Canada’s Catherine Pendrel takes third during the cross-country phase of the Mountain Bike World Cup

In Round 3 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, held in Lenzerheide, Switzerland — the cross-country event — Canada’s Catherine Pendrel, riding for Luna Pro Team, climbed the podium to take a bronze medal place in third.

Compatriot Emily Batty of Trek Factory Racing, meanwhile, finished the day in 6th place .

It was a beautiful day in Switzerland, but the conditions weren’t favourable enough for a win on home soil during round 3 of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Riding for Multivan Merida, Norway’s Gunn-Rita Dahle Fleshaa claimed her 29th World Cup, cementing an enviable place in the international pantheon of mountain biking. Tied in overall points with Flesjaa was Jolanda Neff, who also continues to lead the overall women’s standings in the UCI series.

The day may have been a beautiful one for July, but it was also hot, with temperatures breaking the 30-degree mark bringing arid, searing conditions. At 1500 metres in elevation, the track — already difficult enough in its technical sophistication — presented riders with some of the seasons’s hardest, most severe conditions as a result.

Jolanda Neff came into the competition with something of an advantage, having long trained on the high terrain of Leznerheide. As the women’s favourite going into the competition, Neff was familiar with such an intense racing environment, and it showed early in her performance at the day’s competitition. To the delight of homeland fans, Lenzerheide attacked on the first climb and gapped Dahle Flesjaa and Pendrel early in the race. It wasn’t a lead that lasted long, though.

Half a lap later, Dahle Flesjaa and Pendrel caught up, dropping Neff out the back of the race’s top ten. It may have been a consequence, reports said, of excessive power too early in the race, tapping Neff out before she could make any serious headway.

Meanwhile, as Neff dropped back, Dahle Flesjaa and Pendrel powered along together until the race was two laps from its conclusion — a six-lap race in all. Taking her 29th World Cup at its conclusion, Dahle Flesjaa sets a record for women in the competition, beating out the USA’s Juliana Furtado, who set a similar record during the 1990s.

Neff and Dahle Flesjaa currently share the top standings with 650 points each. Neff, however, took the jersey by racking up more wins. Canada’s Pendrel sits at third with 470 points, while the USA’s Lea Davidson, riding for Specialized — who took second place — makes the leap from fourth place to eighth with 420 overall points.

Results

1 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team 1:32:15
2 Lea Davison (USA) Specialized Racing 0:01:00
3 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team 0:01:36
4 Jolanda Neff (Swi) Stoeckli Pro Team 0:02:05
5 Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Moebel Maerki MTB Pro Team 0:02:12
6 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Kross Racing Team 0:02:41
7 Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing 0:02:59
8 Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol 0:03:32
9 Annika Langvad (Den) Specialized Racing 0:03:44
10 Annie Last (GBr) 0:04:19
11 Yana Belomoina (Ukr) Betch.Nl Superior Brentjens MTB Racing Team 0:04:40
12 Sabine Spitz (Ger) 0:05:09
13 Anne Terpstra (Ned) Habitat Mountainbiketeam 0:05:20
14 Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut) Habitat Mountainbiketeam 0:05:52
15 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Rose Vaujany Fueled By Ultrasports 0:06:05
16 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Habitat Mountainbiketeam 0:07:01
17 Chloe Woodruff (USA) 0:07:19
18 Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team 0:08:01
19 Kate Fluker (NZl) 0:08:30
20 Helen Grobert (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing 0:08:43
21 Linda Indergand (Swi) Focus XC Team 0:09:00
22 Ariane Kleinhans (Swi) 0:09:01
23 Esther Suss (Swi) Wheeler – Ixs Team
24 Githa Michiels (Bel) Versluys Team 0:09:12
25 Mary Mcconneloug (USA) 0:09:25
26 Rebecca Henderson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing 0:09:50
27 Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Haibike Oetztal Pro Team 0:10:05
28 Karla Stepanova (Cze) 0:10:15
29 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing 0:10:29
30 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing 0:10:51
31 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) 0:11:13
32 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) 0:11:37
33 Adelheid Morath (Ger) BH-Sr Suntour-KMC 0:12:12
34 Laura Metzler (Fra) Btwin MTB Racing Team
35 Marine Groccia (Swi)
36 Cherie Vale (RSA) Novus Omx Pro Team
37 Alice Pirard (Bel) Merida-Wallonie Mountain Bike Team
38 Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Superior MTB Team
39 Rocio Martin Rodriguez (Spa)
40 Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus XC Team
41 Nina Wrobel (Ger)
42 Nadine Rieder (Ger)
43 Anna Villar Argente (Spa)
44 Peta Mullens (Aus)
45 Hanna Klein (Ger) BH-Sr Suntour-KMC
46 Florence Darbellay (Swi)
47 Marta Pastore (Ita) Team Piemonte Fci
48 Aurelia Perry (Fra)
49 Michelle Hediger (Swi) Giant Swiss Team
50 Lucia Vazquez Crespo (Spa)
51 Kerry Macphee (GBr)
52 Fabienne Schaus (Lux)
53 Nicky Healy (GBr)
54 Samara Sheppard (NZl)
55 Sarah Riley (Aus)
56 Eliza Kwan (Aus)
57 Ekateryna Anoshina (Rus) Rusvelo
DNF Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze)
DNF Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Haibike Oetztal Pro Team