLMGREN Gunnar (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:30:03 +8:01 |
| 59. | |
ORSCHEL Tyler
|
1:31:10 +9:08 |
| 72. | |
FINCHAM Sean (NORCO FACTORY TEAM)
|
1:33:30 +11:28 |
| 76. | |
VERREAULT Victor (FORESCO HOLDING PROCO RL PRO TEAM)
|
-1 |
| 87. | |
DISERA Quinton
|
-1 |
| 93. | |
BOUCHARD Leandre (FORESCO HOLDING PROCO RL PRO TEAM)
|
-2 |
| 96. | |
AUCLAIR Raphael (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
-2 |
| 103. | |
BELHUMEUR Felix (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
-2 |
