Photo Epic: XCC Hot Laps - Lenzerheide World Cup XC 2019
Photo Epic presented by Topeak
It was a short lap. We knew when we walked the course the lap times would be fast, blisteringly fast. Short track is always a bit of high-speed mayhem, but today seemed like they were passing every two minutes. And they pretty much were. The men were turning sub-two-minute laps and the women just over two minutes. Mathieu van der Poel takes another win after playing the field again, and Pauline Ferrand Prevot takes another sprint finish win from Jolanda Neff.
Long shadows but short laps. This is going to get crazy.
Kate Courtney is still trying to find that fuel which drove her to lead the pack in earlier XCC races this season.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot had a smile of confidence before the race.
Eva Lechner ready for battle. She placed a solid fifth in Val di Sole's XCC round last week.
Bec Henderson had plenty of time at the front of the pack.
Anne Tauber was just one of few women who decided they wanted a try at the front.
Strong comeback from Jenny Rissveds. She moved up the pack steadily throughout the race to finally take third.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot stayed with the lead group as they took off from everyone else.
Jolanda Neff had a strong race but fell prey to Prevot's tactics in the end.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot has been back on form and takes another win.
Pauline is back. Sunday is going to make for some great racing.
Not the race Kate Courtney wanted. She'll be hoping to step it up come Sunday as the points spread is getting larger.
Neff and Prevot sprint for the finish.
Rissveds gave it absolutely everything she had.
Jolanda Neff feeling that sprint finish.
Annie Last catches her breath at the end of a hard race.
Gassed at the end of a hard six laps.
Pauline, Jolanda, and Jenny take the top three spots.
Mathias Flueckiger was competitive for most of it but would fade near the end.
Nino, pensive on the start line.
Nino is up against a front row that is just as hungry as he is - and maybe more.
Cool as a cucumber as per usual.
Jordan Sarrou had the holeshot and a top ten finish.
Men's sprint start.
Great race for Maxime Marotte. Fourth for him on what was one of the fastest XCC courses of the season.
Mathieu van der Poel once again played the others like a fiddle and walked away with the win.
Putting down the power on the first climb.
Henrique Avancini moved his way up and attacked Nino in the final laps.
Mathieu van der Poel breathing down Nino's back. He'd turn the jets on once again and take the win.
Avancini leads Nino and Mathieu through the woods.
Nino Schurter had his moments at the front be he would have to settle for third.
Mathieu van der Poel about to kick it up a notch on the final lap.
Another big win for Van der Poel.
Avancini, wrecked, still trying to figure out how to defeat van der Poel.
Mathieu van der Poel showed us a glimpse of his power today but he still has to survive Sunday's race.
Not an easy one today.
Mathieu van der Poel, Henrique Avancini, and Nino Schurter for the Men's flower ceremony.
Toast.
Anton Cooper feeling the burn at the end of short track.
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You know, because in today’s world correlation always means causation.
Great to see JR, PFP, and AL all continuing to do well/better. Quite inspirational I'd dare say.