The XC Form Guide: Who's Going Fast Coming into the 2022 World Cup Season
The XC season kicks off this weekend in Brazil with XCO and XCC races at the new and technical Petrópolis track. After a shortened 2020 season and the Olympics in 2021, we are back with a massive nine races in 2022. With plenty of racing ahead of them, we can't wait to see riders back between the tape this weekend.
Before we get the first taste of speed in the XCC, here's who has been showing some good early form at the biggest races of the off-season.
Elite Women
The biggest rider to watch in the Elite Women's field is last year's overall winner Loana Lecomte. With a new team this year after joining the newly formed Canyon Collective XC team, she will be looking for a big result at the season opener in Petrópolis. We are expecting a quick start to the season from the young French rider as already this year she has taken some big wins at races in France and Switzerland despite coming back from a collarbone injury. Also, last year we saw a blistering pace from Lecomte in the opening rounds with four back to back victories leading to her domination of the overall standings at the end of the year.
Hot on her back wheel will be last year's Olympic champion Jolanda Neff. After a tough 2021 season that didn't see the World Cup performances she would have liked, Neff will be on the hunt for some top podium finishes this year and has the confidence of the Olympic gold medal behind her. Already in 2022, she has won the Internacionales XCO Chelva and she took the World Cup warm-up race last weekend on a very similar track that riders will face this week by an incredible six minutes. Neff won't be the only Trek team rider fighting for a win, as Evie Richards has also shown some great early season form with a win at the Catalana Internacional race in Banyoles. While she has pulled out of a couple of races due to back pain, when she's on form, she's gunning for the win. It also helps to have the rainbow jersey to push those extra watts needed for a win as we saw Richards secure back to back wins at the end of last season.
Haley Batten is another woman who could be in contention for a top result this weekend after taking a big victory alongside Sofia Gomez Villafane at the Cape Epic. While the gruelling eight-day race isn't exactly the same as the brutal one and a half hour World Cup races, Batten has clearly shown her off-season training has provided her with plenty of power and endurance for 2022. This year also makes a new team for Batten as we see her move to the Specialized Factory Racing team alongside the likes of Sina Frei, Christopher Blevins, and Jordan Sarrou.
Honorable Mentions:
It's also worth mentioning a few other rapid riders to watch as Rebecca McConnell continues to hunt the elusive World Cup win, will this weekend finally be her time at the top of the podium? While McConnell hasn't entered many races so far, she did secure her ninth consecutive Elite win at the Australian national champs, a feat which we don't think has been repeated by any other rider. Mona Mitterwallner has absolutely dominated the U23 racing in recent years and she will be stepping up to the Elite level racing this year. With some previous lap times that rivalled the Elite, she could cause quite the upset.
Finally, there is Kate Courtney who is another rider that has struggled to find speed over the past year, but a top finish at the XCC warm-up in Petrópolis last weekend and a fourth place in the XCO race will have given her plenty of confidence going into the first World Cup. Also, from early footage coming in from training at the venue, she is looking very confident over the drops and jumps that litter the fresh new Brazilian course.
Elite Men
One of the most consistent riders so far in this season's early races has been the fresh face on the Trek Factory Racing team, Vlad Dascalu. Coming off a seventh-place in last year's overall, Dascalu will be looking to build on this with some podium finishes and maybe even a first-ever win for Romania this year. Coming into the 2022 World Cup series, Dascalu has plenty of podium results with the most recent being a second-place finish at the World Cup warm-up in Petrópolis last weekend. This could be a sign of things to come at round one.
With two wins to his name so far this year, Titouan Carod is having a great start to the year after securing the podium's top step at the Catalana Internacional race in Banyoles and the first round of the French Cup. Carod also managed a seventh-place result at the stacked Internacionales XCO Chelva race. Another fast French rider hunting a World Cup win will be Maxime Marotte who has so far taken two fourth-place results and a 3rd at the first round of the Internazional d'Italia series. Looking to better his sixth place in last year's overall will be Alan Hatherly who saw far has taken one win at the Internacionales XCO Chelva race and fourth place at the Catalana Internacional race in Banyoles. Although Hatherly will have some tough competition from teammate Henrique Avancini this weekend who will definitely want to win his home World Cup.
Honorable Mentions:
It's been an interesting start to the Elite Men's XC season this year with some of the biggest names skipping out on the early season races, so it's quite hard to see exactly who is truly looking fast ahead of the season opener in Brazil. Nino Schurter is one rider everyone will be watching as he attempts to break Julien Absalon's record of World Cup wins again this year. With the rainbow jersey back for 2022, he would have been a sure bet for a top result, but a tough week at the Cape Epic could be signs that his fitness is not where it needs to be for the World Cup opener.
Another Swiss rider that will be interesting to watch this weekend is Mathias Flückiger who dominated in 2021 almost took both the overall World Cup title and the World Champs. So far we haven't seen much from Flückiger, but it is very hard to count him out from a win especially as the weather forecasts are predicting some pretty horrible conditions. Last year's wet and wild Les Gets race showed Flückiger is a master of the mud so he could be tough to beat at the weekend.
One name that will be in everyone's mind for the first World Cup race in Brazil since 2005, will be the legendary Henrique Avancini. Avancini will be tough to beat at his home race and we think he is going to be putting everything on the line for the win this weekend. Not only is the race in his home country, but Avancini is from Petrópolis and he still lives and rides at the São José Bike Club, the location of this weekend's race. The course was also helped to be brought up to UCI standard by the Brazilian racer and he was part of the original build team for the track with his father.
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Blame Outside
In all seriousness: Even if there were no prices, it would be nice to have a Fantasy XC league.
Need some prize ideas? Maybe the winner can get some dh fantasy points, and outside+ membership, a trail forks membership? An nft of levy’s butt?
I'll take the NFT of Levy's butt. Both are shit, but at least a butt can be wiped
Pretty sure that was Lars having the bad week (along with their bike tires, so many flats.....) and Nino just turned the Cape Epic into a "fun" ride. If anything I'd guess Nino will be able to start the season a little stronger since he didn't have to worry about recovery as much following the race.
Blevins, wc short track?
Positively any other rider in the top 30 aside from the one you have to mention in every single article?
So lame.
Surprised they aren't mentioned!
Would be good to see Pidcock do more though!