Flueckiger repeats in dramatic Les Gets Short Track
Pidcock survives crash in his return to World Cup mountain biking
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinksi / Red Bull Content Pool
Elite men’s World Cup racing got off to a hectic start Friday, with plenty of rubbing elbows on a tight, fast Short Track XCC course. Ondrej Cink and Mathias Flueckiger picked up there battle where they left off in Leogang, while Tom Pidcock’s return to mountain biking almost ended as soon as it started.
How the race unfolded
Off the line it was Anton Cooper, Trek Factory Racing’s Kiwi rider out in front of the field. Tucked in his wheel, Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM). The two fast-starters didn’t stay in front long, though, as Mathias Flueckiger (Thomus RN) put in a big attack on Lap 2 of the day’s 10-lap race. Schurter was the first to follow with world champion Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) close behind.
The Swiss rider’s attack started to open up gaps but, with the climbs too short to create real separation, the group was never far apart.
On Lap 4, it was Ondrej Cink (Kross Orlen) elbowing past Flueckiger to sit on the front of the field. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) had worked his way from the back of the pack up into sixth. It is the multi-disciplinary rider’s first time back on dirt after breaking his collarbone in a training accident on the road just weeks ago.
After dropping some places off the start @Tompid has moved up really well on this spectacular short track course in Les Gets.
Watch it here: https://t.co/0GHGaHkbLZ pic.twitter.com/Ne7ueHZRRQ
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) July 2, 2021
Pidcock crashes
Two short laps later, all of Pidcock’s work was almost undone. The Ineos rider overlapped wheels with Sarrou as the group turned downhill towards a small wooden drop. Pidcock tumbled, arms outstretched, barely twisting to turn his recently-broken collarbone away from impact. Thankfully, the British Olympic hopefully was back up quickly, but left to straighten his handlebars as the leaders rode away from him.
Flueckiger on the move
At the front, Cink and Flueckiger continued their battle for the World Cup overall. Cink led, with Flueckiger and Sarrou tucked in his wheels and out of the wind.
Then came Flueckiger’s attack. With two laps to go, the Swiss World Cup winner elbowed past Cink on an uphill corner and quickly opened up a gap. Going onto the last lap, it was Sarrou responding, not Cink. Cheered on by a vocal French crowd, Sarrou closed in on Flueckiger rapidly, but ran out of real estate.
Mathias Flueckiger crossed the line with room to spare, winning his second-straight World Cup XCC.
“I struggled a lot,” Flueckiger said of holding on to his lead after the early attack, “but I saw I had a little gap at the last lap, so I knew I could do it.”
Jordan Sarrou took second, and Ondrej Cink third.
Pidcock, in another impressive showing, somehow battled back to 16th place after his crash. Crucially, that gives the Ineos rider the final spot on the second row in the start grid for Sunday’s XCO event.
Canadians in Les Gets
Two Canadian men started Friday’s Short Track XCC. Léandre Bouchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) led, with a 23rd place. That puts him on the third row for Sunday’s start. Peter Disera (Norco Factory Racing) came out on the wrong side of a photo finish for 24th, ending up 25th and one spot away from the final spot on the third row. The Canadian national champion will have to fight his way through the field come Sunday.
Results – Elite Men’s Short Track XCC – 2021 World Cup Les Gets, France
| 1. |  |
FLUECKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
19:34 |
| 2. |  |
SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
19:35 +1 |
| 3. |  |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
19:37 +3 |
| 4. |  |
BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
19:38 +4 |
| 5. |  |
HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
19:39 +5 |
| 6. |  |
BRANDL Maximilian (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
19:42 +8 |
| 7. | |
KORETZKY Victor (KMC – ORBEA)
|
19:44 +10 |
| 8. | |
MAROTTE Maxime (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
19:45 +11 |
| 9. | |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
19:47 +13 |
| 10. | |
BRAIDOT Daniele (CS CARABINIERI – CICLI OLYMPIA VITTORIA)
|
19:48 +14 |
| 11. |  |
VADER Milan (KMC – ORBEA)
|
19:48 +14 |
| 12. |  |
SCHUERMANS Jens (SCOTT CREUSE OXYGENE GUERET)
|
19:50 +16 |
| 13. |  |
VALERO SERRANO David (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)
|
19:51 +17 |
| 14. |  |
ANDREASSEN Simon (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
19:52 +18 |
| 15. | |
COLOMBO Filippo (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)
|
19:53 +19 |
| 16. |  |
* PIDCOCK Thomas
|
19:54 +20 |
| 17. |  |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
19:56 +22 |
| 18. | |
GRIOT Thomas (MASSI)
|
19:57 +23 |
| 19. | |
FUMIC Manuel (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
20:00 +26 |
| 20. | |
COLLEDANI Nadir (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
|
20:00 +26 |
| 21. | |
CAROD Titouan (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)
|
20:01 +27 |
| 22. |  |
BLEVINS Christopher (TRINITY RACING MTB)
|
20:02 +28 |
| 23. |  |
BOUCHARD Leandre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
20:02 +28 |
| 24. |  |
HAEGSTAD Erik
|
20:03 +29 |
| 25. | |
DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
20:03 +29 |
| 26. | |
INDERGAND Reto (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)
|
20:05 +31 |
| 27. |  |
DASCALU Vlad (TREK – PIRELLI)
|
20:07 +33 |
| 28. | |
EGGER Georg (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
20:10 +36 |
| 29. |  |
WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
20:20 +46 |
| 30. | |
* CULLELL ESTAPE Jofre (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
20:22 +48 |
| 31. | |
PETTINA’ Nicholas (CS CARABINIERI – CICLI OLYMPIA VITTORIA)
|
20:44 +1:10 |
| 32. | |
SKARNITZL Jan (CYKLOSTAR TREK PIRELLI)
|
20:47 +1:13 |
| 33. | |
KERSCHBAUMER Gerhard (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
20:50 +1:16 |
| 34. | |
FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
20:50 +1:16 |
| 35. |  |
MCCONNELL Daniel (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
20:53 +1:19 |
| 36. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (KMC – ORBEA)
|
21:00 +1:26 |
| 37. | |
TEMPIER Stephane (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
21:01 +1:27 |
| 38. | |
CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 8
|
17:10 +1:29 |
| 39. | |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 8
|
17:16 +1:35 |
| DNF | |
FLUECKIGER Lukas (AXXIOS-INFINITY) Lap 7
|
14:34 +53 |
