Photo Epic: Val di Sole XC World Championships 2021
Cross country took centre stage today in Val di Sole with the U23 kicking off the action early this morning. As expected Mona Mitterwallner proved to be the one to beat and rode away from the competition, pulling out a gap in excess of two minutes to Laura Stigger who also had a big gap back to third-placed Caroline Bohe. It was a similar story in the U23 men with Martin Vidaurre Kossmann proving too strong for the rest of the field, the Chilean taking his first World Championship by over a minute with Juri Zanotti in second and Joel Roth in third.
It was difficult to predict what would happen in the elite ranks but it looked ominous when Pauline Ferrand Prevot pulled a big gap early on but it wasn't to be. She was reeled in by the UK's Evie Richards who muscled past and took off without looking back, she remained unchallenged for the rest of the race and waltzed over the line to her very first mountain bike World Championship title. One hell of a ride. Anne Terpstra was her closest challenger in the end just over a minute back, Sina Frei took the final medal in a sprint finish with Jolanda Neff. The men's was closer run with the Swiss duo of Mathias Flueckiger and Nino Schurter going toe to toe for most of the race which set up a tense but thrilling conclusion. It was Schurter who outfoxed the competition to notch up yet another World Championship title as Flueckiger slumped to the ground in disappointment as Victor Koretzky grabbed the bronze medal with a strong ride.
We don't have to wait long to see the World's best XC racers back in action as the World Cup season gets back underway next week in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Dramatic clouds hung around until the sun burnt them off in the morning.
All eyes were on Mona Mitterwallner.
The U23 women kick off the day's action.
Kata Blanka Vas rounded out the top 5.
Marika Tovo had the loudest cheers of all early this morning in the U23 Women's race.
Another great ride from the Danish National Champ Caroline Bohe.
Laura Stigger made her return to the U23 class with a second place.
Mona Mitterwallner once again rode away from her completion without any issues.
Yet another win added to Mona Mitterwallner's rapidly expanding tally.
Your top 3 junior women: 1st Mona Mitterwallner 2nd Laura Stigger 3rd Caroline Bohe.
What a season Mona Mitterwallner is having.
Men U23 start.
Jofre Cullell Estape took fifth place for U23 Men.
Fourth and some battle scars from Luca Schaetti.
After some back and forth with the fellow countryman, Joel Roth secured the final step of the podium.
Second place for Juri Zanotti in his home country.
Martin Vidaurre Kossmann fought hard to keep his place on course and earned himself the rainbow stripes.
Martin Vidaurre Kossmann across the line with bike way in the air.
Big win for Kossman and Chile.
Your top three U23 Men - 1st Martin Vidaurre Kossmann, 2nd Juri Zanotti, and 3rd Joel Roth
An early morning caffeine hit for Anne Terpstra.
Pauline, cool and calm before the start.
Little did Evie Richards know what was about to unfold in a few hours time.
Anne Terpstra is about to have a good day in Italy.
Eva Lechner and Rebecca McConnell lead the charge into the first turn.
Anne Tauber blasting through the big crowd that lined the track every inch of the track.
Evie Richards was on one today never letting off the gas.
Alessandra Keller cresting one of the many punchy climbs.
Ninth today for Malene Degn.
Pauline Ferrand Prevot put down the watts in the first few laps and nearly got away with it.
Rebecca McConnell with another strong and consistent ride into 7th.
Jolanda Neff and Sina Frei make their move to create some much-needed distance from others;
Maja Wloszczowska rode into 5th.
Sina Frei pulled with the main group before playing cat and mouse with Jolanda Neff.
The Olympic champion Jolanda Neff lost out in the bronze medal sprint to compatriot Sina Frei.
Anne Terpstra carving the dust rut. Her second-place finish was spectacular.
Evie looked comfortable in the jank and dust as she put the hammer down.
Evie Richards was over a minute ahead of her competition so had time to savour the moment she crossed the line.
Anne Terpstra was quite rightly delighted with her ride into the silver medal.
Sina would eventually take the sprint into third. Jolanda comes over to congratulate her on her efforts.
What a moment for Evie Richards.
Your top 3 elite women: 1st Evie Richards 2nd Anne Terpstra 3rd Sina Frei
A quiet moment of contemplation for Henrique Avancini before the start of the race.
