Lecomte wins sensational three-way battle at Lenzerheide World Cup XCO
Emily Batty back inside top-20 in Switzerland
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Loana Lecomte landed back-to-back World Cup wins, following her Leogang result with a hard-fought victory in Lenzerheide on Sunday. The two wins couldn’t be more different, though. After one of her trademark solo efforts in Austria, the French woman was bogged down in a three-way battle with Jenny Rissveds and Alessandra Keller in Switzerland.
Canadians in Lenzerheide
Emily Batty (Canyon MTB) led the Canadian effort in the elite women’s race, finishing 19th. It’s Batty’s first top-20 finish this year, continuing her upward trajectory on the results sheet. Laurie Arseneault, Batty’s teammate on Canyon, followed in 36th. Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) in 48th, Cindy Montambault in 60th and Mackenzie Myatt in 66th round out the Canadian results.
RELATED: Carter Woods second in Lenzerheide World Cup
Elite Women: A three-way race
2016 Olympic champion Jenny Rissveds (Team 31-Ibis) led off the line. Initially, it was Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory) marking the Swede. But, as gaps start opening, Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) was quick to make passes and follow Rissveds. New French national champion Loana Lecomte (Canyon Cllctv) was the only other rider able to match Rissveds’ pace.
At the end of the start loop, as the riders headed out onto the first of five full laps, the field came back together. A group of 13 rode together, led by Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon). The Swiss champion’s pace again started to break up the field, taking Lecomte and Rissveds with her. Lecomte didn’t wait long before launching her own attack but wasn’t immediately able to shake the other two. Behind, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (BMC) chased solo before fading back to the chasing group.
Over the next three laps, none of the front three were able to shake off the other two and gain an advantage. Keller looked to lose touch momentarily, but the Swiss rider continued to fight back, buoyed by the support of a home crowd. What they did do was create a substantial 1:19-second gap to a chase group of Ferrand-Prevot, Neff, Tersptra and Martina Berta (Santa Cruz FSA) behind.
Finally, on lap four of five, Lecomte launched a furious attack. On the long, paved climb, the French woman created a gap. Rissveds and Keller both struggled to respond but were far from giving up. Neither could close the gap, but Lecomte, also visibly suffering, couldn’t create more of an advantage either.
Behind, Anne Terpstra made a similar attack from the chase group. Ferrand-Prevot followed, Berta dangled. Neff appeared to struggle to match the pace.
Final lap battle royale
Loana Lecomte started the final lap with an eight-second advantage to Keller and Rissveds behind. Over the long climb, the French woman was only able to maintain that advantage. Behind, Keller looked exhausted but still worked past Rissveds to lead the chase. Rissveds responded through the technical singletrack to take the lead into the finish area.
Loana Lecomte has to fight for it all the way to the line, but takes her seventh career World Cup win alone on the front in Lenzerheide. It’s also back-to-back wins after her perfect weekend in Leogang.
Jenny Rissveds hold off Keller for second place, eight seconds behind.
Alessandra Keller crosses the line third to a massive roar from her home Swiss crowd.
Behind, it’s a long sprint for positions with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot outkicking Anne Terpstra. Jolanda Neff crosses the line sixth.
Rebecca McConnell crosses the line in 14th, wearing the World Cup leader’s jersey. With Lecomte’s win, she takes over the series lead from the Australian by a single point, with 1204 to McConnell’s 1203.
Results: 2022 World Cup XCO #5 – Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Elite Women
| 1. |  |
LECOMTE Loana (CANYON CLLCTV)
|
1:17:31 |
| 2. |  |
RISSVEDS Jenny (TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES)
|
1:17:39 +8 |
| 3. |  |
KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS MAXON)
|
1:17:55 +24 |
| 4. | |
FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (BMC MTB RACING)
|
1:19:37 +2:06 |
| 5. |  |
TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:19:37 +2:06 |
| 6. | |
NEFF Jolanda (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:19:54 +2:23 |
| 7. |  |
COURTNEY Kate (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:20:09 +2:38 |
| 8. |  |
BERTA Martina (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:20:18 +2:47 |
| 9. | |
INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING)
|
1:20:31 +3:00 |
| 10. |  |
BOHÉ Caroline (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:20:36 +3:05 |
| 11. | |
FORCHINI Ramona (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)
|
1:20:43 +3:12 |
| 12. |  |
LAST Annie
|
1:20:51 +3:20 |
| 13. |  |
MITTERWALLNER Mona (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:20:58 +3:27 |
| 14. |  |
MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER GENUINS)
|
1:21:06 +3:35 |
| 15. | |
TAUBER Anne (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:21:18 +3:47 |
| 16. | |
FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:21:24 +3:53 |
| 17. | |
STIGGER Laura (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:21:28 +3:57 |
| 18. | |
CLAUZEL Hélène (AS BIKE RACING)
|
1:22:11 +4:40 |
| 19. |  |
BATTY Emily (CANYON MTB RACING)
|
1:22:13 +4:42 |
| 20. | |
GERAULT Léna (KTM VITTORIA TEAM)
|
1:22:13 +4:42 |
| 21. | |
BATTEN Haley (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
1:22:38 +5:07 |
| 22. | |
SEIWALD Greta (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:22:48 +5:17 |
| 23. | |
KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:23:06 +5:35 |
| 24. |  |
LÕIV Janika (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:23:12 +5:41 |
| 25. | |
GIBSON Gwendalyn (NORCO FACTORY TEAM)
|
1:23:17 +5:46 |
| 26. |  |
ŽAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR SINTER FACTORY RACING)
|
1:23:18 +5:47 |
| 27. | |
BLUNK Savilia
|
1:23:24 +5:53 |
| 28. |  |
DAUBERMANN Leonie (KTM FACTORY MTB TEAM)
|
1:23:56 +6:25 |
| 29. | |
HÄBERLIN Steffi (BIXS PERFORMANCE RACING)
|
1:24:25 +6:54 |
| 30. | |
SHORT Isla
|
1:24:38 +7:07 |
| 36. | |
ARSENEAULT Laurie (CANYON MTB RACING)
|
1:25:18 +7:47 |
| 48. | |
WALTER Sandra L
|
1:26:32 +9:01 |
| 60. | |
MONTAMBAULT Cindy
|
-1 |
| 66. | |
MYATT Mackenzie
|
-1 |
