Young riders upset favorites at Nove Mesto World Cup XCO #1
New winners in both men's and women's Olympic distance races puts veterans on notice
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
The young riders have been busy training during the extended off-season, it would appear. Two first-time winners upset the pre-race favorites on Thursday at the first World Cup XCO of 2020.
Simon Andreassen (Specialized) and Loana Lecomte (Massi) thrived on a slippery Nove Mesto cross country course. The young riders, Lecomte is just 21 years old, claimed the opening World CUp wins ahead of stacked fields of veteran racers.
While Canada’s under-23 riders were thriving, the elite squad was having a tougher day on course. Emily Batty was the top finisher, in 28th, followed closely by Jenn Jackson in 33rd.
Lecomte follows through on Short Track promise
Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing) looked poised for success after winning Tuesday’s XCC in a full-on sprint with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Instead, it was another young rider that made her name in Thursday’s XCO race. Loana Lecomte finished third in the Short Track. On Thursday, after finding her pace in the opening laps, the young French rider attacked and never looked back.
Lecomte caught Ferrand Prevot (Canyon Factory Racing), who had taken the early lead, then rode off the front of the race alone. After riding the closing laps solo, Lecomte claims her first World Cup win by a healthy 30-second margin.
Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory Racing) caught Ferrand Prevot on the final lap to place second behind Lecomte. Multiple time world champion, Ferrand Prevot held on for third.
Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) was the fastest Canadian on Thursday. After a top-20 in the Short Track, Batty struggled to find the same speed in XCO start. Batty fought hard to improve her position all race, eventually moving up to 28th at the finish. Norco Factory Racing’s Jenn Jackson was next, in 33rd. Haley Smith withdrew after three laps.
Numerous pre-race favorites struggled with the pace after months away from racing. World Cup winner Kate Courtney (Scott-SRAM) finished sixth. European Champion Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing) was 17th while Annika Langvad, who won 2016 world championships in Nove Mesto, settled for 19th.
Andreassen rides through top riders to take win
Simon Andreassen (Specialized) started the Nove Mesto XCO with his work cut out for him. The 2015 junior men’s world champion was way back in the field. In fact, he didn’t even have the points to start Tuesday’s XCC. It took the Dane a full lap just to make it to the front of the race.
Before the Dane arrived at the front, it was Henrique Avancini leading. Surprisingly, the Brazilian’s rivial, and reigning world champion Nino Schurter was well back in the 20s. While Schurter struggled with the pace, it was Milan Vader (KMC Orbea) pushing Avancini on the front.
Avancini suffered from his early agression, though, Andreassen, Vader and Maxime Marotte (Cannondale Factory Team) took the lead. The Dane attacked on the final lap, finally opening up a gap to Marotte to claim his first World Cup win. Vader held on for third.
After suffering through the opening laps, Schurter showed he’s never one to be counted out. The reigning world champion steadily worked his way through the field to finish fourth, one spot ahead of rival Avancini in fifth.
It was a rough day out for the Candian men, with Léandre Bouchard (Pivot Cycles-OTE) taking the top placing in 35th. Marc Andre Fortier and Andrew L’Esperance rode to 59th anad 60th, while another Pivot Cycles-OTE and Norco Factory Team pairing of Peter Disera and Rphael Auclair finished 70th and 71st.
Racing continues Friday with the second Short Track XC in the Nove Mesto double header. Watch live on Red Bull TV, then tune in again sunday for the XCO#2 Sunday!