Henrique Avancini making his signature fast getaway.
Ondrej Cink leading out the pack.
Tenth for Milan Vader today.
Alan Hatherly skipped a few stones and into eighth.
Henrique Avancini settled into seventh once he was caught up to from taking the holeshot.
Sam Gaze is finding form again and took a great 6th place.
Mathias Flueckiger led the majority of the race's latter stages but was unable to close it out.
The Nino Mathias battle wore on right up until the last turn.
Filippo Colombo ended up inside the top 10 but will have been disappointed not to feature higher after losing out in a 4-way sprint.
Vlad Dascalu just outside the podium positions in 4th.
Victor Koretzky seemed to be gaining strength as his laps wore on. His efforts would land him in third today.
Nino on the hunt for Mathias Flueckiger's position.
Forced to make a mistake, Flueckiger was caught off guard in the final sprint. Nino crosses the line for the stripes.
This one might feel even sweeter than the others given Nino Schurter is winless in the World Cups this year.
So close yet so far for Mathias Flueckiger.
The rest of the Trek Pirelli team were ecstatic at Vlad Dascalu's 4th place.
Flueckiger and Schurter having a small chat post-race.
Your top three Elite Men - 1st Nino Schurter, 2nd Mathias Flueckiger, and 3rd Victor Koretzky.
Ninth World Champs title for the G.O.A.T.
It's all downhill from here.
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Nino showed what a true champion he is: he stayed on Fluck's wheel even when the pace slowed right down, he was waiting for his time to strike.
And an amazing race from Evie! Go Team GB!
The pass itself isn't the problem, the question is are they on the same team? Clearly Mathias thought they were, he towed Nino around quite a bit. Would he have done that to another competitor from another Nation? What was the Swiss objective going into the race? If it's every man for himself fair enough, Mathias screwed up. But if there was any talk of teamwork, he has every right to be pissed.
It was a dick move, but legit. A move that you do to your competitors, not your teammates. The race wasn't over after the pass, Avenci passed Belvins in the short track on the same spot and Blevins still won(atleast looked the same on tv). Shame Matthias couldn't recover from it and go to the line with Nino.
Nino is a killer, It's racing, I get it. But he's got a 8 1/2 Jerseys in my eyes. That last one like a world champs tank top or something.
Nino sure is when he's getting smoked.
IIRC, twice in the last lap alone. Does that qualify as a "dick move" too?
Nino is on the Scott-SRAM team. There is no “Swiss team” on the World Cup circuit. There are national teams at the Olympics, but not the World Cup.
Still this is not the 80s or the Soccer World Cup, stop looking at nationalities.
Nino was looking to overtake at every chance, and when he did it was a clean pass on the inside, before the turn started. Would have loved to see Flueckiger take the win but from the time Nino got in front we could see that Flueckiger really didn't have the legs for an all out sprint.
I believe this should say U23 not junior, “Your top 3 junior women: 1st Mona Mitterwallner 2nd Laura Stigger 3rd Caroline Bohe.”
Not exactly a spring chicken either.
Well not in elite XCO pro racer terms anyway.
That is unless he turns out to be a "Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja", he doesn't have another decade to put together the kind of numbers Nino has over his career. Pretty long odds I wouldn't bet my paycheck on.
He one very talent rider, no taking that away from him and like you said it would be nice to see him pull it off at the big show once before the inevitable happens. Cheers
Why does he have to be one or the other?
Why the division? Is there something to gain in this cyclo-turf war between the disciplines?
Honest straight forward questions, no sarcasm. I'd really like to know how it got started and why.
It used to be much more common to be a good all around cyclist.
I think the trend is heading back that way and personally I like it.
I might be projecting, but i think that complaining is mostly insecurities from some MTBers, not all though.
Also when those MTBers are in front of a Roadbiker, they stay quiet.
again maybe it is just my anecdotal experience.
Heck, around here the Gravity and XC infighting is on display on nearly a daily basis.
As for Lycra, better than looking like a slobobian reject from a '90's grunge band video. LOL
Get on your bike 'n ride. Whatever kind it may be.
On to Lenzerheide!!!