Nove Mesto XC World Cup Day Two
Foul weather in the form of strong thunderstorms moved in last night dumping a good amount of rain in Nove Mesto. The loamy forest soaked it all up with ease and there was little to no standing water on the course by noon today. Today was the big prep day for the pros. U23 women and the Juniors got down to the business of racing.
 |
 Russell Finsterwald finds his flow on AC/DC, a pump track like section of the track that feeds into Rock and Roll. |
 |
| While there isn't a ton of elevation at Nove Mesto, they have taken advantage of what they've got. The course has four decent climbs that take their toll quickly on the riders. Marco Fontana gets on the gas on climb number two. |
 |
| The track here is fast with incredible flow. There are rock gardens, but they are entirely man made. Roots and loamy soil are the main event here. |
 |
| Jaroslav Kulhavy fielding questions from the local media. He is eighteenth in the overall, but can he pull a win off on home soil? |
 |
| Every click of Kulhavy's derailleur is checked, and checked again. His bike is gone over with a fine tooth comb. Nothing is left to chance. Every aspect of preparation wins races. |
 |
| Julien Absalon Has two wins to his name already this season. Can he hold off Schurter tomorrow and take a third? |
 |
| Matias Flueckiger railing a corner durning morning practice. |
 |
| Nino Schurter skipped Cairns and didn't finish well in in PMB due to a flat. He is looking to make up ground here in Nove Mesto. Judging by the eight people he easily passed on this climb in practice he should jump back up in the rankings quickly. |
 |
| Time to reflect upon the day and prepare for tomorrow. |
 |
| Focus rider Lisa Rabenstiner kept things consistent and smooth over the four lap U23 women's race. She finished third and moved up to third in the overall rankings. |
 |
| Luck wasn't with Jenny Rissveds today. She flatted just after the start and was sitting second to dead last near the beginning of the second lap. She did push through the field to finish in eighth place. |
 |
| Aleksandra Podgorska got off line in Rock and Roll causing the dismount of six riders behind her. The flat rock garden had quite a crowd watching, but it pales in comparison to the mob that will take over the forest tomorrow. Nove Mesto has one of the largest most fanatical crowds on the schedule. |
 |
| Lena Wehrle cleaning AC/DC on lap three. The more tired the racers get the more mistakes will be made here. |
 |
| Michaela Malarikova was one of the only women to take the rougher outside line of the main rock garden. Most of the U23 field took either the ramped B line or the much smoother line on riders right. |
 |
| There are many short punchy climbs in Nove Mesto. There rains yesterday made some of them rather slick, and after three laps they begin to take their toll. Imogen Buick dismounted and pushed up this section, like many more before her. |
 |
| Because man and daughter with poultry hats on their heads, that's why. |
 |
| Yana Belomonia putting down the power on one of the flats on the second to last lap. She finished second and moved up to fifth in the overall rankings. |
 |
| Thunder Storms raged last night dumping serious amounts of water in a short time. The course absorbed the water well and the corners built up into little berms that could be railed at decent speed. |
 |
| Coming into the last lap. Legs on fire, frothing at the mouth, and just about out of gas. |
 |
| Margot Moschetti got away early in the U23 women's race and didn't look back. She finished first, 1:49 ahead of Belomonia and moved up to seventh in the overall. |
 |
| U23 Women's Podium. Margot Moschetti, Yana Belomonia, and Lisa Rabenstiener. |
 |
| Yolanda Neff looking forward to retaining the leaders jersey. The thunder storms seemed to have passed us, lets see what tomorrow brings. |
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
This makes sense to you?
imagine the situation: you are riding in the woods... suddenly encounter such a pretty girl..........
and you are crashing to the nearest tree with mouth wide open.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/10991942
you can read it on the forks lowers on the second last picture