Snowshoe Short Track: Richards and Koretzky open West Virginia weekend with wins

The first medals of the final World Cup of 2021 were handed out on Friday in West Virginia. Evie Richards and Victor Koretzky combined power and strategy perfectly to take wins in Snowshoe’s Short Track XC race.

The U.S. race had a larger than usual crowd of Canadians contesting the XCC event. That included Catharine Pendrel, starting her last World Cup event of her long and storied career.

RELATED: How (and when) to watch 2021 World Cup finals in Snowshoe

Canadians fly down south

With World Cup racing returning to North America, a big crew of 16 Canadians lined up for the final Short Track XC race of 2021. Laurie Arseneault (Canyon MTB Racing) and Marc Andre Fortier (Pivot Cycles-OTE) were the top Canucks in the U.S.A. on Friday.

In the women’s race, Arseneault finished 14th behind race winner Evie Richards. Catharine Pendrel, racing in her final World Cup appearance, finished three seconds later in 15th. Sandra Walter (Liv Canada) followed close behind in 18th. Jenn Jackson and Haley Smith, both of Norco Factory Team, chased Kate Courtney across the line to finish 27th and 28th. Emily Batty (Canyon MTB) finished 29th and Mackenzie Myatt in 30th. Cindy Montambault rounded out the Canadian effort in 32nd.

RELATED: Catharine Pendrel rides into her last World Cup weekend

In the men’s race, Marc Andre Fortier led the Canadian effort in 19th. Raphael Auclair, Fortier’s Pivot Cycles-OTE teammate, followed in 21st. The Blue Train continued rolling with Léandre Bouchard in 27th. Peter Disera (Norco Factory Team), Tyler Clark, and Quinton Disera (Norco Factory Team) followed in 28th, 29th and 30th. Alexandre Vialle in 32nd and Andrew L’Esperance (Norco Factory Team) in 35 round out the Canadian entries.

Richard’s keeps rolling with Short Track win.

After Evie Richards won her first elite world championship title at Val di Sole, and first World Cup in the rainbow jersey in Lenzerheide, she’s showing no signs of slowing down. In a highly tactical race, Richards pulled ahead in the final lap to win another short track XC race.

Richards was followed closely by Trek Factory Teammate Jolanda Neff, who finishes second. After working on the front for much of the race, Jenny Rissveds (Team 31-Outride) finished third.

Kate Courtney’s return to racing on American soil got off to a stuttering start, with the Scott-SRAM racer touching wheels and crashing as the front group powered through the cobbles of Snowshoe village. Courtney remounted and worked her way back to 26th, but will have her work cut out for her if she wants to reprise her big result at home from 2019.

 

Koretzky’s perfectly timed attack wins in West Virginia

After winning the first-ever short track XC world championship title, Christopher Blevins (Trinity Racing) was eager to repeat his success on home soil. Throughout the short, 20-minute race, the rising U.S. talent looked well placed to deliver in front of the home crowd.

Ondrej Cink (Kross Orlen) was happy to do the work on the front for much the last four of eight laps. The powerful Czech’s attacks couldn’t create any separation, though, and a sizable group rode together into the final lap.

It was Victor Koretzky, who sat comfortably in the pack for much of the race, who timed his attack perfectly. The KMC Orbea rider launched off the front of the group up the final steep hill before the finish line. Brazilian XCC specialist Henrique Avancini (Cannondale Factory Racing) did his best to hold the flying Frenchman’s wheel, but couldn’t keep pace.

Koretzky takes the final World Cup XCC win of 2021. Avancini followed in second with young Swiss protoge Filippo Colombo (Absolute Absalon-BMC) rounding out the podium in third. Blevins rode solidly to fourth for a huge West Virginia crowd.

Mathias Flueckiger (Thomus RN) landed fifth. With that result the Swiss rider seals the 2021 World Cup overall title, Flueckiger’s first, with one race left to go.

The final World Cup of 2021 continues Saturday with downhill finals before wrapping up on Sunday with the XCO. All the elite races can be viewed on Red Bull TV. Full schedule for this weekend racing.

Results: 2021 World Cup –  Short Track XC – Snowshoe, W.Va.

