The Elite women’s race had all the big names on the start line as the rain came down. Last year’s cross-country short track winner Jolanda Neff (Trek Factory Racing XC), the defending overall series champion Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) and reigning World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Ineos Grenadiers) looked to take the win. 

The season got off to the perfect start for the Austrian Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) as she crossed the finish line first after some intense racing at the first Elite UCI Mountain Bike World Series Cross-country Short Track of the year. The other podium places would be taken by Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) from Switzerland just one second ahead of her compatriot Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing).

After crossing the line, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing), had this to say: 

I didn’t expect this at all. It turned out perfectly. It’s so hard though, I had to fight for every spot. At the right point I was in the right spot. I’m really happy to have such great support all around me, and thanks to all of them. It’s great to go away with this jersey, I’m so proud to do this with the Specialized team as well as in front of my family and friends. It’s just great.

Results XCC Women Top 5:

1.    Laura Stigger (AUT) 19:02

2.    Alessandra Keller (SUI) 19:03

3.    Sina Frei (SUI) 19:03

4.    Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) 19:03

5.    Evie Richards (GBR) 19:03

Last year’s Nové Město na Moravě XCO winner, Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) from the UK, would join the start line as Czech Ondrej Cink (Primaflor Mondraker Genuins) retires pre-race. Current Cross-country short track and Cross-country Marathon World Champion Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) from New Zealand also starts as a substitute. 

It would be Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grendiers) that would master the course to take the win despite lap times being tight all race. Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) would take silver, with Germany’s Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) finishing third.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grendiers) had this to say about his win:

Working my way up through the pack to win does make it all the sweeter. I only found out I was racing at three o’clock, having already done a three and a half hour training ride this morning. I always like racing here, I’ve been second in the short track before so it’s nice to win one.

I wasn’t really stressed at the start as I’d rather start a bit further behind, give ourselves a bit of space. I didn’t want to crash today. I’ve crashed in the short track before and it can ruin the weekend. I just tried to stay out of trouble, and it was all about whoever went into the finish straight first was going to win.

Results XCC Men Top 5:

1. Tom Pidcock (GBR) 20:17

2. Sam Gaze (NZL) 20:18

3. Luca Schwarzbauer (GER) 20:18

4. Mathias Flückiger (SUI) 20:19

5. Nino Schurter (SUI) 20:19

The full results from today’s races can be found here.

Full Men’s XCC results are here

Full Women's XCC results are here

For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Nové Město na Moravě here.

More information on where to watch which race is available here.