Christopher Blevins wins first U.S. men’s XCO in over two decades
Trinity racer delivers wild win for the West Virginia crowd
Photo by: Bartek Wolinksi / Red Bull Content PoolThe final World Cup of 2021 was a true test of rider and equipment, as tires and racers were pushed to their limits.
Christopher Blevins delivered an incredible win for the home crowd, landing the first men’s XCO from an American since the very early 90s.
Snowbirds in Snowshoe: Canadian results
Leandré Bouchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) led the Canadian effort in West Virginia. Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team) followed in 29th. Eight Canucks clustered together in nine spots, from 32nd to 40th. Tyler Orschel was 32nd, followed by Quinton Disera, Marc Andre Forter, Raphael Auclair, Felix Belhumeur and Malcom Barton in 37th. Georwill Perez Roman of Chile broke up the Canadian party in 38th before Alexandre Vialle in 39th and Andrew L’Esperance in 40th.
Flat times in West Virginia
The rocky Snowshoe course claimed plenty of victims and played a pivotal role in Sunday’s racing. Rider’s had to be smooth enough to make it to the finish line if they wanted a top result. Victor Koretzky (KMC Orbea) was riding in the lead with Nino Schurter when he flatted a front tire in the opening laps. Mathias Flueckiger flatted out of the lead group as well. The early mechanical misfortunes foreshadowed how the final laps would play out.
Elite five, or eight
An elite group of five formed, with Henrique Avancini, Nino Schurter, Ondrej Cink, Christopher Blevins and Luca Braidot. This group, minus the deflated Koretzky and Flueckiger, rode together for the first half of the race.
Luca Schwarzbauer, Vlad Dascalu and 2020 world champion Jordan Sarrou lurked close behind. As the groups worked together, or against each other, the gap between the lead and chase group fluctuated. Approaching the fifth lap, the group formed together into a large group of eight.
Schurter attacks, six remain
With just three laps remaining, Nino Schurter seemed tired of waiting around. The reigning world champion poured on the pace. Cink payed the price, yo-yo-ing off the back of the lead group. Avancini, Braidot, Blevins and Dascalu managed to hold the wheel.
Two laps later Schurter still couldn’t create any separation. The elite six still remained. Christopher Blevins lurked, slowly moving up through the group but never expending any unnecessary effort on the front.
Avancini had an awkward uphill crash, and lost touch with the group. Schurter looked to take advantage, pushing the pace going into the final lap. Braidot took over the initiative, with Schurter second and Blevins in third. Cink and Dascalu held on, a few feet behind.
Last lap showdown
As Braidot set pace, the other five sat in his wheels and waited. It was Vlad Dascalu was the first to attack, with Schurter following. Blevins sat in the wheel, but with Avancini Vink and Braidot clinging on.
Schurter took the lead, edging ahead of Dascalu but not leaving Blevins any space to follow. Again, the world champion tried to put the group under pressure, but to no effect.
Blevins made the move to pass Dascalu, pulling onto Schurter’s wheel. Dascalu left a gap, Avancini and the other two dropped back. Avancini with a flat tire, Braidot and Cink just flat legs.
Blevins attacked, the first rider to create any kind of separation. Schurter, knowing his front tire was letting him down, let the American and Dascalu by.
Buoyed by a wild West Virginian crowd, Blevins powered away from Dascale to take the win alone.
Christopher Blevins wins at home in America. The first U.S. man to win a World Cup since 1994, and with the massive support of the home crowd.
Dascalu crossed the line nine seconds back. Cink takes second, 20 seconds back. Nino Schurter crosses the line fourth, somehow nursing a front flat across the line in fourth. Luca Braidot takes fifth.
Henrique Avancini followed in fifteenth. The Brazilian rode across the line on his front rim, the Cannondale riders front tire left behind somewhere on course.
Results: 2021 Elite men’s World Cup XCO – Snowshoe, W.Va.
1. |
BLEVINS Christopher (TRINITY RACING MTB)
|
1:15:14 | |
2. |
DASCALU Vlad (TREK – PIRELLI)
|
1:15:23 +9 |
|
3. |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
1:15:34 +20 |
|
4. |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:15:48 +34 |
|
5. |
BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:15:53 +39 |
|
6. |
SCHWARZBAUER Luca (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
1:16:10 +56 |
|
7. |
VADER Milan (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:16:23 +1:09 |
|
8. |
KORETZKY Victor (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:16:30 +1:16 |
|
9. |
NORDEMANN David (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:16:38 +1:24 |
|
10. |
MAROTTE Maxime (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:16:48 +1:34 |
|
11. |
ANDREASSEN Simon (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:16:59 +1:45 |
|
12. |
SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
1:17:01 +1:47 |
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13. |
GRIOT Thomas (MASSI)
|
1:17:15 +2:01 |
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14. |
PHILIPP Antoine (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)
|
1:17:30 +2:16 |
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15. |
AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:17:45 +2:31 |
|
16. |
FLUECKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
1:17:55 +2:41 |
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17. |
DE FROIDMONT Pierre (BH – WALLONIE MTB TEAM)
|
1:18:36 +3:22 |
|
18. |
WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
1:18:43 +3:29 |
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19. |
INDERGAND Reto (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)
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1:18:53 +3:39 |
|
20. |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:18:58 +3:44 |
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21. |
COLLEDANI Nadir (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
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1:19:02 +3:48 |
|
22. |
FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
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1:19:53 +4:39 |
|
23. |
FOIDL Maximilian (KTM FACTORY MTB TEAM)
|
1:20:14 +5:00 |
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24. |
VROUWENVELDER Luke
|
1:20:25 +5:11 |
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25. |
HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:20:36 +5:22 |
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26. |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:20:47 +5:33 |
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27. |
BOUCHARD Leandre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
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1:21:07 +5:53 |
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28. |
TEMPIER Stephane (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:21:31 +6:17 |
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29. |
DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:21:54 +6:40 |
|
30. |
VITALI Bruno 5
|
1:22:10 +6:56 |
|
31. |
ALBIN Vital (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
1:22:16 +7:02 |
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32. |
ORSCHEL Tyler
|
1:22:26 +7:12 |
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33. |
DISERA Quinton (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:23:35 +8:21 |
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34. |
FORTIER Marc Andre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:23:48 +8:34 |
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35. |
AUCLAIR Raphael (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:24:27 +9:13 |
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36. |
BELHUMEUR Felix (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:13:00 +8:31 |
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37. |
BARTON Malcolm
|
1:13:15 +8:46 |
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38. |
PEREZ ROMAN Georwill
|
1:13:17 +8:48 |
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39. |
VIALLE Alexandre
|
1:13:28 +8:59 |
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40. |
L’ESPERANCE Andrew (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:13:59 +9:30 |
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41. |
STANDISH Ryan
|
1:14:10 +9:41 |
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42. |
BECKETT Carson
|
1:01:46 +8:01 |
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43. |
DAVOUST Stephan
|
1:02:32 +8:47 |
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44. |
ANDERSON Edward
|
1:02:43 +8:58 |
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45. |
MATTER Brian
|
1:03:05 +9:20 |
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46. |
GONZALEZ CORNEJO Cristobal
|
51:32 +8:26 |
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47. |
HALL Kenneth
|
42:01 +10:03 |
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48. |
FLOREN Sandy
|
43:54 +11:56 |