Photo Epic: The Tipping Point - Mont-Sainte-Anne XC World Cup Finals 2018
Mont-Sainte-Anne is one of very few true mountain bike classics still to be found on today's World Cup schedule. Dating back to 1991, this venue has earned its stripes hosting both World Championships as well World Cups. Saturday's downhill finals saw thousands and thousands of spectators on the mountain sides, cheering on the world class athletes from over the globe. Today, with temperatures rising towards tropical levels, the cross country races were on. With just two races to go in this year's series, chances for glory are getting slimmer and slimmer. We've seen new faces on top this year and many getting closer. Margins are decreasing, competition is heating up. This is mountain biking at its finest.
U23 Women
Game on for Sina Frei. Riding incredibly strong, Frei is dominating the 2018 season.
Sina charging hard on her hardtail.
Haley Batten just missed out on the top five this morning.
Laurie Arseneault, this year's Canadian National Champion, rolled into a top 15 result.
Sina Frei continues her domination.
Richards' tire went flat at some point in the final lap and still managed to fend off Malene.
U23 Men
The rush to the start loop was met with the distinct sound of derailleurs shifting.
Jose Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo from Mexico paced himself well and on to the podium.
Chris Blevins rode one hell off a race, attacking and riding confidently to a second position.
Alan Hatherly chased by Chris Blevins.
Happiness.
Anthony Bergeron was one of Mont-Sainte-Anne's victims. A broken handle bar ended his race.
Sean Fincham digging into the climb in good form but was ultimately looking for more.
Sportsmanship reigns supreme.
Simon Andreassen rode well today and closed out the top five.
Elite Women
Yana Belomoina, last year's winner, warming up for the race.
Jolanda Neff took the holeshot as well as a comfortable lead. The field was left in the dust.
Anne Tauber has more then proven herself in her debut elite year.
Second to none in the downhills, as well in the uphills today. The field stood no chance today. Neff's #totaltakeover
Kate Courtney rode an impressive race only to see her chances dashed by a flat tyre and some mistakes afterward as she tried to push back to second. She finished in 6th.
Catharine Pendrel back in action. Pendrel rode a solid race, finishing in 16th.
Belomoina took a beating today, crashing, but still finishing in fourth.
Annika Langvad managed to fight off an unleashed Emily Batty.
Emily Batty rode a strong race in front of her home crowd. A well deserved third.
Haley Smith finished in an impressive 8th place.
In a class of her own today. Neff won with almost two minutes to spare.
Emily Batty gave the home crowd what they came for.
Catharine Pendrel brings it home.
Belomoina crashed on her hip, causing pain in an injury she sustained just prior to the season.
Elite Men
Anton Cooper may not have known it at this point but he was in for quite an afternoon.
No amount of preparation can be done to deal with unexpected mechanicals while leading a race. Nino Schurter in his zone before the clock started.
Titouan Carod took the lead early in the race, setting a blistering pace.
This track will bite you, even while pedaling.
Nino Schurter seemed to be riding towards another win, but a broken chain threw him back in the field. Schurter still finished in 7th and secured the overall win.
The top three after Nino's mechanical. Now there was a whole new race brewing.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer
Maxime Marotte has been on a mission this year. Marotte challenged the podium but had to settle for 4th.
Anton Cooper came close to a win but overcooked it on Beatrice and crashed.
Schurter was not the only one with mechanical issues. Fontana flatted and had to walk parts of the course.
Schurter pushed hard trying to come back.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer tried to challenge Fluckiger's lead.
Titouan Carod rode an impressive race and took third.
Gerhard Kerschbaumer is one to watch in the coming races.
Jordan Sarrou in action.
Cooper and Fluckiger fought it out in Beatrice, but Cooper crashed, costing him valuable time.
Well deserved. Mat Fluckiger kept it together and brought home the win.
The post-race sit - Leg power extinguished and cramps creeping up.
It was a scorcher out there.
Nino and Anton can only laugh about their misfortunes.
One and two
A wall of champagne drapes the podium.
Nino may not have won the race but it was certain he won the battle wrapping up the overall here in Mont Sainte Anne.
Mathias Fleckiger has done it.
Results
Women U23
1. Sina frei
2. Evie Richards
3. Malene Degn
4. Marika Tova
5. Nicole Koller
1. Sina frei
2. Evie Richards
3. Malene Degn
4. Marika Tova
5. Nicole Koller
Men U23
1. Alan Hatherly
2. Chris Blevins
3. Jose Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo
4. David Nordemann
5. Simon Andreassen
1. Alan Hatherly
2. Chris Blevins
3. Jose Gerardo Ulloa Arevalo
4. David Nordemann
5. Simon Andreassen
Women elite
1. Jolanda Neff
2. Annika Langvad
3. Emily Batty
4. Yana Belomoina
5. Anne Tauber
1. Jolanda Neff
2. Annika Langvad
3. Emily Batty
4. Yana Belomoina
5. Anne Tauber
Men elite
1. Math Flückiger
2. Gerhard Kerschbaumer
3. Titouan Carod
4. Maxime Marotte
5. Luca Braidot
1. Math Flückiger
2. Gerhard Kerschbaumer
3. Titouan Carod
4. Maxime Marotte
5. Luca Braidot
That concludes a day chock full of racing. Most cards have been dealt for the season, but we expect some fireworks for the finals in La Bresse in two weeks time. Mont-Ste-Anne, au revoir. We're looking forward to next year.
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Nasty injury for Cooper, no frenchies about when he crashed? You'd think he'd be off the bike for a little while.
www.instagram.com/p/BmZqI5SHBt_sllHPpS-oi_M7_c5RFX_cS4y9Rg0
He is whining about having such a bad luck for years preventing him from winning a race.
He won this race beacuse Gerhard Kerschbaumer made a mistake (yes it is part of the race) and Schurter had a mechanical (his fault for running amateurish etap).
He won the swiss jersey the same way.
These are the only two major wins in his elite career.
I never seen him as an elite contender and even when he was u23, he won a couple of things because the strongest riders had problems.
From the interview - have you seen it?- he seems to be a little confused/arrogant about his actual potential. Like he is persecuted by bad luck and was not able to win other races because of it. All he did was whining about his bad luck. He just won because a lot of good luck, which is part of racing, but also hard to come around.
I just don’t understand whiny racers, look at GK interview afterwards, he said he was happy, great race. He did not say if my fox fork did work as intended I did not get planted and crash.
He did 5-6 podiums (top 3) in all his career, 10 years. including u23.
He was never nearly close to winning an WC race, always well behind, at least 30 seconds.
He only podium when stronger riders had issues or where out of the race.
I don't remember him leading any race and having a mechanical or a fall.
Let's see if he is going to win another WC level race, because there are very little chances that NS, GK and MVP will be out/crashed/mechanical at the same time.