All eyes on Gaze in Albstadt Short Track
Kiwi takes up reigns from teammate Mathieu van der Poel
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
After a blistering hot start in Brazil, World Cup short track made a furious return in Albstadt on Friday. In the absence of three-time winner Mathieu van der Poel, a deep field of elites, including a few returning from a spring on the road, were vying for the win in Germany.
In the end, it was van der Poel’s teammate, Sam Gaze, marking a triumphant return to dirt with a beautifully tactical win in Albstadt.
RELATED: How to watch 2022 Albstadt World Cup XCC/XCO
Men’s XCC World Cup Albstadt: Gaze obscures Pidcock’s view
Coming into Friday, only one rider had stood on top of the XCC podium in Albstadt: Mathieu van der Poel. With the dominant Dutch racer occupied at the Giro d’Italia, Germany would see its first new winner this year. With a stacked men’s field, though, it’s hard to predict who will seize the opportunity.
Among the favourites is Tom Pidcock (Ineos). After a spring racing on the road, the cyclocross world champion and XCO Olympic champion quickly moves from the back row into fourth by the time the field finishes the long, paved start straigh. Christopher Blevins (Specialized) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) lurk close behind.
It’s Sebastian Fini and Pierre de Froidmont of KMC leading the opening laps, though. Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing) moves up to fourth, clearly looking to redeem himself after a disappointing hometown race in Brazil.
A brief lull in the pace allows Pidcock, Schurter to move up to the front. Sam Gaze also uses the opportunity to put his Alpecin-Fenix kit on the front, perhaps looking to keep van der Poel’s Albstadt winning streak within the team. Gaze has World Cup wins on mountain bikes, but they were back in 2018. After a string of injuries, could the Kiwi finally be back on form?
Schwarzbaur sets pace
Luca Schwarzbaur (Canyon CLLCTV) is the rider that takes charge of the race, though. He leads for several laps, but with a who’s-who of elite mountain biking jostling for position on his wheel. It’s a fast, but wildly tactical race.
Avancini attacks with two to go, with Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) on his wheel. Schurter quickly replies with a move of his own. Schwarzbauer, racing on home turf, somehow finds the energy to go again as the group heads out onto the final lap.
Seeing an opportunity, Gaze moves into the lead as the group enters a singletrack section. He’s able to open a gap to the German. Sarrou and Schurter have to fight to get by, Nino with a wild pass through the whoops to sit second.
There’s not enough room, though. Sam Gaze wins alone with open space behind him. It’s his third short track World Cup win, his first in years.
Gaze takes up van der Poel’s tradition
It’s taken a long time to get back here. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’m not the same guy I was back in 2018,” Gaze shares after the finish. The New Zealander is fresh off another knee surgery in Albstadt. “It was short notice, and we didn’t know what to expect coming here. I’d like to think it’s the long years fighting back through the trenches that got me through today.”
Asked about carrying on van der Poel’s tradition, Gaze is earnest in his response.
“I’m privileged to be wearing this jersey. Mathieu obviously just won the first stage of the Giro to wear pink. That success is contagious,” Gaze shares, adding “These guys believed in me when a lot of other people, even myself at times, gave up on me. It means a lot to get the win for them. But I’m not finished yet.”
Schurter and Sarrou fight for a photo finish, with Sarrou taking second.
“I had the feeling that I was already second place, so I stopped pedalling early. So I lost that place to Sarrou” Schurter shared with a laugh after the race.
Pidcock, while fading from the front on the final lap, gets eighth. That a significant result, though, as it puts him on the front row for Sunday’s XCO. That means he won’t have to repeat his spectacular passing clinic from Albstadt in 2021, where he worked through the entire XCO field to take the lead, only for a flat tire to drop him back to fifth.
Racing continues on Saturday, May 7 with the under-23 XCO events. Live broadcasts resume Sunday, May 8 with the elite XCO events.
RELATED: Holmgren and Fortier preview Albstadt World Cup course
Results: World Cup XCC #2 – Albstadt, Germany
| 1. |  |
GAZE Samuel (ALPECIN – FENIX)
|
21:29 |
| 2. |  |
SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
21:29 |
| 3. |  |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:29 |
| 4. |  |
SCHWARZBAUER Luca (CANYON CLLCTV)
|
21:30 +1 |
| 5. |  |
AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:31 +2 |
| 6. | |
CAROD Titouan (BMC MTB RACING)
|
21:31 +2 |
| 7. | |
COLOMBO Filippo (BMC MTB RACING)
|
21:33 +4 |
| 8. |  |
PIDCOCK Thomas
|
21:33 +4 |
| 9. |  |
HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:34 +5 |
| 10. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
21:34 +5 |
| 11. | |
FLÜCKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS MAXON)
|
21:34 +5 |
| 12. | |
ALBIN Vital (THÖMUS MAXON)
|
21:36 +7 |
| 13. |  |
BRAIDOT Daniele (CS CARABINIERI – CICLI OLYMPIA VITTORIA)
|
21:36 +7 |
| 14. | |
OLIVER Ben
|
21:37 +8 |
| 15. |  |
VALERO SERRANO David (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)
|
21:38 +9 |
| 16. | |
FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:39 +10 |
| 17. | |
ROTH Joel (BIXS PERFORMANCE RACING)
|
21:40 +11 |
| 18. |  |
ULLOA AREVALO Jose Gerardo (MASSI-BEAUMES DE VENISE)
|
21:41 +12 |
| 19. |  |
CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini (KMC – ORBEA)
|
21:41 +12 |
| 20. |  |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
21:42 +13 |
| 21. |  |
WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
21:42 +13 |
| 22. | |
MAROTTE Maxime (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
21:43 +14 |
| 23. | |
INDERGAND Reto (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)
|
21:43 +14 |
| 24. | |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
21:44 +15 |
| 25. |  |
BLUMS Martins (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:44 +15 |
| 26. | |
BERTOLINI Gioele (TRINX FACTORY TEAM)
|
21:45 +16 |
| 27. |  |
DE FROIDMONT Pierre (KMC – ORBEA)
|
21:46 +17 |
| 28. | |
SCHUERMANS Jens (SCOTT CREUSE OXYGENE GUERET)
|
21:47 +18 |
| 29. | |
COLLEDANI Nadir (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
|
21:48 +19 |
| 30. | |
KERSCHBAUMER Gerhard (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
21:48 +19 |
| 31. | |
CULLELL ESTAPE Jofre (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER GENUINS)
|
21:49 +20 |
| 32. | |
BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
21:59 +30 |
| 33. | |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
22:07 +38 |
| 34. | |
KORETZKY Victor
|
22:13 +44 |
| 35. | |
DUBAU Joshua (ROCKRIDER RACING TEAM)
|
22:13 +44 |
| 36. |  |
MARKT Karl (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)
|
22:36 +1:07 |
| 37. |  |
BLEVINS Christopher (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING)
|
22:38 +1:09 |
| 38. |  |
HÆGSTAD Erik (KMC – ORBEA)
|
22:43 +1:14 |
