Loana Lecomte climbs to her first Short Track World Cup win

After winning two World Cup XCO rounds, Loana Lecomte found the perfect track to take her first Short Track XCC win. The French woman raced patiently to then storm away from the field and win, as seems her preference, solo.

How the race played out

Off the start it was Sina Frei (Specialized0 leading through the first of seven laps, with Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing) on her wheel. World Cup overall leader Loana Lecomte (Masi) held steady, not showing up at the front of the race until the lap point. Behind, Jenn Jackson (Norco Factory Team) rocketed from near the back up to 13th at the lap point.

Lecomte made her move at the start of the third lap, accelerating away from the leaders on a punishing grass climb.

Behind, an illustrious list of chasers tried to reel the 21-year-old French woman in. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Absolute Absalon), Rebecca McConnell (Primaflor Mondraker) and Jenny Rissveds (Team 31)all held the lead at one point or another.

With two laps to go, though, it was Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) making her first appearance at the front of a World Cup race since her serious injury at the end of 2019. Neff flew past McConnell, then made a daring pass on Ferrand-Prevot to lead the chase with two laps to go.

On the final lap, Lecomte held an eight-second led over Neff and McConnell. The chasers went shoulder to shoulder up the steep climb, while the French woman tried to hold them off.

McConnell surged, but it wasn’t enough. Loana Lecomte wins her first Short Track XCC World Cup. McConnell’s efforts earn her her best XCC finish yet, in second. Jolanda Neff earns a huge third place finish, a strong sign the Swiss star is getting back to her former speed.

Catharine Pendrel leads the Canadians, finishing 17th. Jenn Jackson held on to 25th. Emily Batty (27th), Haley Smith (28th) and Sandra Walter (29th) round out the Canadian effort.

Results: XCC#3 – Leogang, Austria – June 11, 2021

1.		* LECOMTE Loana (MASSI)	21:10
2.		MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)	21:14 +4
3.		NEFF Jolanda (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)	21:21 +11
4.		RISSVEDS Jenny	21:36 +26
5.		BATTEN Haley (TRINITY RACING MTB)	21:40 +30
6.		FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)	21:42 +32
7.		FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED RACING)	21:42 +32
8.		LOIV Janika	21:49 +39
9.		GARCIA MARTINEZ Rocio Del Alba (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)	21:51 +41
10.		* EIBL Ronja (ALPECIN – FENIX)	21:52 +42
11.		TAUBER Anne (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)	21:56 +46
12.		DEGN Malene (KMC – ORBEA)	22:00 +50
13.		KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)	22:01 +51
14.		CAMPUZANO CHAVEZ PEON Daniela	22:01 +51
15.		INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING)	22:03 +53
16.		GERAULT Lena (VCA ANJOS ASTERION)	22:04 +54
17.		PENDREL Catharine	22:06 +56
18.		RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)	22:07 +57
19.		TEOCCHI Chiara (TRINITY RACING MTB)	22:12 +1:02
20.		TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)	22:17 +1:07
21.		LECHNER Eva (TRINX FACTORY TEAM)	22:20 +1:10
22.		CABELICKA Jitka (GAPP SYSTEM – KOLOFIX MTB RACING TEAM)	22:24 +1:14
23.		STRAUSS Mariske (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)	22:25 +1:15
24.		SEIWALD Greta (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)	22:27 +1:17
25.		JACKSON Jennifer (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	22:30 +1:20
26.		KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING)	22:35 +1:25
27.		BATTY Emily (CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM)	22:48 +1:38
28.		SMITH Haley (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	22:57 +1:47
29.		WALTER Sandra	22:59 +1:49
30.		MICHIELS Githa	23:02 +1:52
31.		FORCHINI Ramona (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)	23:13 +2:03
32.		VON BERSWORDT Sophie (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)	23:15 +2:05
33.		BERTA Martina (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)	23:23 +2:13
34.		BENKO Barbara (MALOJA PUSHBIKERS MTB)	23:41 +2:31
35.		ZAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR – SINTER)	19:52 +2:07