Elite Women

1.		RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)	22:12
2.		NEFF Jolanda (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)	22:14 +2
3.		RISSVEDS Jenny	22:17 +5
4.		INDERGAND Linda (LIV FACTORY RACING)	22:19 +7
5.		FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED RACING)	22:19 +7
6.		KOLLER Nicole (GHOST FACTORY RACING)	22:20 +8
7.		MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)	22:27 +15
8.		TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)	22:31 +19
9.		* STIGGER Laura (SPECIALIZED RACING)	22:32 +20
10.		SEIWALD Greta (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)	22:33 +21
11.		KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)	22:36 +24
12.		BERTA Martina (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)	22:52 +40
13.		RIEDER Nadine (GHOST FACTORY RACING)	22:58 +46
14.		ARSENEAULT Laurie (CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM)	23:01 +49
15.		PENDREL Catharine	23:04 +52
16.		DAVISON Lea	23:09 +57
17.		LOIV Janika	23:11 +59
18.		WALTER Sandra	23:12 +1:00
19.		GARCIA MARTINEZ Rocio Del Alba (BH TEMPLO CAFÉS UCC)	23:20 +1:08
20.		TAUBER Anne (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)	23:26 +1:14
21.		URBAN Kelsey	23:26 +1:14
22.		GOMEZ VILLAFANE Sofia	23:27 +1:15
23.		BATTEN Haley (TRINITY RACING MTB)	23:27 +1:15
24.		FINCHAMP Hannah	23:38 +1:26
25.		BENZ Nina (JB BRUNEX SUPERIOR FACTORY RACING)	23:47 +1:35
26.		COURTNEY Kate (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)	23:53 +1:41
27.		JACKSON Jennifer (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	23:54 +1:42
28.		SMITH Haley (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	24:21 +2:09
29.		BATTY Emily (CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM)	24:27 +2:15
30.		MYATT Mackenzie	24:48 +2:36
31.		MOLINA Michela	25:07 +2:55
32.		MONTAMBAULT Cindy	17:55 +2:13
33.		BATES Hayley	14:58 +2:34
34.		DEPMAN Madeline	15:06 +2:42
DNF		NASH Katerina	10:07 +19

Elite Men

1.		KORETZKY Victor (KMC – ORBEA)	22:05
2.		AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)	22:08 +3
3.		COLOMBO Filippo (ABSOLUTE-ABSALON – BMC)	22:08 +3
4.		BLEVINS Christopher (TRINITY RACING MTB)	22:08 +3
5.		FLUECKIGER Mathias (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)	22:13 +8
6.		SARROU Jordan (SPECIALIZED RACING)	22:14 +9
7.		CINK Ondrej (KROSS ORLEN CYCLING TEAM)	22:14 +9
8.		BRAIDOT Luca (SANTA CRUZ FSA MTB PRO TEAM)	22:14 +9
9.		VADER Milan (KMC – ORBEA)	22:16 +11
10.		COLLEDANI Nadir (MMR FACTORY RACING TEAM)	22:17 +12
11.		DASCALU Vlad (TREK – PIRELLI)	22:17 +12
12.		FORSTER Lars (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)	22:17 +12
13.		PHILIPP Antoine (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)	22:20 +15
14.		HATHERLY Alan (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)	22:23 +18
15.		SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)	22:27 +22
16.		SCHWARZBAUER Luca (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)	22:29 +24
17.		INDERGAND Reto (GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM)	22:29 +24
18.		NORDEMANN David (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)	22:30 +25
19.		FORTIER Marc Andre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)	22:50 +45
20.		GRIOT Thomas (MASSI)	22:52 +47
21.		AUCLAIR Raphael (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)	22:52 +47
22.		ANDREASSEN Simon (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)	22:52 +47
23.		FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM)	22:53 +48
24.		DE FROIDMONT Pierre (BH – WALLONIE MTB TEAM)	22:54 +49
25.		DAVOUST Stephan	22:54 +49
26.		VROUWENVELDER Luke	22:55 +50
27.		BOUCHARD Leandre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)	23:00 +55
28.		DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	23:04 +59
29.		ORSCHEL Tyler	23:05 +1:00
30.		DISERA Quinton (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	23:22 +1:17
31.		ALBIN Vital (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)	23:33 +1:28
32.		VIALLE Alexandre	23:54 +1:49
33.		PEREZ ROMAN Georwill	23:59 +1:54
34.		FLOREN Sandy	24:09 +2:04
35.		L’ESPERANCE Andrew (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)	24:11 +2:06
36.		STANDISH Ryan	24:37 +2:32