Van der Poel, Langvad win Albstadt XCC, Schurter DNF’s
Emily Batty and Catharine Pendrel both squeeze inside the Top 16 cut off
If the UCI was hoping to add a little drama to World Cup weekends by adding the Short Track (XCC) format, they will be smiling after watching the years first round in Albstad, Germany on Friday.
Crossover sensation Mathieu van der Poel used his considerable cyclocross experience to great advantage on the short, high speed circuit to steal the first XCC World Cup win, while Nino Schurter’s struggles continued. The Swiss XC legend DNF’d after a mechanical early on in the short, 25 minute race, meaning he loses valuable UCI points and, much more importantly, his front row call up for Sunday’s XCO main event. Schurter will now have to fight his way forward from the third row on the start grid. It’s the latest blow in a slow start to the Scott-SRAM riders 2018 season. Slow by Schurter’s standards, at least. After going undefeated through all of 2017, Schurter lost the first World Cup round in a sprint against New Zealand’s Sam Gaze, then was forced to abandon his ABSA Cape Epic defense when his partner in the race fell ill on the second day.
RELATED: How to watch Albstadt World Cup XCO live in Canada
Van der Poel won Friday’s XCC race in 25 minutes on the dot, with a blistering fast 2:10 fastest lap where he averaged 30.46 km/hr. Showing his tactical wiles in the shorter format, van der Poel had only the 15th fastst lap time on his way to beating Sam Gaze by two seconds. Gaze had the second fastest lap time, at 2:07.3 (31.29 km/hr)
The Women’s XCC race produced more predictable results, as much as any race is predictable in the close fought Elite Women’s field. Specialized’s Annika Langvad, who is currently the XC Marathon world champion, showed she is as adept at short bursts as the long burn, winning the Albstadt World Cup XCC over Kross Racing’s Jolanda Neff and Linda Indergand (Focus XC). Langvad showed hints that she’d fit into the new World Cup weekend format earlier this spring when she won the Short Track XC at Sea Otter in California. Like in she did at Laguna Seca, Langvad looked to always be at the front, but never on the front of the race. The speedy Dane waited until the final lap to unleash the days fastest lap and put her nose in the wind when it mattered most: crossing the finish line first.
RELATED: World Cup Short Track XCC: What is it and who benefits
Canada’s Emily Batty was the top Canadian finisher in 12th, with Rio Olympic medallist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team) five seconds behind in 15th. Both results are inside the top 16 cut off for a position in the front two rows on the start grid in Sunday’s XCO event. Norco Facotry Racing’s Haley Smith was sitting in the top 15 before a crash on the penultimate lap send her sliding down the standings to finish 32nd.
2018 Albstadt UCI World Cup XCC: Elite Women’s results
| 1. |  |
LANGVAD Annika (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
23:56 |
| 2. |  |
NEFF Jolanda (KROSS RACING TEAM)
|
23:58 +2 |
| 3. | |
INDERGAND Linda (FOCUS XC TEAM)
|
23:58 +2 |
| 4. | |
KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM)
|
24:02 +6 |
| 5. |  |
BENKO Barbara (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
24:02 +6 |
| 6. |  |
COURTNEY Kate (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
24:02 +6 |
| 7. |  |
DAHLE FLESJAA Gunn-Rita (TEAM MERIDA GUNN-RITA)
|
24:08 +12 |
| 8. |  |
WLOSZCZOWSKA Maja (KROSS RACING TEAM)
|
24:09 +13 |
| 9. | |
WOODRUFF Chloe (STAN’S-PIVOT PRO TEAM P/B MAXXIS)
|
24:10 +14 |
| 10. |  |
TAUBER Anne (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM)
|
24:10 +14 |
| 11. | |
HUCK Erin
|
24:11 +15 |
| 12. |  |
BATTY Emily (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
24:12 +16 |
| 13. |  |
LAST Annie (KMC-EKOI-SRSUNTOUR)
|
24:16 +20 |
| 14. | |
STIRNEMANN Kathrin (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM)
|
24:16 +20 |
| 15. | |
PENDREL Catharine (CLIF PRO TEAM)
|
24:17 +21 |
| 16. |  |
SKARNITZLOVA Jitka (GAPP SYSTEM – CABTECH MTB RACING TEAM)
|
24:19 +23 |
| 17. |  |
FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (CANYON FACTORY RACING XC)
|
24:23 +27 |
| 18. |  |
BRANDAU Elisabeth
|
24:26 +30 |
| 19. | |
SPITZ Sabine (WIAWIS BIKES PRO TEAM)
|
24:27 +31 |
| 20. | |
STEPANOVA Karla
|
24:32 +36 |
| 21. | |
TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
24:32 +36 |
| 22. | |
DAVISON Lea (CLIF PRO TEAM)
|
24:32 +36 |
| 23. |  |
LECHNER Eva (CLIF PRO TEAM)
|
24:32 +36 |
| 24. | |
SOLUS-MISKOWICZ Katarzyna (VOLKSWAGEN SAMOCHODY UZYTKOWE MTB TEAM)