 Elite Women: XCO#1 – World Cup Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic
| 1. |  |
* LECOMTE Loana (MASSI)
|
1:22:06 |
| 2. |  |
TERPSTRA Anne (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:22:37 +31 |
| 3. | |
FERRAND PREVOT Pauline (CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM)
|
1:22:43 +37 |
| 4. | |
GERAULT Lena (VTT VCA ANJOS)
|
1:23:21 +1:15 |
| 5. |  |
* STIGGER Laura
|
1:23:27 +1:21 |
| 6. |  |
COURTNEY Kate (SCOTT – SRAM MTB RACING)
|
1:23:54 +1:48 |
| 7. |  |
FREI Sina (GHOST FACTORY RACING)
|
1:24:04 +1:58 |
| 8. |  |
RICHARDS Evie (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:24:15 +2:09 |
| 9. |  |
MCCONNELL Rebecca (PRIMAFLOR MONDRAKER XSAUCE)
|
1:24:47 +2:41 |
| 10. | |
KELLER Alessandra (THÖMUS RN SWISS BIKE TEAM)
|
1:25:06 +3:00 |
| 11. | |
SHORT Isla
|
1:25:10 +3:04 |
| 12. |  |
BELOMOINA Yana (CST POSTNL BAFANG MTB RACING TEAM)
|
1:25:28 +3:22 |
| 13. | |
INDERGAND Linda (PUSHBIKERS XC TEAM)
|
1:26:00 +3:54 |
| 14. |  |
WLOSZCZOWSKA Maja (KROSS RACING TEAM)
|
1:26:13 +4:07 |
| 15. |  |
LOIV Janika
|
1:26:17 +4:11 |
| 16. | |
BRESSET Julie (MASSI)
|
1:26:24 +4:18 |
| 17. | |
NEFF Jolanda (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:27:08 +5:02 |
| 18. | |
HUCK Erin
|
1:27:33 +5:27 |
| 19. |  |
LANGVAD Annika (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
1:27:50 +5:44 |
| 20. |  |
ZAKELJ Tanja (UNIOR DEVINCI FACTORY RACING)
|
1:27:59 +5:53 |
| 28. |  |
BATTY Emily (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:29:17 +7:11 |
| 33. | |
JACKSON Jennifer (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:30:34 +8:28 |
 Elite Men: XCO#1 – World Cup Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic
| 1. | |
ANDREASSEN Simon (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
1:34:39 |
| 2. | |
MAROTTE Maxime (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:34:48 +9 |
| 3. | |
VADER Milan (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:35:05 +26 |
| 4. | |
SCHURTER Nino (SCOTT – SRAM MTB RACING)
|
1:35:23 +44 |
| 5. |  |
AVANCINI Henrique (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING)
|
1:35:23 +44 |
| 6. |  |
HATHERLY Alan (SPECIALIZED RACING)
|
1:35:31 +52 |
| 7. |  |
COOPER Anton (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:35:38 +59 |
| 8. |  |
KERSCHBAUMER Gerhard (TORPADO URSUS)
|
1:35:40 +1:01 |
| 9. |  |
CINK Ondrej (KROSS RACING TEAM)
|
1:35:50 +1:11 |
| 10. | |
LITSCHER Thomas (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:35:59 +1:20 |
| 11. |  |
BRANDL Maximilian (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM)
|
1:36:05 +1:26 |
| 12. | |
FLUECKIGER Lukas
|
1:36:12 +1:33 |
| 13. | |
TEMPIER Stephane (TREK FACTORY RACING XC)
|
1:36:19 +1:40 |
| 14. | |
COLOMBO Filippo (ABSOLUTE – ABSALON – BMC)
|
1:36:22 +1:43 |
| 15. | |
SARROU Jordan (ABSOLUTE – ABSALON – BMC)
|
1:36:26 +1:47 |
| 16. | |
CAROD Titouan (ABSOLUTE – ABSALON – BMC)
|
1:36:29 +1:50 |
| 17. | |
KORETZKY Victor (KMC – ORBEA)
|
1:36:36 +1:57 |
| 18. | |
GRIOT Thomas (MASSI)
|
1:36:41 +2:02 |
| 19. | |
STIRNEMANN Matthias (MOEBEL MAERKI MTB PRO TEAM)
|
1:36:43 +2:04 |
| 20. | |
FRISCHKNECHT Andri (SCOTT – SRAM MTB RACING)
|
1:36:46 +2:07 |
| 27. | |
SWENSON Keegan
|
1:38:36 +3:57 |
| 35. | |
BOUCHARD Leandre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:40:04 +5:25 |
| 59. | |
L’ESPERANCE Andrew (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:42:47 +8:08 |
| 60. | |
FORTIER Marc Andre (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:42:54 +8:15 |
| 70. | |
DISERA Peter (NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC)
|
1:44:50 +10:11 |
| 71. | |
AUCLAIR Raphael (PIVOT CYCLES – OTE)
|
1:44:51 +10:12 |
