Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team) and Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) timed their winning moves perfectly to win the Men’s and Women’s Elite categories in the UCI Cross-Country Short Track (XCC) World Cup at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland.
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series provided a dramatic round of racing at the Epic Bike Park in Austria. The iconic venue is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, but provided a fresh challenge for the XCC competitors. A new uphill rock-garden and steep climb proved pivotal in each race. Meanwhile, wet and slippery conditions throughout the day resulted in a pulsating set of races.
Andreassen kept himself out of the drama in a chaotic Elite Men’s race before charging clear to win his first UCI XCC World Cup. Meanwhile, Frei won her third race of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series this season with a similar last lap move. For Andreassen the win was made more special, as his wife Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) was also on the podium after finishing second in the Women’s Elite race.
Earlier in the day Monique Halter (Thömus Akros – Youngstars) marked her return from injury to win the Women’s Under-23 UCI XCC World Cup and Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) was the Men’s age category victor.
ANDREASSEN WINS DRAMATIC MEN’S ELITE SHOWDOWN
Simon Andreassen (Orbea Fox Factory Team) led a last lap charge to clinch victory by six seconds following an action-packed Men’s Elite UCI XCC World Cup. The 28-year-old has been without a UCI World Cup victory in over two years but his powerful attack on last lap was enough to clinch an emotional win.
Drama started seconds into the race, as overall leader Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team XC) saw his race ended due to a snapped chain. Separately Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division) missed his pedal away from the line and was forced to power back through to the leading pack. The slippery course resulted in Jordan Sarrou (BMC Factory Racing) crashing, ending his hopes of a top 10 finish.
Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) was not content with a large leading group gathering and pulled out a slender advantage with Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). However, Martin also crashed on a descent before getting up and charging back through as the leaders re-grouped.
Taking the last lap bell, 10 riders still had a chance of clinching victory with minutes remaining. Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) split the pack with a surge up the first climb and took Andreassen clear. However, approaching the rock garden Avondetto’s chain came off, ending his chances of victory. Andreassen took full advantage and pulled out an unassailable six-second victory.
The drama was not over as Martín Vidaurre (Specialized Factory Racing) crashed on the final corner to concede second place to Colombo. Meanwhile, Martin recovered from his mid-race crash to finish on the podium in third. A 10th place finish for Azzaro was enough to secure the Frenchman’s top spot of the overall standings after three rounds.
“I’m really happy,” said Andreassen. “It’s quite a cruel sport. I had a tough start to the World Cup season and then suddenly I’m winning. It’s super difficult to suffer week in and week out. When you finally win it’s all worth it.
“I didn’t really have a plan, just tried to survive. With two or three laps to go I moved to the front. I was struggling to see, my glasses were so full of mud, and I just wanted to have clear vision. Nobody came past me after that; it was a good tactic.”
FREI POWERS TO VICTORY WITH LAST LAP ATTACK
Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) powered through the final rock garden and climb to clinch a slender victory in the Women’s Elite UCI XCC World Cup. The 28-year-old was part of a leading trio who broke away during the grueling race, before battling out the victory.
Noticeably absent from the third round was former UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek - Unbroken XC), who is recovering from concussion suffered in Nové Město Na Moravě.
The wet conditions had an early impact as Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Premier Tech) slipped on the first turn and a dab of her foot resulted in losing a host position. The new man-made rock garden, followed by two steep climbs resulted in the leading group naturally breaking up.
European Champion Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) was joined at the front by Alessandra Keller (Thömus maxon), Sina Frei and Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team). With three laps to go, UCI XCC World Champion Keller began to ramp up the pressure, forcing Jackson to drop off the pace.
Rissveds was determined to ride away and launched a series of blistering attacks during the final two laps. However, Frei matched her efforts, carrying speed through the rock garden and then powered up the last lap climb. The Swiss rider mastered the descent down to the finish to clinch victory with the fastest lap of the race.
Frei extended her overall lead in the UCI XCC World Cup and will look for her second double of the season in the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup on Sunday.
“From lap to lap it got hard and harder, because I couldn’t see any more,” said Frei. “In the end it was trying to hit the perfect line. In the last lap I knew I had to go all in. When I crossed the finish, I didn’t know that I had won, I was so exhausted and just tried to go full gas until the line.”
HALTER AND SCHEHL SHOW COMMANDING FORM IN UNDER-23 CATEGORIES
Monique Halter (Thömus Akros – Youngstars) returned from injury with a show of technical riding in the Women’s Under-23 race. The Swiss rider showed her skills on the slippery descent to clinch her maiden UCI XCC World Cup victory.
After winning the opening round in MONA YongPyong (South Korea), Valentina Corvi (Canyon XC Racing) looked comfortable in the leading group. However, the muddy conditions left visibility difficult for the Italian, resulting in a slip and a 10th placed finish. Meanwhile, overall leader Makena Kellerman paid for early efforts, recovering from a poor start, and dropped back in the latter stages to place 14th.
At the front, Halter took control to finish eight seconds clear of Bloeme Kalis in second, while Katrin Embacher (KTM Factory MTB Team) finished third. Kellerman was rewarded with her efforts by maintaining her lead in the overall standings.
“I feel super happy,” said Halter following her win. “I have had some difficult months because I had a foot injury, so I’m really pleased with how well my recovery has gone and to be performing at this level now. I really liked the technical downhill in the wet conditions and that was one place where I could make a gap to the others and move in front.”
Paul Schehl made his decisive move on the final lap, breaking clear after controlling the front of the Men’s Under-23 UCI XCC World Cup race. The Lexware Mountainbike Team rider, buoyed by his recent win at the UCI XCC World Cup in Nové Město Na Moravě, rode with confidence throughout, patrolling the lead group before launching his late attack to secure victory by six seconds. Meanwhile, Thibaut François Baudry (Canyon XC Racing) edged out Benjamin Krüger in the sprint for second. After three rounds, Schehl leads the overall standings ahead of François Baudry.
“It feels really great,” said Schehl. “I was always in control, I felt really good on the course and the physical nature played into my hands. It wasn’t too technical and I could ride a high pace all the time and controlled the front. I wasn’t wasting too much energy and felt really good.”
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland on Saturday with the UCI Downhill World Cup finals, following a dramatic qualifying session in challenging wet conditions, where Dylan Maples (Pivot Factory Racing) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) claimed top spot to earn last-start advantage. The UCI Enduro World Cup and UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup follow on Sunday. Discover the full schedule and where to watch here.