|
24:33 +37 |
| 25. |  |
BELOMOINA Yana (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM)Â
|
24:33 +37 |
| 26. | |
FORCHINI Ramona (JB BRUNEX FELT FACTORY TEAM)
|
24:35 +39 |
| 27. | |
ENAUX Sabrina
|
24:36 +40 |
| 28. |  |
MICHIELS Githa
|
24:37 +41 |
| 29. |  |
CAMPUZANO CHAVEZ PEON Daniela
|
24:41 +45 |
| 30. |  |
MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER ROTOR)
|
24:41 +45 |
| 31. |  |
CRNOGORAC Jovana (BIKE WAY RACING TEAM)
|
24:43 +47 |
| 32. | |
SMITH Haley (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
24:45 +49 |
| 33. |  |
STRAUSS Mariske (SILVERBACK OMX PRO TEAM)
|
24:46 +50 |
| 34. |  |
ZAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR/DEVINCI FACTORY RACING)
|
24:47 +51 |
| 35. |  |
KALENTYEVA Irina (MOEBEL MAERKI MTB PRO TEAM)
|
24:48 +52 |
| 36. | |
MORATH Adelheid (JB BRUNEX FELT FACTORY TEAM)
|
25:24 +1:28 |
| 37. |  |
SHEPPARD Samara
|
25:52 +1:56 |
| 38. |  |
OSL Elisabeth (JB BRUNEX FELT FACTORY TEAM)Â
|
23:28 +2:06 |
| 39. |  |
GOULAO HENRIQUE Raiza (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER ROTOR)
|
18:09 +2:10 |
| DNS | |
LEUMANN Katrin
|
2018 Albstadt UCI World Cup XCC: Elite Men’s results
| 1. | |
VAN DER POEL Mathieu (CORENDON-CIRCUS) Lap 11
|
25:00 |
| 2. | |
GAZE Samuel (SPECIALIZED RACING) Lap 11
|
25:03 +3 |
| 3. | |
FLUECKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:03 +3 |
| 4. | |
MAROTTE Maxime (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 11
|
25:04 +4 |
| 5. | |
FORSTER Lars (BMC MOUNTAINBIKE RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:05 +5 |
| 6. | |
VOGEL Florian (FOCUS XC TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:05 +5 |
| 7. | |
FLUECKIGER Lukas (THÖMUS – RN RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:06 +6 |
| 8. | |
FONTANA Marco Aurelio (BIANCHI COUNTERVAIL) Lap 11
|
25:07 +7 |
| 9. | |
INDERGAND Reto (BMC MOUNTAINBIKE RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:08 +8 |
| 10. | |
SARROU Jordan (KMC-EKOI-SRSUNTOUR) Lap 11
|
25:08 +8 |
| 11. | |
AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 11
|
25:09 +9 |
| 12. | |
GUERRINI Marcel (FOCUS XC TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:09 +9 |
| 13. | |
CAROD Titouan (BMC MOUNTAINBIKE RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:09 +9 |
| 14. | |
TEMPIER Stephane (BIANCHI COUNTERVAIL) Lap 11
|
25:10 +10 |
| 15. |  |
BLUMS Martins (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:11 +11 |
| 16. | |
ROHRBACH Nicola Lap 11
|
25:12 +12 |
| 17. | |
FUMIC Manuel (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 11
|
25:13 +13 |
| 18. |  |
LOO Martin Lap 11
|
25:14 +14 |
| 19. |  |
SOTO Catriel (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:32 +32 |
| 20. | |
SKARNITZL Jan (MITAS TREK) Lap 11
|
25:33 +33 |
| 21. | |
MARKT Karl (MOEBEL MAERKI MTB PRO TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:33 +33 |
| 22. | |
KORETZKY Victor (KMC-EKOI-SRSUNTOUR) Lap 11
|
25:34 +34 |
| 23. | |
COLLEDANI Nadir (BIANCHI COUNTERVAIL) Lap 11
|
25:35 +35 |
| 24. | |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 11
|
25:39 +39 |
| 25. | |
SINTSOV Anton (SALCANO SAKARYA B.B. PRO TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:45 +45 |
| 26. |  |
COLOMA NICOLAS Carlos (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER ROTOR) Lap 11
|
25:49 +49 |
| 27. | |
KULHAVY Jaroslav (SPECIALIZED RACING) Lap 11
|
25:50 +50 |
| 28. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (JB BRUNEX FELT FACTORY TEAM) Lap 11
|
25:51 +51 |
| 29. | |
MCCONNELL Daniel (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER ROTOR) Lap 11
|
25:52 +52 |
| 30. | |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING) Lap 11
|
25:52 +52 |
| 31. | |
DRECHOU Hugo (MASSI) Lap 11
|
25:53 +53 |
| 32. | |
RAGGL Gregor (MOEBEL MAERKI MTB PRO TEAM) Lap 11
|
26:05 +1:05 |
| 33. | |
COCUZZI Luiz Henrique Lap 11
|
26:50 +1:50 |
| 34. | |
BRAIDOT Luca (CENTRO SPORTIVO CARABINIERI – CICLI OLYMPIA)
|
26:55 +1:55 |
| 35. | |
RODRIGUEZ GUEDE Pablo (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
|
27:03 +2:03 |
| 36. | |
KERSCHBAUMER Gerhard (TORPADO GABOGAS)
|
27:23 +2:23 |
| 37. | |
MANTECON GUTIERREZ Sergio (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
24:34 +2:00 |
| 38. | |
CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini (CST SANDD AMERICAN EAGLE MTB RACING TEAM)
|
24:35 +2:01 |
| 39. | |
VALERO SERRANO David (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
|
24:41 +2:07 |
| DNF | |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING)
|
9:25 +17 |
