Reigning mountain bike world champions in the short track cross-country discipline proved to be the best yet again, as Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France) and Sam Gaze (New Zealand) repeated as world champions on Thursday.
The intense 20 minutes for the men and women were contested on the rough terrain and steep slopes in Glentress Forest of Scotland’s Tweed Valley, with multiple laps of just under 1km for the XCC championships.
Sam Gaze wins XCC Men
Sam Gaze (New Zealand) defended his short track cross-country title at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships on Thursday. Victor Koretzky (France) ignited a late sprint to make it a photo finish for the top two spots, the Frenchman settling for silver.
Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) made an aggressive inside pass alongside Luca Schwarzbauer (Germany) to claim the bronze. Schwarzbauer slipped out in that final corner and finished ninth.
“A very technical race. Just ride my tempo, I could sort of almost try to recover between climbs. To come into my best possible shape at World Championships, I’m really happy about it,” Gaze said.
“That climb, it was really an attritional race, super technical, super fast. It’s 20 minutes and not what you carry in the first part, but what you have for the last. It’s a really good course, and obviously, I’m really happy to finish it off and have my second world title in this event.”
The critical start for the 57-rider field was led by Latvia’s Martins Blum, with Henriqu da Silva Avancini (Brazil) on his back wheel. The tight, twisting track did not allow for many passing opportunities, and the peloton was strung out after two laps.
On the third loop, defending champion Gaze took the lead, joined by Koretzky and Schwarzbauer.
With 10 to go, gaps started to form off the back, Gaze looking relaxed with the high pace that had 14 riders close behind.
On the sixth lap of the race, it remained status quo with no moves taking place. Schwarzbauer set the pace while Da Silva Avancini watched from the sideline with an apparent mechanical.
Three to go signalled urgency, with Schwarzbauer looking over his shoulder as they headed to the climb, Gaze in second, Koretzky third and Alan Hatherly (South Africa) fourth.
At two to go, Blums hit the accelerator on the climb but gained no gap, and Christopher Blevins (USA) moved into the top 10.
Gaze drilled the pace on the final ascent, this move creating a gap of two seconds. On the descent, Koretzky closed the gap to challenge the New Zealander. Schwarzbauer slipped out in the final corner when Pidcock made an inside pass, leaving the German on the dirt and off the podium.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot retains world title in XCC Women
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France) retained her short track cross-country world title with a decisive victory in Scotland at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
She broke away from a lead group of six riders on the signature climb on the front side of the course and opened a four-second gap to silver medallist Puck Pieterse (Netherlands). Evie Richards (Great Britain) trailed another five seconds to claim bronze, leaving last year’s bronze medallist Gwendalyn Gibson (USA) to settle for fourth.
“I feel better now because it was such a long day. It’s like starting at 6:30, and you have to wait the whole morning and afternoon, so I just wanted to start and see what I can make [happen],” the French rider said before she rushed off to the podium ceremonies.
Martina Berta (Italy) hit the initial climb ahead of Pieterse to start the race. On the second pass of the swooping berms, Pieterse remained second, but the pace was set by Richards, and Ferrand-Prevot rode close behind with Berta.
On lap three, Rebecca Henderson (Australia) had moved near the front as well as the US duo of Gwendalyn Gibson and Savilla Blunk.
Henderson pushed to the front on the fourth lap with Pieterse, Richards and Ferrand-Prevot on her heels. Sina Frei (Switzerland) spun out on the gravel on the finish straight and went down. She was left behind, leaving six riders at the front - Pieterse, Alessandra Keller (Switzerland), Gibson, Henderson, Ferrand-Prevot and Richards. The chasing duo was Blunk and Steffi Haberlin (Switzerland, who caught on across the downhill corners.
With three of the 10 laps to go, the group of eight pressed on, but gaps formed on the climb for Keller, Haberlin and Blunk.
On the penultimate loop, Haberlin caught back with Richards driving the pace. Prevot-Ferrand hit the gas on the final climb, passing Richards and Pieterse, forcing the challengers to chase, the pair not able to shut down the formidable advantage for the French rider.
