Something to Whet the Appetite - Nove Mesto Practice and U23 Women
Today was the final day of practice for the everyone but the U23 women, who raced at 4:30pm today. While practice for Downhill or Enduro events is action packed, it's a little different in XC. Most of the riders only took two laps today; two easy-paced laps. Just enough to memorize lines and make any final adjustments to their set ups, then it's home to take it easy. It is crucial not go too hard, so as to maintain the snap in the legs before unleashing the full fury trapped inside on race day. Most riders ended the day early, spending the remaining time at home to eat, maybe wear compression boots, and go to sleep early. As for the U23 women, they crushed out four grueling laps this afternoon. Jenny Rissveds bested top-seeded Margot Moschetti by forty one seconds, and a strong Kate Courtney finished third. No doubt they are all sleeping well tonight.
Irmo Keizer • Age: 36 • Years Shooting: 10 Irmo Keizer has been mountain biking since high school. Irmo loves nature, technical trails and landscapes and dislikes too many race lines and fire roads. Irmo has a strong passion for all sorts of mountain bike disciplines ranging from cross country, to enduro and downhill. Combining his passion of mountain biking and photography ten years ago, Irmo has been working as a photographer/editor in mountain biking ever since.
 |
 Most of the racers are favoring full suspension to keep them fresh as long as possible on the rough Czech course. There are a few exceptions, though. |
 |
| There's always time for a family ride in Julien's schedule. |
 |
| Take a couple of pictures, go for a relaxed spin. This pretty much sums up today's practice. |
 |
| Only a few riders really push on this final day of practice, while most will only take a couple mellow laps to save their legs and rest up for the big showdown tomorrow. |
 |
| Even in crosscountry racing, dropper posts are starting to appear. The weight remains an issue for a lot of riders, but with courses getting more and more technical, it justifies their use. |
 |
| Russel Finsterwald has been making steady improvements this spring at the U.S. races. He is hoping to keep all that forward momentum going here in Europe. |
 |
| Hermida is the only guy who still rides with bar ends. If you look at his bars from above, they look like his stache. |
 |
| Anton Cooper looking smooth as butter in practice. He will be one to beat in U23 men, tomorrow. |
 |
| Abaslon is either challenging someone to fisticuffs, or commenting on the track behind him. Hard to tell because I don't speak french. |
 |
| Schurter was looking confident during his short practice today. |
 |
| Kate Courtney was looking calm, cool, and collected before the women's race started. |
 |
| Ranked number one, Margot Moschetti knew what she had to do this first race. Unfortunately, today it just wasn't meant to be. |
 |
| The women's U23 field. |
 |
| Rain was threatening during the line-up, but never quite materialized. That said, it was going to be a long, dark race in the Cezch woods. |
 |
| Enter the fast lane. These young girls are fast and furious. |
 |
| Dark clouds loom. Will the weather hold? |
 |
| With one minute to go, the lint is removed on Simon's catwalk. Heart rates rise, muscles twitch. This is the moment. |
 |
| Commissaires line the course, ensuring fair play. |
 |
| Women's start. |
 |
| Kate Courney was always within sight of Margot Moschetti. She pushed hard, and took a solid third today. |
 |
| Things got congested mid-pack at the Rock and Roll section. One off meant several offs. |
 |
| The crowds were already starting to fill the woods on this Saturday evening. |
 |
| Even with a start time of 16.30, there was quite a crowd to be find on this women's U23 race. Expect tens of thousands for tomorrow's elite races. |
 |
| Try as she did, Moschetti just couldn't hold on to Rissveds. |
 |
| Margot Moschetti might be tiny, but this French girl packs a punch. She rips the field apart in the start loop. |
 |
| Courtney, digging deep on one of the long climbs. |
 |
| Dropping out of the steep technical downhill. |
 |
| Gasping for air and pushing until there is nothing left. The course here in Nove Mesto is brutal. |
 |
| Rissveds charging hard, bringing home her first win of the season. |
 |
| Lap 2 brings no changes. Margot Moschetti leads, with Jenny Rissvedds and Kate Courtney in her wake. |
 |
| The course in Nove Mesto is tough. The trails meander up and down, allowing no rest for riders. Then, when your heartrate reaches 200, you enter a downhill which is unforgiving on bikes like these. |
 |
| Drunk as can be, yet still bringing his trash down the mountain. Props for this Czech guy. |
 |
| Lap three brings Jenny Rissveds to the front, slowly pulling a gap on Margot Moschetti. |
 |
| Roaring the riders to the top. |
 |
| A view on Maghalie Rochette's screen. |
 |
| This is one of the video rigs which provides you with one of the best live coverages on the scene. |
 |
| Jenny Rissveds leading comfortabely, racing down Mitas Choice. |
 |
| A strong Kate Courtney rode a very consistent race. |
 |
| Jenny Rissveds takes the win in the first round of the 2015 UCI Mountainbike World Cup in Nove Mesto. |
 |
| Frederique Trudel on her way in Nove Mesto |
 |
| Jenny Rissveds ruled the race today in Nove Mesto. |
 |
| Specialized's Annika Langvad rode this section a couple of times. The Danish rider is always fast at the start of the season and might just surprise the field in Nove Mesto. |
 |
| Georgia Gould making her way down to the final third of the Nove Mesto course. |
 |
| Canadian Haley Smith in ecstasy with her 7th place in Nove Mesto. Frederique Trudel follows in 8th. |
 |
| A comanding win for Jeni Rissveds. Will she dominate U23 women this season like her teammate, Schurter, dominates the pro men's field? |
 |
| The elation of the first World Cup win. |
About the Photographers
Matthew Delorme • Age: 40 • Years Shooting: 8 Matthew DeLorme is just one of Pinkbike’s motley crew of World Cup photographers. He currently lives out of a Ogio bag, and calls the road his home. Delorme works for Trek Bicycle, covering their MTB racing programs. He can usually be found laying in the dirt trackside, cracking jokes and saying things that make little to no sense. He enjoys capturing accessory moments and the journey every bit as much as catching the action shot.
MENTIONS: @Specialized, @SCOTT-Sports
Author Info:
Member since May 11, 2011
Must Read This Week
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Mairiporã XC World Cup 2024
41878 views
41878 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Nice photos!