Sean Fincham hits elite podium at Leukerbad Swiss Bike Cup
Woods, Batty and Jackson make four Canadians in Top-10 at stacked C1 UCI race
With the first World Cup of 2021 just one week away, Canada’s cross country riders are showing they’re ready to take on the world. Sean Fincham led the Canucks in Switzerland with a podium finish at the Leukerbad Swiss Bike Cup, but he wasn’t alone. Three more Canadian’s squeezed into the top-1o in a stacked field at the UCI C1 race.
Elite Women – Batty’s back
Emily Batty looks to be carrying the momentum of her new Canyon MTB Racing team over to Europe. The two-time Olympian rode to seventh place in a world-class field. That included American Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) in second and world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Abolute Absalon) in third. Young Austrian racer Mona Mitterwallner (Trek Vaude) surprised the field, taking the win.
Jenn Jackson (Norco Factory Team) had a huge result as well, finishing 10th in her first European XCO race of the year. It’s an impressive return for the former ski-racer, in her first race back since a top-30 finish at 2020 XCO world championships last fall in Leogang, Austria.
Sandra Walter (Liv) also returned to racing after a full year away, finishing 19th in Leukerbad. Haley Smith (Norco Factory Team) followed in 24th and Laurie Arseneault (Canyon MTB Racing) 31st. Emilly Johnston (Pendrel Racing) finished 34th, a strong result for the under-23 rider.
Elite Men – Fincham and Woods storm into Switzerland
In the elite men’s race, a Norco Factory Team duo of Sean Fincham and Carter Woods scored a remarkable 3-4 finish. Only multi-disciplinary star, and reigning under-23 world champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos) and France’s Titouan Carod (Absolute Absalon) could stay ahead of the hard-charging Canucks.
With big names like Filippo Colombo (Absolute Absalon), Andri Frischknecht (Scott-SRAM) and Lukas Flukiger (Axxios-Infiinity) further down the field, it’s a major result for Fincham and Woods.
Léandre Bouchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) rode to 16th, while Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team) was 24th. Quinton Disera followed in 36th, two spots ahead of Norco Factory Team teammate Andrew L’Esperance. Raphael Auclair (Pivot Cycles-OTE) placed 49th.
Results: Profflix Swiss Bike Cup Leukerbad – May 2, 2021
Elite Women XCO
| 1 | MITTERWALLNER Mona |
AUT
|
TREK | VAUDE | 1:15:32,3 | ||||
| 2 | COURTNEY Kate |
USA
|
SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM | 1:17:13,4 | ||||
| 3 | FERRAND PREVOT Pauline |
FRA
|
ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC | 1:18:24,9 | ||||
| 4 | BENZ Nina |
GER
|
JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING | 1:20:11,3 | ||||
| 5 | NEFF Jolanda |
SUI
|
TREK FACTORY RACING XC | 1:20:42,2 | ||||
| 6 | WALDIS Andrea |
SUI
|
1:21:02,5 | |||||
| 7 | BATTY Emily |
CAN
|
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM | 1:21:25,9 | ||||
| 8 | BLUNK Savilia |
USA
|
1:21:50,4 | |||||
| 9 | FORCHINI Ramona |
SUI
|
JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING | 1:22:08,4 | ||||
| 10 | JACKSON Jennifer |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:23:00,1 | ||||
| 11 | CLAUZEL Hélène |
FRA
|
CUBE PRO FERMETURES SEFIC | 1:23:27,4 | ||||
| 12 | ZÜGER Tina |
SUI
|
SWISS MTB PRO TEAM | 1:23:31,5 | ||||
| 13 | HUCK Erin |
USA
|
1:23:54,0 | |||||
| 14 | ESTERMANN Rebekka |
SUI
|
1:23:56,9 | |||||
| 15 | WOODRUFF Chloe |
USA
|
1:24:01,9 | |||||
| 16 | BELOMOINA Yana |
UKR
|
CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM | 1:24:13,8 | ||||
| 17 | LAST Annie |
GBR
|
1:24:22,0 | |||||
| 18 | FINCHAMP Hannah |
USA
|
1:24:32,4 | |||||
| 19 | WALTER Sandra |
CAN
|
1:24:42,7 | |||||
| 20 | SCHNEEBELI Jacqueline |
SUI
|
JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING | 1:24:47,2 | ||||
| 24 | SMITH Haley |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:25:46,4 | ||||
| 31 | ARSENEAULT Laurie |
CAN
|
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM | 1:28:22,5 | ||||
| 34 | JOHNSTON Emilly |
CAN
|
1:29:21,5 |
Elite Men XCO
| 1 | PIDCOCK Thomas |
GBR
|
1:26:58,7 | |||||
| 2 | CAROD Titouan |
FRA
|
ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC | 1:30:04,4 | ||||
| 3 | FINCHAM Sean |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:30:39,9 | ||||
| 4 | WOODS Carter |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:30:50,1 | ||||
| 5 | COLOMBO Filippo |
SUI
|
ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC | 1:31:09,8 | ||||
| 6 | FRISCHKNECHT Andri |
SUI
|
SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM | 1:31:18,6 | ||||
| 7 | ALBIN Vital |
SUI
|
THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM | 1:31:38,8 | ||||
| 8 | FLÜCKIGER Lukas |
SUI
|
AXXIOS-INFINITY | 1:31:48,5 | ||||
| 9 | SWENSON Keegan |
USA
|
1:32:08,7 | |||||
| 10 | ORR Cameron |
GBR
|
1:32:28,5 | |||||
| 11 | RYF Joris |
SUI
|
1:32:34,9 | |||||
| 12 | INDERGAND Reto |
SUI
|
GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM | 1:32:43,2 | ||||
| 13 | SCHELB Julian |
GER
|
1:33:32,7 | |||||
| 14 | SCHEHL Niklas |
GER
|
TEAM BULLS | 1:33:35,8 | ||||
| 15 | ROTH Joel |
SUI
|
BIKE TEAM SOLOTHURN | 1:33:36,2 | ||||
| 16 | BOUCHARD Leandre |
CAN
|
PIVOT CYCLES – OTE | 1:33:57,9 | ||||
| 17 | ZANOTTI Juri |
ITA
|
KTM PROTEK ELETTROSYSTEM | 1:34:16,3 | ||||
| 18 | FANGER Martin |
SUI
|
1:34:23,2 | |||||
| 19 | PÜNTENER Fabio |
SUI
|
BIKE TEAM SOLOTHURN | 1:34:27,2 | ||||
| 20 | BURKI Nick |
SUI
|
BIKE TEAM SOLOTHURN | 1:34:30,6 | ||||
| 26 | DISERA Peter |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:35:09,6 | ||||
| 36 | DISERA Quinton |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:37:46,9 | ||||
| 38 | L’ESPERANCE Andrew |
CAN
|
NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | 1:38:01,2 |
