Pendrel fourth in elite women’s XC world championships
Canadian misses podium by two seconds after being passed in final 300 metres
It was home country heartbreak for Catharine Pendrel Saturday as the World Cup champion came two seconds from making the podium at the 2010 UCI World Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships. The New Brunswick native was embroiled in a battle with Willow Koerber, of the United States, and Irena Kalentieva, of Russia for second place throughout the race.
See below for a video of the elite women’s race start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1NrtXVrPVo
Poland’s Maja Wloszczowska rolled away from the chase group to take the win by 48 seconds with Kalentieva in second, Koerber four seconds back in third and Pendrel two seconds behind the American for fourth. Quebec favourite Marie-Helene Premont finished ninth.
With the sound of the victory podium celebrations in the background, Pendrel said she was having a difficult time being happy with what was still a career-best fourth. “It’s hard to be super excited because I’d like to be on the podium right now, but I know it was good. I felt like I had more though. That’s what’s hard. I’ll be back next year,” she said.
See below for the post-race interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH_T_xGpa2g
The way the race unfolded was fascinating. Pendrel jumped out to an early lead in the first lap, but Wloszczowska closed the gap and, when Pendrel bobbled slightly on one of the tough uphill sections, the Polish rider made the pass. Wloszczowska then turned up the heat at the start of the second lap and was never in danger after that. “I knew the course was technical and it’s good to have a gap so you can make some mistakes,” Wloszczowska said in the post-race press conference. “But I was very afraid they were catch me on the last lap.”
That wasn’t likely to happen. Behind her, the three chasers were fighting hard and passing each other back and forth. Pendrel and Koerber were battling for second while Kalentieva was right on their heels. But coming into the treacherous rock garden downhill section for the final time, Koerber, who had been running second, fell allowing Pendrel to sneak past. Kalentieva took a different line and passed them both to carry the lead into a nasty uphill immediately after the rocks. She bobbled at one point, but maintained second through the rest of the lap. Pendrel, meanwhile, was holding third, but as they came around a fast sweeping corner in the homestretch of the course, Koerber powered past her and held the final podium position across the finish line.
See below for video of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th riders coming across the line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX3S300mBS0
Premont, who was getting the loudest cheers of anyone out on the course, was seventh after the first lap and sixth after the second lap, but slipped back to ninth.
See below for Premont’s post-race comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-O7mTgcChQ