Muddy short track delivers wins to Langvad and van der Poel

The final round of World Cup racing is underway in La Bresse, France with Friday’s always exciting Cross Country Short Track event starting off a weekend full of races.

Mathieu van der Poel dug deep for a scorching final lap attack to win the Elite Men’s XCC, his second of the season. Annika Langvad put in another perfect effort to win her fifth Elite Women’s XCC in six starts.

Women’s Elite UCI World Cup Short Track Cross Country – La Bresse, France

Canadians had less luck on the muddy La Bresse short track course. Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) was the top placed Canuck in 12th. Strong showings from Anne Tauber (CST American Eagle) and Alessandra Keller (Ghost RN Racing) pushed both riders ahead of Batty in the World Cup overall standings. Batty now sits fifth going into Sunday, just 35 points out of a third place in the 2018 World Cup overall. Perhaps more important than falling behind Tauber and Keller, the Trek rider moved ahead of Maja Wloszczowska (Kross Racing), who’s 19th place finish cost her points as well as a place in the front two rows of the start grid for Sunday’s all-important XCO.

RELATED: How to watch: World Cup Finals from La Bresse, France

Haley Smith (Norco Factory Team) was the next best placed Canadian in 21st, just ahead of Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team). Pendrel, who is in her second race back after breaking her arm earlier this summer, finished 23rd. Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) crossed the line 29th and Cindy Montambault (Trek) 30th.

Batty and Wloszczowska’s move in the standings wasn’t the only shake up, as XCC is proving that it’s not just a chance for riders to move up the start grid, but an important source of points for the overall series in the highly competitive Women’s Elite field. With her win, Annika Langvad (Specialized) moves within striking distance of World Cup leader Jolanda Neff (Kross Racing), who finished third behind Barbara Benko (Ghost Facotry Racing) on Friday.

Men’s Elite UCI World Cup Short Track Cross Country – La Bresse, France

With Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) already locking down the World Cup overall title for 2018, Friday’s Men’s Elite XCC still had the potential to shake up the remaining podium steps behind the Swiss star. After missing the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup, Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon Circus) held second by a scant 19 points ahead of Henrique Avancini (Cannondale).

Both riders had already won one XCC World Cup race this year, but with van der Poel leading in points it was up to Avancini to take initiative in the race. Avancini led the field for the vast majority of the first six laps of tactical racing. Schurter sat in second, clued to the Brazilian’s back tire, with the tall Dutch rider floating between third and fifth position. Several riders put in attacks, but nothing stuck, and the race order was restored within half a lap each time.

On the final lap, Avancini’s Cannondale teammate Maxime Marotte put in a big attack that looked like it had potential. Or it did, until van der Poel went flying past the French rider into the short but steep hill that opened each lap. Seemingly instantly, the cyclocross phenom had opened up a sizeable gap, with no other rider willing, or able to make chase.

Lars Forster (BMC Racing) put in an effort to try close but, with Schurter and Avancini sitting on his wheel, made little progress.

Van der Poel had enough time for a long, one-handed wheelie as he crossed the finish line, earning his second World Cup win in the new XCC format. Forster crossed second and, with Schurter sliding out in the final turn, Avancini third. The Dutch racers win moves him 59 points ahead of Avancini in the overall.

Tune in Sunday to watch as the 2018 World Cup cross country season wraps up in La Bresse, France. For start times, and how to follow racing, click here.

Top 16: Women’s Elite UCI World Cup Short Track Cross Country – La Bresse, France

1.		LANGVAD Annika (SPECIALIZED RACING) Lap 6	20:52
2.		BENKO Barbara (GHOST FACTORY RACING) Lap 6	21:00 +8
3.		NEFF Jolanda (KROSS RACING TEAM) Lap 6	21:03 +11
4.		KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM) Lap 6	21:06 +14
5.		STIRNEMANN Kathrin (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM) Lap 6	21:06 +14
6.		HUCK Erin Lap 6	21:06 +14
7.		TAUBER Anne (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 6	21:07 +15
8.		WOODRUFF Chloe (STAN’S-PIVOT PRO TEAM P/B MAXXIS) Lap 6	21:15 +23
9.		POPOVA Iryna Lap 6	21:16 +24
10.		BRANDAU Elisabeth Lap 6	21:19 +27
11.		FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (CANYON FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 6	21:23 +31
12.		BATTY Emily (TREK FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 6	21:27 +35
13.		SKARNITZLOVA Jitka (GAPP SYSTEM – CABTECH MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 6	21:28 +36
14.		ZAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR/DEVINCI FACTORY RACING) Lap 6	21:29 +37
15.		COURTNEY Kate (SPECIALIZED RACING) Lap 6	21:29 +37
16.		DAVISON Lea (CLIF PRO TEAM) Lap 6	21:30 +38

Top 16: Men’s Elite UCI World Cup Short Track Cross Country – La Bresse, France

1.		VAN DER POEL Mathieu (CORENDON-CIRCUS) Lap 7	21:10
2.		FORSTER Lars (BMC MOUNTAINBIKE RACING TEAM) Lap 7	21:16 +6
3.		AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 7	21:17 +7
4.		VOGEL Florian (FOCUS XC TEAM) Lap 7	21:21 +11
5.		SCHUERMANS Jens (SCOTT CREUSE OXYGENE GUERET) Lap 7	21:22 +12
6.		SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING) Lap 7	21:23 +13
7.		MAROTTE Maxime (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 7	21:25 +15
8.		CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 7	21:28 +18
9.		GROTTS Howard (SPECIALIZED RACING) Lap 7	21:29 +19
10.		VALERO SERRANO David (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM) Lap 7	21:29 +19
11.		COLOMA NICOLAS Carlos (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER ROTOR) Lap 7	21:32 +22
12.		BRAIDOT Daniele (CENTRO SPORTIVO CARABINIERI – CICLI OLYMPIA) Lap 7	21:33 +23
13.		WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS RACING TEAM) Lap 7	21:33 +23
14.		SARROU Jordan (KMC-EKOI-SRSUNTOUR) Lap 7	21:34 +24
15.		CAROD Titouan (BMC MOUNTAINBIKE RACING TEAM) Lap 7	21:35 +25
16.		LOO Martin Lap 7	21:35