Swiss and French riders win the first Elite races to be held at the new North American venue, while Keller is confirmed as series winner. 

Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) and Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) made it two wins from two in the UCI Cross-country Short-Track (XCC) World Cup for the American team at its home race. The Swiss rider and new UCI XCC World Champion came out on top in two engaging contests at Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid, where both timed their attacks perfectly to leave the competition in their tracks. 

The results also saw the women’s series title decided ahead of next week’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series events in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada – Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) crowned winner with one round to go. 

FREI FIRES HERSELF TO FIRST UCI XCC WORLD CUP WIN 

The women’s elite XCC got the action underway on a dry short track course and it was Rio 2016 Olympic champion Jenny Risveds (Team 31 Ibis Cycles Continental) who set the early pace. The Red Bull Rock and Roll rock garden looked like it could cause trouble with its various technical lines, but while it slowed the speed, all riders made it through with no issues. 

Series leader Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) fought her way to the front, but she couldn’t get any breathing room from the chasing pack, which still numbered double figures. 

Chiara Teocchi (Orbea Factory Team) and Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) both attempted to go alone, but their surges were reeled back in before a breakaway finally appeared to have set in by lap five – Risveds, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Koller gaining some ground. And when Stigger stumbled in the rock garden, Koller, Risveds and Lecomte went clear.

The new UCI XCC World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) wasn’t far off the pace though, bridging the gap in her first race in the rainbow jersey. The Brit had won her two previous XCC races in the US too and appeared to be winding up for an attack to claim her third.

It wasn’t to be though. Frei had also timed her tactics well and going into the final lap, she and Risveds broke clear. The pair were inseparable through the rock garden, but the Swiss rider threw down the hammer on the final climb to drop her Swedish competitor.

Risveds had no answer, with Frei soloing to the line. Behind them, Richards outsprinted Lecomte to take third. 

With Puck Pietrse (Alpecin-Deceunick) not racing in North America, the series title was effectively a foregone conclusion, but Keller’s eighth confirmed it. Tomorrow, she’ll be attempting to do the same in the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. 

Speaking after the race, Sina Frei said: “It’s very nice. It’s my first UCI World Cup victory in short track and it’s very special. I tried to stay on the wheels and wait and be patient and in the last lap we just went full gas until the finish line. I felt in that moment that I had to go. I just tried it and I’m super happy that in the end I won.”

Allesandra Keller said: “It’s amazing. The overall is a big goal of mine. Consistency is one of the goals in my life. Securing the overall means a lot to me. Even today I had a pretty good race, I made one mistake that basically cost me the podium but still I’m very happy to be there again and especially to secure it one round before the finish.” 

KORETZKY SHOWS OFF RAINBOW JERSEY IN STYLE

While Keller’s series title was effectively sewn up, the men’s contest looked like it was going to go to the wire with Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceunick) and Koretzky battling it out for top spot.

It was Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) who set the early pace though – the new UCI XCO World Champion showing he can mix it in the shorter format, as proved last time out in Les Gets, Haute Savoie (France). 

Another Cannondale Factory Racing rider, Simon Andreassen, came to the fore in the second, and it was clear that the pair had some team tactics in play. Then disaster struck for Gaze. Entering a pinch point just before the tunnel, the series leader hit the deck and soon found himself in dead last. Koretzky sensed his opportunity. Midway through lap five, the Frenchman put in a burst of pace, but was merely testing the waters for later in the race. 

Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing), Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) and Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) all took their turns on the front, but Koretzky was never far behind. 

A surge from Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) at the start of the penultimate lap came to a premature end with a big crash for the American halfway around the course. Entering the final loop, there was a clear lead group of five riders – Koretzky, Andreassen, Hatherly, Schurter and Martins Blums (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team). 

Approaching the rock garden, Koretzky laid down the power, and no one else could respond. From nowhere the Frenchman built a huge lead after the technical feature that just stretched to the finish line. Behind him, Andreassen finished second, while Hatherly outsprinted Schurter for third. 

Gaze managed to battle back to 32nd, securing 42 points in the process, meaning that the series title will still be on the line next week. 

Speaking after the race, Victor Koretzky said: “It was amazing. It was my first race [in the jersey] and it was a lot of pleasure for me. It’s always special when you wear this jersey. It’s only for one year so you need to enjoy it. Here in front of US crowd it was super nice. They’re always on fire. I can’t wait until tomorrow.

“It was difficult [to be patient]. I think the only critical part was the rock garden. The goal was to stay on the front, especially there, but then also Cannondale and Scott had team tactics, so we just paid attention to that. One time Simon [Andreassen] was trying to go alone on the front, but I was jumping on his wheel. It was tactical but you need to be patient. It was nice for Specialized today.”

LILLO AND BÖHM ON TOP IN U23

Yesterday, it was the turn of the Under 23s, and the racing was just as exciting. Dario Lillo (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) and Kira Böhm (Cube Factory Racing) came out on top in the Men’s and Women’s U23 UCI Cross-country Short-Track World Cup respectively, but both races went down to the wire on a relentless short track course.

Böhm and Isabella Holmgren exchanged the lead throughout, but the German surged ahead on the last lap, leaving the Canadian in her dust. Soloing to the line, she celebrated her fourth win of the season, and with it the overall series ahead of the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, next weekend.

Lillo meanwhile left it to a last lap attack that no one could compete with to take his first XCC win of the series. The men's U23 series will go to the wire though, with Riley Amos (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) and Bjorn Riley (Trek Future Racing) neck and neck going into the final round.

The action continues today in Mt Van Hoevenberg – Lake Placid with the Under 23 XCO races while the men’s and women’s Elite UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup will take place tomorrow from 11:30 (EDT). Find out how to watch all the racing here.