Short Track showdown: Van der Poel outkicks Pidcock in Nove Mesto
Léandre Bouchard fights hard for top 20 finish in Czech World Cup XC
Photo by:
Red Bull TV
It’s the showdown that everyone was waiting for. Mathieu van der Poel versus Tom Pidcock, on mountain bikes. The two cross-over stars delivered a thrilling race in Friday’s Short Track XC World Cup. In the end, it was van der Poel out-kicking the newcomer to take the win in a photo finish on the line.
Léandre Bouchard continued his aggressive tactics in Nove Mesto, earning a strong 17th place finish for his efforts.
Roadies off-road: van der Poel versus Pidcock
There is no shortage of stars in elite men’s mountain biking right now. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM) is chasing his place in the history books, aiming to be the winningest men’s racer in history. Mathieu van der Poel (Alepcin Fenix) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) are crossing over from cyclocross and WorldTour road racing, hunting Olympic glory on the mountain bike. A new crop of French talent, including last week’s World Cup winner Victor Koretzky (KMC-Orbea) and world champion Jordan Sarrou (Specialized) have their own plans.
In Friday’s muddy short track, it was Kiwi rider Anton Cooper (Trek Factory Racing) that took the holeshot. Van der Poel, though, was right on his wheel. Van der Poel moved into the lead, though with less pyrotechnics than his blistering attack one week ago in Albstadt’s XCC. Koretzky stayed close, glued to the Dutch rider’s wheel.
As the race splintered behind them, due to a new, technical Short Track course in Nove Mesto, Léandre Bouchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) was fighting hard to maintain contact with the lead group of riders.
Last lap showdown
In the early laps, Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing), Schurter, Sarrou and Koretzky all took their turns taking initiative. Van der Poel and Pidcock sat a few positions back. Waiting and marking each other closely.
The real race started on the the fifth of six laps. Van der Poel pushed into the lead on the long paved climb Pidcock followed with Sarrou struggling to hold the Inos Grenadiers’ wheel. For the next lap and a half, the Alpecin Fenix rider surged and slowed, controlling the pace as teh course narrowed into singletrack and opened up.
Tired of van der Poel’s games, which were letting the chasers keep some contact, Pidcock made a speedy pass on the final descent. Van der Poel followed, finding the British rider’s wheel and distancing a French duo of Koretzky and Sarrou behind.
Pidcock led into Nove Mesto’s iconic finish stadium and opened up his sprint. Van der Poel sat, patiently before attacking up the inside on the final run in to the line. The Dutch rider pulled level, throwing his bike at the line in a photo finish.
With Pidcock shaking his head in the finish area, the photo confirmed van der Poel had won yet again. It’s the Dutch rider’s eighth consecutive World Cup Short Track win, spread out over three years.
Jordan Sarrou outsprints Koretzky to claim the final podium spot in third. Nino Schurter, again struggling with the shorter distance, settled into 12th.
Bouchard rolls across the line 17th. Peter Disera (Norco Facotry Team) placed 26th, the only other Canadian in the men’s race.
Preview for Sunday
In his first XC showdown, van der Poel holds off Pidcock, but the Dutch rider is aware of the threat. “I know what he’s capable of, and he was very strong today as expected,” van der Poel said.
“I didn’t have the best legs today, but I hope to have them on Sunday,” the Dutch rider added. “Last week, I had better legs on Friday, and I’d like to change them around.” Asked how he plans to change that? “Ha ha, I don’t know, I have to figure that out.”
For Pidcock, the finish is a frustrating repeat of last week, with mechanical problems holding him back.
“I’m Little annoyed, because I couldn’t get into my biggest gears,” the Ineos rider shared after the finish. “It’s experience isn’t it? It would be stranger if we weren’t having problems, but hopefully we can get it all right.”
Still, his second place puts Pidcock on the front row for Sunday’s main event XCO. Compared to his back row start in Albstadt, it will mean a totally different race for the Ineos rider. “It’ll make such a big difference. Last week I was fighting every second. Hopefully I can sit back a bit at the start. Or maybe I’ll go backwards,” Pidcock added, with a laugh, “We’ll see on Sunday”
Racing continues Saturday with the junior races and under-23 World Cup XCO. Sunday the elites are back on Red Bull TV for XCO World Cup #2, which is also the last Olympic qualifier event.
Results: Elite Men XCC World Cup – Nove Mesto, Czech Republic – May 14, 2021
| 1. |  |
VAN DER POEL Mathieu (ALPECIN – FENIX)
|
20:48 |
| 2. |  |
* PIDCOCK Thomas
|
20:48 |
| 3. |  |
SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
20:48 |
| 4. | |
KORETZKY Victor (KMC – ORBEA)
|
20:49 +1 |
| 5. |  |
BRANDL Maximilian (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
20:51 +3 |
| 6. | |
MAROTTE Maxime (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
20:54 +6 |
| 7. |  |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
20:56 +8 |
| 8. |  |
FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
20:59 +11 |
| 9. |  |
BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)
|
21:00 +12 |
| 10. |  |
DASCALU Vlad (TREK – PIRELLI)
|
21:01 +13 |
| 11. |  |
HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:01 +13 |
| 12. | |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:02 +14 |
| 13. |  |
AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:02 +14 |
| 14. | |
FLUECKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
21:03 +15 |
| 15. |  |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
21:04 +16 |
| 16. | |
FUMIC Manuel (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:07 +19 |
| 17. |  |
BOUCHARD Leandre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
21:07 +19 |
| 18. |  |
SCHUERMANS Jens (SCOTT CREUSE OXYGENE GUERET)
|
21:14 +26 |
| 19. | |
VADER Milan (KMC – ORBEA)
|
21:14 +26 |
| 20. |  |
ANDREASSEN Simon (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
21:26 +38 |
| 21. | |
CARSTENSEN Sebastian Fini (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
21:27 +39 |
| 22. |  |
MCCONNELL Daniel (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
21:27 +39 |
| 23. |  |
VALERO SERRANO David (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)
|
21:28 +40 |
| 24. |  |
WAWAK Bartlomiej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)
|
21:30 +42 |
| 25. | |
GRIOT Thomas (MASSI)
|
21:45 +57 |
| 26. | |
DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
21:49 +1:01 |
| 27. |  |
SWENSON Keegan
|
21:54 +1:06 |
| 28. | |
KERSCHBAUMER Gerhard (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
22:02 +1:14 |
| 29. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (KMC – ORBEA)
|
22:07 +1:19 |
| 30. | |
COLLEDANI Nadir (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)
|
22:08 +1:20 |
| 31. | |
* CULLELL ESTAPE Jofre (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
22:10 +1:22 |
| 32. | |
EGGER Georg (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
22:11 +1:23 |
| 33. |  |
ULLOA AREVALO Jose Gerardo
|
22:47 +1:59 |
| 34. | |
BLEVINS Christopher (TRINITY RACING MTB)
|
23:06 +2:18 |
| 35. | |
STIRNEMANN Matthias
|
23:43 +2:55 |
| 36. | |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)
|
19:13 +2:27 |
| 37. |  |
MARKT Karl (TREK | VAUDE)
|
19:13 +2:27 |
| 38. | |
INDERGAND Reto (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)
|
19:13 +2:27 |
| DNF | |
CAROD Titouan (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)
|
4:11 +55 |
