Pauline Ferrand-Prevot back on top at home World Cup
Sandra Walter leads Canadian women with 15th in Short Track
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinksi / Red Bull Content Pool
One last World Cup weekend before Tokyo started with a flurry of action on Friday. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Jenny Rissveds, the reigning world and Olympic champion, went head-to-head in the Short Track Cross Country race, opening the Les Gets World Cup weekend in France.
How the race unfolded
A short technical course greeted racers in Les Gets on Friday. Jenny Rissveds (Team 31) led from the gun, putting her wheel out front on the first off-cambre grass climbs. The Canadians had less luck, with both Catharine Pendrel and Sandra Walter losing momentum in a crash shortly after the start.
From there, Rissveds controlled the pace. Both Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Absolute Absalon) and World Cup leader Loana Lecomte (Massi) tried to go around the Swedish Olympic champion, but with no success.
Evie Richards had worked her way into the lead group by Lap 5. Just as the Brit was starting to challenge for the lead, she dropper her chain through the rock garden and was forced to watch therace ride away from her.
Catharine Pendrel and Sandra Walter were steadily working their way through the field. With three laps to go, they’d moved up to 19th and 20th, respectively.
Sina Frei (Specialized) was the first to take the lead over from Rissveds, briefly leading on Lap 7 before Ferrand-Prevot put herself on the front.
Rissveds quickly responded, launching her attack at the start of the eighth and penultimate lap. Ferrand-Prevot followed, and responded with her own, blistering attack at the start of the final lap. Rissveds was unable to respond. Instead, Frei moved past and into second.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot wins Friday’s Short Track XCC World Cup at home in France. Sina Frei takes second with Jenny Rissveds holding on for the final podium spot in third.
“It was a tough race. I wanted to stay a close as possible to the front, but I wanted to stay off the front because there was a headwind,” Ferrand-Prevot said after the finish line. “[Rissveds] attacked with two laps to go and I could follow. So I attacked on the last lap, and got a gap.”
Kate Courtney takes eighth, and the final spot on the front row for Sunday’s XCO. It’s an impressive return for the U.S. Olympic helpful in her first race back since breaking her arm in Nove Mesto.
Sandra Wlater is the first Canadian finisher in Les Gets, taking 15th. That puts the Liv racer on the second row for Sunday’s XCO start. Catharine Pendrel places 22nd for a third row start. Jenn Jackson (Norco Factory Team) is 25th and Emily Batty (Canyon MTB Racing) 33rd.
World champion gaining form, but still looking forward to Tokyo
After three straight XCO wins by Loana Lecomte, Friday is Ferrand-Prevot’s first win since the first Short Track of 2021, back in Albstadt, Germany. For a rider used to winning, the world champions race Friday is a step in the right direction before Tokyo.
“I’m happy because I’m feeling better and better, and of course my main goal is the Olympics,” Ferrand-Prevot said after her win on Friday. “I want to go step by step, and I’m finally feeling better.”
Asked what this mean’s for her chances against fellow French woman, Loana Lecomte on Sunday, the world champion was hesitant.
“It will be hard for me to beat her, but I will try,” Ferrand-Prevot said of her chances in Sunday’s XCO, before reiterating that her sights are set squarely on Tokyo. “In three weeks we will go to the Olympics, so I have three weeks to be in my top shape.”
For Rissveds, the focus is less about the Olympics and more about making steady improvements. The gold medallist in Rio is taking her season one race at a time.
“I had a lot of fun today, I felt strong. there were a lot of technical sections today and I wanted to be near the front.”
Normally when I feel strong I attack on the last lap, but I wanted to challenge myself so I attacked with two laps to go and it was a little bit too early, I got so tired,” the Olympic champion shared with a laugh.
Asked whether the early move was in preparation for defending her title in Tokyo, Rissveds was hesitant. “Not really, it’s more to gain confidence and believe in myself. Normally when I feel strong, I tend to go for the safe option and not go all in. So I went all in today. And for sure, that’s a good thing for the Olympics, too, but I’m going step-by-step, race-by-race
Results – Elite Women’s Short Track XCC – 2021 World Cup Les Gets, France
| 1. |  |
FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)
|
20:28 |
| 2. |  |
FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
20:32 +4 |
| 3. |  |
RISSVEDS Jenny
|
20:41 +13 |
| 4. | |
INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING)
|
20:43 +15 |
| 5. | |
KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
20:43 +15 |
| 6. |  |
* STIGGER Laura (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
20:47 +19 |
| 7. |  |
SEIWALD Greta (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
20:47 +19 |
| 8. |  |
COURTNEY Kate (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
20:49 +21 |
| 9. |  |
TAUBER Anne (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
20:53 +25 |
| 10. |  |
CABELICKA Jitka (GAPP SYSTEM – KOLOFIX MTB RACING TEAM)
|
20:54 +26 |
| 11. | |
LECHNER Eva (TRINX FACTORY TEAM)
|
20:57 +29 |
| 12. | |
* LECOMTE Loana (MASSI)
|
20:59 +31 |
| 13. |  |
LOIV Janika
|
20:59 +31 |
| 14. | |
GERAULT Lena (VCA ANJOS ASTERION)
|
21:00 +32 |
| 15. |  |
WALTER Sandra
|
21:00 +32 |
| 16. |  |
LAST Annie
|
21:00 +32 |
| 17. |  |
MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
21:03 +35 |
| 18. |  |
* EIBL Ronja (ALPECIN – FENIX)
|
21:03 +35 |
| 19. |  |
STRAUSS Mariske (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:04 +36 |
| 20. | |
KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
21:05 +37 |
| 21. |  |
BENKO Barbara (MALOJA PUSHBIKERS MTB)
|
21:06 +38 |
| 22. | |
PENDREL Catharine
|
21:06 +38 |
| 23. | |
BATTEN Haley (TRINITY RACING MTB)
|
21:07 +39 |
| 24. | |
VON BERSWORDT Sophie (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)
|
21:09 +41 |
| 25. | |
JACKSON Jennifer (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
21:11 +43 |
| 26. | |
TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
21:12 +44 |
| 27. | |
DAVISON Lea
|
21:12 +44 |
| 28. |  |
BELOMOINA Yana (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:16 +48 |
| 29. | |
BERTA Martina (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
21:20 +52 |
| 30. |  |
GARCIA MARTINEZ Rocio Del Alba (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)
|
21:33 +1:05 |
| 31. | |
BRANDAU Elisabeth
|
21:39 +1:11 |
| 32. |  |
DEGN Malene (KMC – ORBEA)
|
21:45 +1:17 |
| 33. | |
BATTY Emily (CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM)
|
21:52 +1:24 |
| 34. | |
TEOCCHI Chiara (TRINITY RACING MTB)
|
22:17 +1:49 |
| 35. | |
OSL Elisabeth
|
15:16 +1:40 |
| DNF | |
FORCHINI Ramona (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING) Lap 7
|
16:59 +43 |
| DNF | |
RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING XC) Lap 5
|
12:05 +54 |
| DNF |  |
GORYCKA Paula (STRÜBY – BIXS TEAM) Lap 4
|
9:36 +43 |
| DNF | |
SMITH Haley (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC) Lap 3
|
7:32 +1:00 |
